Chapter 1

1.

"Vivian, we need to finalize the marriage arrangement with the Grant heir. Now that you have recovered, are you ready to return to New York to complete this marriage?

"If you're not willing, I can talk to them again, maybe call the whole thing off."

In the dimly lit room, Vivian was silent.

Just as her mother on the other end of the line thought she'd failed to persuade her again, Vivian suddenly spoke. "I'm willing to come back and get married."

Mrs. Palmer was stunned, completely caught off guard. "You agree? Really?"

Vivian's voice was calm. "Yes, but I need a little more time to wrap things up here in San Diego. I'll be back within two weeks. Mom, you and Dad can start preparing for the wedding."

After a few more words, she hung up.

The moment the call ended, the sound of loud music blared from downstairs. Faintly, she could hear someone singing "Happy Birthday."

It was a birthday party Eason and Rhys were throwing for Hannah.

Suddenly, footsteps approached her door. Hannah appeared, holding a slice of red velvet cake and smiling.

She blinked her big, round eyes, her pretty face adorned with delicate makeup, though a few stray smudges of frosting looked out of place. "Vivian, come down and party with us?"

Vivian could now see right through her innocent facade. Her voice was ice-cold. "I have work to do. You guys have fun."

Almost instantly, Hannah's expression changed. Her voice dropped, laced with a deliberately crafted sense of hurt. "Vivian, do you not like me? Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

Vivian frowned instinctively. She hadn't done a single thing, yet Hannah was acting as if she'd been bullied.

She scoffed internally, having no patience for this performance. "Save these little tricks for Eason and Rhys. They don't work on me."

As she said this, she moved to close the door.

"Vivian, don't―"

Hannah suddenly stuck her hand out, placing it on the doorframe.

As the door slammed shut, her hand was caught brutally.

A dark purple bruise instantly appeared on the back of her fair hand.

"Ouch―"

Eason and Rhys, who were just coming upstairs, saw the whole thing.

Both men lunged forward, pulling Hannah behind them. Eason quickly examined her hand while Rhys leaned in to see the injury.

Seeing the bruise on Hannah's hand, Rhys's jaw tightened and his face darkened.

He had a fiery temper and didn't hold back, directing his anger straight at Vivian. "It's one thing if you don't like Hannah, but why would you do something like this? Vivian, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Eason was usually the calm one, but as he looked at Vivian now, his deep eyes were filled with disappointment.

"Vivian, it's Hannah's birthday. You went too far."

But when he looked back down at Hannah, his tone changed completely.

"Hannah, does it still hurt? I'll go get the first-aid kit."

As Eason led Hannah away, Rhys followed closely behind, trying to comfort her. "Hannah, don't worry about it. I'll give you my new Corvette. After the party, I'll take you for a drive to clear your head!"

Protected on all sides by the two men, Hannah finally composed herself, her voice still a bit muffled. "Thank you, Eason."

After thanking him, she turned to Rhys, gently touching his arm and lowering her voice. "Rhys, please don't go racing anymore, okay? It's too dangerous. I really worry about you."

Seeing Hannah smile again, Rhys quickly agreed. "Anything to make you happy. Whatever you say!"

Watching them descend the stairs, Vivian stood in the doorway, feeling as if she were in a daze.

She remembered a time, not so long ago, when she was the one standing between Eason and Rhys.

She had suffered from asthma since childhood, and New York's long, cold winters were terrible for her health.

So, at the age of five, her parents sent her from New York to the warm climate of San Diego, to live with her aunt Claire, who was a doctor.

It was then that Vivian met Eason and Rhys, who lived next door to her aunt.

The three of them grew up together, becoming the closest of friends.

From the moment they first saw her, both boys had adored her, sticking to her side every day, becoming her most loyal protectors.

When they were kids, they walked her to and from school, bought her breakfast, and tore up every love letter she received, refusing to let any other boy near her.

When they grew up, one became a CEO who inherited his family's business, and the other became a nationally famous race car driver. Despite their busy schedules, they bought the townhouses on either side of Vivian's, connected them, and lived with her, making sure to come home and cook for her every day.

When Vivian's health improved and her family urged her to return to New York, they had begged her in hushed tones not to leave, swearing they would drop everything to follow her if she did.

They always said, "Where Vivi is, we are."

It was because of them that Vivian had lingered in San Diego long after her condition stabilized.

But everything changed when Hannah showed up.

Hannah was an intern Vivian was mentoring.

On her first day at the company, she had been too shy to go out for lunch with everyone. This continued day after day until Vivian found her in a corner, eating microwave ramen and saltine crackers. When asked, Hannah revealed she was from a poor town in Appalachia and simply couldn't afford proper meals.

Vivian, the daughter of the wealthy Palmer family, had grown up in privilege. Hearing such a story for the first time, her heart went out to Hannah, and her kind nature led her to take care of the girl.

Occasionally, she would bring Hannah along when she had dinner with Eason and Rhys.

And that's how Hannah met them.

Eason, with his cool demeanor, had never been one for loud parties. Yet now, he was making an exception for Hannah.

Rhys considered racing his life, and no one could persuade him otherwise. But now, a single soft-spoken word from Hannah was enough for him to give it up.

Things like this had happened countless times over the past month.

Before, their affection for Vivian was never hidden. They had fought over her more than once, trying to force her to choose between them.

Vivian had actually considered it, feeling a spark for both of them and thinking about choosing one.

But now, accepting the marriage her family had arranged didn't seem so bad after all.

Vivian curled her lip into a bitter smile and set a countdown on her phone for her departure.

From now on, she wouldn't bother the three of them anymore.