Chapter 571

After receiving the marriage certificate, Liam Sullivan took an urgent call.

His brow furrowed slightly as he gave a few low instructions. When he turned back to Vivian Bennett, the sternness in his eyes had already melted into tenderness.

"Let the driver take you home first," he said, ruffling her hair. "I'll come back as soon as I'm done."

Vivian nodded, watching his tall, straight figure hurry away.

The car left the civil affairs bureau, but she didn't ask the driver to take her back to the villa.

Everything today felt like a dream—the red-background photo of them smiling side by side, the soft click when the official seal was stamped.

She needed a touch of reality.

The mall was brightly lit.

Vivian moved between the designer counters, her fingertips brushing against smooth fabrics, picking things up and putting them down again.

In the end, she only bought a pair of cufflinks studded with tiny diamonds—a dark blue base, like the color of the sky outside the window when he returned home late at night.

When she swiped her card, the sales clerk smiled and asked, "A gift for your boyfriend?"

She paused, then the corners of her lips curved up. "For my husband."

Carrying the paper bag, she walked out of the mall. The evening wind carried a chill.

She was about to call the driver when a hesitant voice called from behind her. "Ms. Bennett?"

Vivian turned around.

Chloe Winston stood three steps away, her beige trench coat billowing slightly in the wind.

Behind her was a white sedan. The window was half down, and a document folder could be seen tossed on the passenger seat.

"What a coincidence," Vivian said calmly.

She didn't ask why the other woman was here, nor did she mention their brief encounter in the hospital corridor last time.

Some boundaries had already been drawn. Saying more was pointless.

Chloe took two steps closer.

Her gaze fell on Vivian's ring finger—it was bare, but the paper bag in her left hand bore the logo of a high-end jewelry brand.

"You two..." Chloe's throat tightened. "Are you really getting married?"

"Yes," Vivian answered plainly. "The date is set for early next month."

The air was still for two seconds.

Chloe suddenly laughed, her smile carrying a hint of awkwardness. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

The conversation felt like gears grinding to a halt.

Vivian glanced at the sky and took the initiative to break the silence. "Did you need something from me, Ms. Winston?"

"I..." Chloe clenched the strap of her handbag, her knuckles turning white.

She remembered those evenings waiting outside the Sullivan Group building, the moments she held a thermal lunchbox but couldn't even catch a glance.

She remembered even more her father shaking his head with a sigh. "Chloe, some people's hearts can never be warmed."

"I'm sorry for pestering Mr. Sullivan before," she finally looked up, her eyes slightly red. "If I had known your bond was this deep, I wouldn't have..."

"It's all in the past," Vivian interrupted softly.

Her gaze was clear, devoid of a victor's arrogance. Instead, it held a touch of sincerity. "The one who should apologize is him. I'm already grateful you didn't pursue the matter further."

Chloe was stunned.

She had imagined many scenarios—sarcasm, gloating, even pity.

She never expected such peaceful understanding.

So all her own restless thoughts, in the other's eyes, were merely an episode that could be "turned over."

"I..." She opened her mouth, but in the end, only gave a deep bow. "I'm sorry."

Her steps were slightly unsteady as she turned. The white sedan soon merged into the traffic flow and disappeared around the street corner.

Vivian watched the direction where the taillights vanished and let out a soft sigh.

Her phone vibrated just then, Liam Sullivan's name popping up on the screen.

"Where are you?" His voice came through the receiver, the faint sound of keyboard tapping in the background.

"At the mall entrance," she said, her eyes curving into a smile. "Boss Liam, are you in need of a driver?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, followed by the sound of a chair sliding back.

"Stay right there," he said. "I'm coming to get you."

Forty minutes later, a black Maybach stopped at the mall's side entrance.

Vivian opened the car door and saw Liam leaning back in the seat, his tie loosened, his laptop still glowing.

"All done?" she asked, sliding into the passenger seat and casually closing the laptop for him.

"Mm," he turned sideways, his gaze settling on her face. "What did you buy?"

"A secret," she hid the paper bag behind her back, but he easily snatched it away with his long arm.

When he opened the cufflink box, his movements stilled.

The tiny diamonds refracted fragmented light under the car's interior lamp, reflected in his deep, dark pupils.

"The wedding rings won't be ready until tomorrow," Vivian explained quietly. "But these... I wanted to give them to you today."

Liam stared at her for a long time.

Then he suddenly leaned in and kissed her lips. The kiss was deep, carrying a certain weight of something precious regained.

When they parted, both their breaths were slightly uneven. He rested his forehead against hers, his voice hoarse. "Help me put them on."

Vivian's fingertips trembled slightly as she unfastened his shirt cuff and slid the cool metal into the buttonhole.

The dark blue base rested against his pale wrist, like the night sky cradling a crescent moon.

The car pulled back into the street.

Neon lights streamed past the window. She stole a glance at his focused profile as he drove.

Suddenly, she remembered a line from a poem she'd read long ago.

I searched for him in the crowd a thousand times.

Then, turning my head, I saw him there in the fading light.

And now, he was right here, within reach.

His hand on the steering wheel wore her cufflinks. His bride sat in the passenger seat.

This mortal world of smoke and fire finally had a place to call home.