Chapter 3

3: 3

Vivian's face went white in an instant.

"The ICU? How did Wallis end up in the ICU? Mom! Didn't you say she just took a little fall and it was nothing?"

My mother looked away, guilt written all over her.

"She's a kid, she took a tumble, how bad could it be? I didn't tell Vivian because I didn't want to ruin Ivan's welcome dinner."

My daughter was lying in the ICU with tubes in her, and to her it was nothing more than a scrape that shouldn't get in the way of Ivan's meal.

Vivian hurried toward me.

"I didn't know it was this serious. I'll go to the hospital with you."

I looked at her, cold.

"The staff warned you—no children under ten. But you don't even know how old your daughter is, and you didn't listen to the warning either. You just wanted to shove her onto the longest ride you could find so you could run off and buy ice cream with Ivan."

Vivian's face paled, and her mouth opened.

I didn't give her the chance to explain.

"Vivian, if you care about Ivan so much that you'd ignore your own daughter, then why did you marry me in the first place?"

"You were the one who chose me. Yet for all these years, everyone acts like I stole you away, like I owe Ivan something."

"Whatever she wants, I'm supposed to give up."

"And now, to keep him company, you'd throw away your own child's life."

I stared her down.

"If anything happens to Wallis, I won't let you off. And I won't let Ivan off either."

Vivian's face filled with shock.

"Carter, that's going too far!"

"Ivan and I are clean. I've looked after him like a little brother my whole life."

"How does that turn into something shameful the moment it comes out of your mouth?"

Neil's face darkened at once.

"Vivian and Ivan grew up together. Their bond has always been that close."

"She took care of Ivan for over ten years. Just because she married you later, the two of them can't even see each other normally anymore?"

"Who do you think you are, to force them to cut ties?"

My mother glared at me with disgust too.

"Everyone saw how good Vivian was to Ivan back then."

"You marry her and suddenly you want to own her, make her disown Ivan as a brother?"

"A dirty mind sees filth everywhere."

"Now the child's had an accident, and instead of examining yourself, you stand here spouting nonsense, slandering Vivian and Ivan."

"Carter, have you no shame?"

Ivan's eyes reddened at once.

"So you really do blame me after all."

"I shouldn't have let Vivian keep me company. But she only wanted to look after me a little more because it's so rare for me to be home."

"If you want to hit someone or curse someone, take it out on me. Stop insulting Vivian with talk like this."

Vivian instinctively turned to look at him, and that familiar tenderness rose in her eyes again.

That one small movement drained every last wish I had to argue.

I clutched the documents and shoved past them.

"Carter, wait for me!"

Vivian took a couple of steps after me.

But she never showed up, not even by the time I got back to the hospital.

I'd barely finished the paperwork when one of my people called.

"Carter, the new contract gets signed today. Why aren't you here yet?"

"My daughter's in the ICU. I need to take some time off. The contract's already negotiated—someone else can sign it."

He said quickly,

"But Ms. Bailey came in today with your brother, saying you're focusing on the child and stepping back to a support role, letting him take over your position and your project."

"It didn't sit right with me, so I called you as fast as I could."

Cold ran through me. I called Vivian immediately.

"What gives you the right to hand my position to Ivan?"

Her tone was strangely calm.

"Everything you said earlier was just panic talking, because of Wallis's accident. Your mind ran away with you. I know you didn't mean it, and I won't hold it against you."

"But you can't do your job well like this either. If you stay in that position, you'll only drag the project down."

"Better to step back for now and focus on the child in peace. I'm arranging this for your sake too."

I was shaking with rage.

"That's a project I spent a whole year landing! What gives you the right to take it?"

Vivian sighed.

"Not take it—just do Ivan a favor. Ivan's in the middle of a divorce case. He needs a respectable job to fight for custody of his child."

"He'll only hold the lead title temporarily. What's it to you to sit out one project?"

I gripped the phone hard and said coldly,

"I won't agree to it."

"If you dare touch my project, I'll hand the contract straight to a rival firm!"

"Carter, don't be reckless!"

Vivian's voice dropped too.

"You can't ruin the whole company just to make a point, can you?"

"It's only a temporary title. A year at most."

"When you come back, it's still your position."

She softened her voice again.

"I've already asked the doctors. Wallis's treatment is all arranged."

"Just focus on looking after the child, and come back to work once she's better. Isn't that better for everyone?"

"Besides, if we hadn't married in the first place, Ivan wouldn't have gone abroad heartbroken, and he'd never have run into that gold digger."

"We owe him this. We always did."

I finally lost it.

"I don't owe him anything!"

"He went abroad himself, he married her himself, and he picked the wrong woman himself."

"Why should my job and my life be ruined just because his went badly?"

"You're too worked up."

Vivian said flatly,

"Once Ivan's appointment ceremony is over, I'll come to the hospital and stay with you."

The call cut off.

Right then, a sharp alarm went off inside the ICU.

Doctors and nurses rushed to Wallis's bedside, quickly switched her to a portable monitor, and wheeled her out.

I threw myself toward them.

"Where are you taking my daughter?"

I blocked the bed, grabbing the doctor's sleeve, my voice shaking with panic.

"Didn't you say the visiting specialist was already lined up?"

"He can be here this afternoon. Why are you moving her now?"

The doctor paused.

"The specialist's surgery has been canceled."

Something roared in my head.

"Who canceled it?"

"The child's mother."