Chapter 578

Liam Sullivan noticed something was off about her.

After leaving the cinema, he drove her to the riverside park.

The river surface shimmered with rippling light under the night sky.

"Vivian." Liam stopped walking and turned to face her. "You're not yourself tonight."

Vivian Bennett instinctively avoided his gaze.

"I'm fine," she said softly. "Just a little tired."

Preparing for the wedding was indeed draining.

But what truly unsettled her was the person she had encountered at the mall that afternoon.

That girl.

What were the odds of two chance meetings in a sea of people?

Vivian didn't believe it was a coincidence.

A sense of foreboding spread through her heart, coiling and tightening like vines.

She didn't dare think too deeply about it.

"Tired?" Liam frowned slightly. "But your eyes are avoiding mine."

He knew her too well.

Even the subtlest shift in her emotions couldn't escape his notice.

Liam reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders. His palms were warm.

"Tell me," he said, his voice low. "What's really going on?"

Vivian stiffened.

"Really, it's nothing," she forced a smile. "Don't overthink it."

Please.

Don't ask.

Those words, she couldn't bring herself to say them.

But Liam didn't let go.

"Vivian," he gazed into her eyes. "We're about to get married. Shouldn't there be no secrets between husband and wife?"

His gaze was too focused.

Too gentle.

Vivian suddenly felt suffocated.

"I said it's nothing!" She pushed his hands away sharply, her voice sharper than she intended.

Liam froze.

His hands remained suspended in the air.

In the darkness, the light in his eyes dimmed bit by bit.

"So," he spoke slowly. "You still don't trust me."

"That's not it." Vivian bit her lower lip.

Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed.

Seeing the flash of hurt in Liam's eyes, she almost blurted it out.

But the words caught in her throat, swallowed back down.

"You clearly have something on your mind," Liam's voice held suppressed emotion. "But you won't tell me. Vivian, am I really not someone you can rely on?"

Vivian opened her mouth.

No sound came out.

She could only shake her head, her eyes slightly reddening.

Seeing her like this, Liam's heart softened.

He took her hands again, his grip gentle.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have pushed you."

Vivian's fingertips trembled.

"But Vivian," Liam pulled her a little closer. "You know, there's always been a sense of mystery about you. It makes me feel like I can never fully understand you. But I hope... I hope you can open your heart to me."

He paused.

"Anything, I can face it with you."

Vivian's face turned pale.

She looked up, meeting Liam's sincere gaze.

In that instant, immense sorrow washed over her.

How she wanted to nod.

How she wanted to tell him all her unease.

But—

"I... can't." She heard her own voice, light as a sigh.

Liam's hands loosened their hold.

The night wind blew between them.

The river's surface reflected the streetlights, shattered into fragments.

"Can't?" Liam repeated the word, as if not understanding its meaning.

He looked at her, his eyes filled with confusion.

"We're about to get married," he said. "We're going to be each other's closest person. Why... why is it 'can't'?"

Vivian lowered her head.

Her long hair fell, hiding her pale face.

If she said it.

If she told him about that girl's existence, about those uneasy premonitions—

Then this wedding, this relationship, everything would shatter.

She didn't dare gamble.

"I'm sorry," she could only repeat these three words.

Liam stood still.

The moonlight stretched his shadow long.

He looked at Vivian, feeling for the first time that there was an invisible distance between them.

And he didn't know how to cross it.