Chapter 291

• I finally decided it was time to talk to Vivian not to argue, but to finally speak like two adults stuck in a tangled web of past decisions and unresolved emotions.
• When I entered her penthouse suite in Valor Residences, the cool, dim lighting wrapped around me like a shroud. Vivian was curled up on the velvet chaise in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, draped in a soft cashmere blanket. As always, she wore a veil this one black, delicate, and laced at the edges. Since the accident that left her scarred, she'd designed an entire line of fashionable veils in bold and somber hues alike. She never left her home without one, transforming what others saw as disfigurement into an unapologetic fashion statement.
• Gone was the firebrand who used to challenge me in every conversation, her voice always ready for combat. Today, she looked pale fragile, even. But not defeated. When she saw me, she didn’t react not even a flicker of recognition beyond a cursory glance before she turned her attention away.