“This is the truth,” Shelley set down the water ss. “I will keep an eye out for you. When Vilemes back, I’ll talk to him.”


    “Thank you,” Vivian said sincerely.


    “No need to be formal with me,” Shelley waved her hand, leaned back on the sofa, “My mind has been filled with a lot of things these days, almost crashed.”


    Vivian tidied up the coffee table, slipping several reports into a folder. “You should rest more at night instead ofing out to y.”


    “ying is rxing. How about going to the bar in the next room for a drink?” Shelley invited Vivian.


    “I don’t drink,” Vivian refused.


    “You own a bar, not drinking is not an option,” Shelley imparted her wisdom to Vivian, “When you’re out, there are always one or two drinks you can’t refuse.”


    Vivian ruthlessly refused again, “I can refuse you.”


    Shelley clutched her chest, making a hurt expression, “I’m hurt, my heart hurts.”


    Looking at Shelley, who was so rxed and joking, Vivian felt a little dazed, as if she had seen Luzia.


    “How about going dancing together? You know how to dance, right?”


    Vivian shook her head, “jos ising to pick me up. Maybe next time.”


    Once Vivian mentioned jos, Shelley had no way to insist, only puffing her cheeks inint, “You’re no fun, Vivian. It would be great if Luzia were here.”This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    After that, both of them fell silent for a moment.


    “I haven’t been in touch with Luzia for a long time,” Shelley said. Even though she and Luzia had a strained rtionship, they both lived in Houston. They used to have many opportunities to meet at family gatherings and while out shopping. Unlike now, Luzia had married and moved to Los Angeles, now Shelley couldn’t even find someone to argue with.


    Thinking about Bryson’s callst night, Vivian felt uneasy, but Luzia might fly back to Houston to celebrate Mrs. Yazmin’s birthday, which could be considered good news, at least.


    “Mrs. Yazmin’s birthday party is in a few days, Luzia mighte back,” along with her brother Joseph.


    Just thinking about Joseph’s annoying face made Vivian feel a bit overwhelmed.


    It wasn’t until jos confirmed that Joseph and Luzia would fly back to Houston for Mrs. Yazmin’s birthday that Vivian was half excited and half worried.


    jos squeezed Vivian’s hand, “Luzia ising back, you should be happy.”


    “I am happy,” Vivian tried to smile for jos, but she struggled for a long time and couldn’t manage it. “I’m scared.”


    jos patted her hand, “Scared of Joseph?”


    “Yes, I’m often afraid of Joseph’s presence,” Vivian couldn’t understand why there was such a cruel antisocial figure like Joseph in the world, “But I’m more afraid of seeing the scars on Luzia. I will feel heartbroken for her, but I am powerless in her situation.”


    Bringing up Luzia, jos couldn’t help but sigh. He regretted this decision, but Luzia’s sacrifice was worth it. Now, the only thing he could do was to quickly carry out their n and kill Bryson.


    Once Bryson was dead, Los Angeles would be in chaos, and Houston would be able to take advantage, just as they had once taken advantage of Los Angeles, weakening Joseph’s power. Then he would support Vilem, help him challenge Joseph, and vie for the position of Capo.


    At that time, Luzia could get a divorce and return to Houston.


    But this n couldn’t be told to Vivian. She wasn’t strong enough yet, her fear and hatred of Bryson weren’t enough for her to watch him die. Maybe she would keep their secret, but she would also do something to make Bryson more cautious.


    While Vivian cried for Luzia’s future, jos could only silently embrace her.


    …


    At 25 weeks pregnant, Vivian had two more check-ups without telling anyone. Hearing that their baby was safely growing in her womb, Vivian couldn’t help but grab jos’s hand, unable to hold back her tears.


    Her belly wasrger than it was at thest check-up. She had switched her usual home clothes to loose andfortable styles, and her pants had changed from tight jeans to loose trousers. With the weather getting colder, she would reluctantly put on a coat, barely concealing her belly a little.


    As her belly grew, Vivian became more and more distressed. This was the eleventh time tonight that she stood in front of the closet and sighed. jos put down his financial magazine and found it amusing, “If you don’t have the clothes you likein your closet, you can go shopping. There are many clothing stores in the mall where you can find what you like.”


    “No, there are no clothes that fit me in the mall either,” Vivian said sadly, touching her protruding belly. “They fit slender girls, not me.”


    “I should go to the maternity section,” Vivianmented, “But there are no suitable dresses for attending a birthday party. I don’t want to be too disrespectful.”


    Maybe she just shouldn’t go, which would conveniently avoid Joseph, keeping her from having her secret revealed.


    Vivian bit her lip, contemting how to persuade jos.


    Seeing that Vivian was having second thoughts, jos shook his head and refused her, “If Joseph can’t see you, he will demand toe to the apartment to see you, Vivian.”


    “And, don’t you want to see Luzia?”


    Of course, Vivian wanted to see Luzia, “But…”


    “You don’t have to worry about the dress,” jos said, prepared. “I have instructed Nirupama to customize a dress for you. She will bring it over for you to try on tomorrow, and if it doesn’t fit, she can make adjustments.”


    “Nirupama? Doesn’t she only make wedding dresses?”


    “No one can resist triple the price,” jos said confidently.


    Nirupama’s custom dresses were expensive. Vivian didn’t dare to imagine how much triple the price would be in dors, she didn’t dare to ask, but it didn’t stop her from feeling distressed.


    “It’s too expensive,” Vivian said, “There’s no need.”


    “Even for just a birthday party, my wife deserves the most beautiful things,” jos embraced Vivian’s waist, caressing her belly. “You deserve to have everything expensive and beautiful.”


    His gaze was focused, containing emotions that Vivian didn’t dare to look at directly. She was afraid she might misinterpret, but also afraid of missing something.


    She reached up to touch his handsome face, her fingertips brushing over the scar on his forehead. The ferocity and brutality she had seen when they first met had faded after spending days and nights together. The more she touched, the closer she got, the more her heart ached.


    Vivian had never asked jos about the origin of this scar. She couldn’t imagine how dangerous it must have been at the time to leave such a deep mark.


    There was more than just this particr scar.


    During kisses, moments of passion, and lovemaking, Vivian had countless times touched the scars on jos’ body: cuts, burns, gunshot wounds, and even a horizontal scar across his chest, each one extremely dangerous, each one a narrow escape from death.


    There was a new scar on his abdomen, one she had participated in.


    The stitching at the time wasn’t very good, and the scar looked uglier than the others. Every time she touched or kissed it, she felt particrly sorry.


    This always made jos unable to resist his emotions.


    But besides feeling sorry, all Vivian could do was silently pray for jos. She prayed that every time he went on a mission, he woulde back safe and sound. She didn’t dare hope that he woulde back unscathed every time, she just prayed that his injuries would be lighter, and lighter.


    When would these days end?


    Vivian had painfully thought this more than once.


    But deep down, she knew the answer to this question.


    They wouldn’t end.


    Neither jos nor she had a way back, especially jos, who couldn’t afford to stop. Stopping meant death.


    The only way to be free was through death.