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Chapter 23
Chapter 23
At that moment, they were waiting at the traffic light when a truck driver, disoriented and exhausted, suddenly veered off course and headed straight toward them.
They tried to evade it, but the truck was moving too fast. Lucian only had time to turn the car so that his side would take the brunt of the impact. Even then, his instinct was to shield her with his body, holding her tightly beneath him.
Lucian died.
The crash was so violent that even Vivian, who was protected, lost consciousness. Yet Lucian remained aware, calmly calling for an ambulance and ensuring she was taken to the hospital. When the nurse asked if he was hurt, he merely shook his head.
It wasn’t until they confirmed she would survive that he collapsed, never to wake again.
Vivian never got to see him one last time. After his death, his heart was donated, and when she finally awoke, all that greeted her was a small, square urn containing his ashes.
And now, it seemed she saw him again, his familiar smile gracing his lips as he gently called her “Vivi.” “Luc, I’ve finally seen you again.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she dared to loosely hug his waist. He reached out, unable to touch her, only patting the air around her back, his eyes filled with a longing to wipe her tears but not daring to.
“Vivi, don’t cry. In this life, we couldn’t finish our story, but in the next, we can write it anew. In this life, I want you to be happy, to be yourself, and not be trapped in the past.”
“Promise me, will you?”
His soft voice echoed in her ear, but she stubbornly refused to nod. “But I want to see you.”
“There will be many future lives, but they won’t be me, right?” He gently coaxed her until she nodded, and then he kissed the tear–streaked cheek. “Vivi, my only wish now is for your happiness.”
With that final kiss, his form began to fade. Vivian sobbed openly, reaching out only to grasp at empty air. Her vision blurred with tears, she desperately tried to clear them, wanting to see him just one last time.
In the end, she only saw his lips move, forming a few words.
“Vivi, be happy.”
Vivian awoke with a start, the blinding sunlight streaming through the gaps in the curtains. Her pillow was marked with the traces of tears she had shed.
The vividness of the dream faded as she awoke, leaving her with only two sentences etched in her memory.
“But they won’t be me, right?”
“Vivi, be happy.”
She wiped her tears away and drew the curtains aside, flooding the room with light. She squinted, adjusting to the brightness before allowing the warmth to envelop her, banishing the last shadows lurking in her heart.
Yes, besides Lucian, no one else could ever be him.
She had to live fully, carrying his happiness within her.
Vivian opened the door to her suite, the sound waking the person keeping vigil outside. He blinked awake and, seeing her emerge, his voice tinged with relief and joy, called out, “Vivian!”
It was Sebastian.
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Chapter 23
He hadn’t slept well, troubled by the thought that his revelation might have caused her pain. Yet, he couldn’t bear for her to remain trapped in the past, so he had stayed outside her door, ready to intervene if anything
went wrong.
But thankfully, she emerged unscathed.
With her familiar calm and distant demeanor, she interrupted him just as he was about to speak, “Did you tell him about Luc?”
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