Chapter 910

The aroma of food filled the dining room, yet Vivian Laurent felt something was missing.

She set down her fork, her fingers absently tapping the table.

"Miss, would you like more?" the maid asked softly.

"No, thank you."

The maid hesitated but eventually withdrew.

The vast mansion was so quiet she could hear her own breathing. Vivian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the distant city lights.

Three years of solitude should have made her accustomed to this. Yet tonight, the emptiness felt sharper.

She turned and went upstairs. The light in her bedroom remained on late into the night.

Not far away, Ethan Roscente stood beneath the shadows of trees, his eyes never leaving that window.

He dialed Simon Eisner's number. "Buy a property nearby. The closer, the better."

"Mr. Roscente, the company—"

"I'll return in a couple of days," Ethan interrupted.

A brief silence followed. "Understood."

A week passed. Vivian gradually adjusted to her new surroundings.

Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains as she sat in the garden with a book, though her mind kept wandering.

"Vivi!"

Isabella Langley's voice snapped her back to reality. She looked up to find her best friend standing before her.

"You've lost so much weight!" Isabella gasped.

Vivian instinctively touched her cheek. "Have I?"

Lucas Lefèvre set down the gift he was holding. "You definitely have."

"Maybe it's the change in climate," Vivian said lightly.

Isabella took her hand. "I specifically asked the chef to prepare dishes to your taste. How could you not have an appetite?"

"Really, I'm fine," Vivian smiled. "The baby's healthy."

Isabella's gaze dropped to her rounded abdomen. "Seven months along. You need to take better care of yourself."

"I will."

"And Ethan?" Isabella asked abruptly. "Is he just abandoning you like this?"

Vivian's fingers tightened slightly. "There was never anything between us."

She picked up her phone and opened the chat with Theo.

"Aunt Vivi!" Theo replied instantly. "You haven't come to play with me in so long."

Her fingers paused over the screen. "I've been busy lately."

"Uncle Ethan hasn't come home either," Theo sent a sad emoji. "Are you both really that busy?"

Vivian stared at the message, a sudden tightness forming in her chest.