Chapter 10

Vivian watched Adrian's retreating figure with a sinking heart, the weight of his departure pressing down on her like a physical force.

She ignored the sharp pain in her leg and limped toward her tablet, hands shaking as she pulled up Serena’s latest Instagram post.

The photo showed Serena sprawled across a plush couch, a cooling patch on her forehead, still wrapped in Adrian’s unmistakable leather jacket.

The caption read: "Fever dreams and loneliness. Wish someone were here to take care of me."

A second post followed immediately: "Stay warm, loves!"

The timing was too perfect to be coincidence.

Vivian’s stomach twisted.

Serena wasn’t just sick—she was playing a calculated game, tugging at Adrian’s protective instincts.

And it was working.

Not even Vivian’s threat of divorce had been enough to keep him from rushing to Serena’s side.

Fury burned through her, leaving her trembling like a leaf in a storm.

She refused to crumble.

With stiff fingers, she peeled the bandage from her leg, revealing the inflamed wound beneath.

The bath had soaked through the dressing, leaving the skin raw and swollen.

She could be needy too.

She had been, once—clinging to her grandmother after scalding herself with boiling water, sobbing into the woman’s embrace.

But vulnerability had its place, and this wasn’t it.

Adrian’s abandonment had stripped away any illusions.

She was on her own.

Gritting her teeth, she cleaned the wound with practiced efficiency and rewrapped it tightly.

Then she strode to her walk-in closet and dragged out an old suitcase—the one she’d arrived with, filled with nothing but hope.

She packed a fresh set of clothes and left a single bank card on the nightstand.

Every cent she’d earned in the past year was on it.

A clean break.

No debts.

No ties.

She hauled the suitcase behind her, wincing with every step as she left Seabreeze Villa behind.

The night air was sharp, the early spring chill biting through her thin jacket.

But the cold outside was nothing compared to the ice spreading through her chest.

She didn’t look back.