Chapter 790

Ethan's fingers tightened around his phone.

Less than three hours after he left, Vivian was already in trouble again. This marked the third incident this month—each time trouble found her the moment he stepped away.

"Vivi, I—"

"Don't apologize." Vivian's cool voice cut through the line. "Victoria started it. Not your fault."

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the self-blame.

"Alright. Get some rest."

"Wait." Her sudden stop made his breath hitch. "Don't come tomorrow."

The silence stretched between them.

Four years ago, those exact words had left his lips. Back then, he'd found her clinginess suffocating, craving distance between them.

Now the tables had turned, and he finally understood the ache she must have felt.

"Understood." Ethan ended the call softly.

Vivian stared at the darkened screen, an inexplicable weight settling in her chest.

Since when had Ethan become so compliant? That wounded tone made her feel like some cruel tormentor.

Shaking her head, she tossed the phone aside.

Her palm rested on the gentle swell of her abdomen. "Sweetheart," she whispered, "Mommy's in a tough spot."

Her planned departure in one month grew complicated with Ethan's constant vigilance. If she vanished abruptly, he'd tear the city apart searching for her.

But the greater threat lurked in the shadows.

Bianca's reaction today had been peculiar. At the mention of "that person," the jade expert's eyes had darted away like a startled deer.

Who exactly was pulling the strings?

Vivian mentally cataloged every possible enemy. Sophia was dead. If the organization wanted her eliminated, they wouldn't employ such convoluted methods.

She sat bolt upright.

Unless... this traced back to that incident four years ago?