Chapter 681

Vivian Bennett's voice was icy. "Take it off. If you don't, I'll break my hand if I have to, but I'm getting it off."

Liam Sullivan's heart clenched.

How could he ever bear to see her hurt?

But once this bracelet left her, if she were ever in danger again, he would lose his ability to sense it and rush to her side immediately.

It seemed the only option was to protect her even more closely from now on.

"I'll help you remove it," he said, softening his tone. "There's a delicate mechanism inside this bracelet. It locks based on body heat. The more you struggle, the tighter it grips."

He fetched an extremely thin sheet of paper film and carefully wrapped it around her wrist, creating a barrier between the metal and her skin.

Then he took a sliver of ice and gently inserted it between the bracelet and her skin, blocking the transfer of warmth.

Gradually, the bracelet loosened.

Finally, it slipped from her wrist.

Vivian lifted her hand.

Her wrist suddenly felt light. Something she had worn for so long was finally gone.

Yet, a hollow emptiness opened up inside her, a void with nothing to anchor it.

The last trace of attachment was gone too.

The days that followed were unnervingly calm for Vivian.

She didn't mention leaving. She simply stayed in the villa, quiet and still.

While she didn't exactly engage with Liam, at least she wasn't violently resisting him either.

Liam saw this as a turning point.

To spend a little more time with her each day, he began going to the office to work late into the night after she fell asleep.

Files piled up like mountains, and he would work through until dawn.

When the CEO was pushing himself this hard, the employees below him didn't dare slack off either, forced to return and work overtime as well.

The entire building stayed brightly lit, filled with the sound of muffled complaints.

But seeing Liam drive himself like this, all to rush back at dawn to make her breakfast, left everyone speechless.

The tangled web of devotion and sacrifice in this relationship was something no outsider could truly comment on.

They could only hope his sincerity would slowly melt her heart.

Otherwise, if things continued like this, something was bound to go wrong.

"Mr. Sullivan, it's past six. Time to wake up."

Early in the morning, his secretary pushed open the office door, offering the usual reminder.

Liam had been pulling all-nighters at the office recently, and it didn't seem like he was getting much rest during the day either.

After more than ten consecutive days of this, even his secretary couldn't keep up, switching to going home at night and arriving early in the morning.

But Liam remained unshakable, working longer hours than anyone.

The desk was piled high with files, clear evidence of another sleepless night.

He had worked until exhaustion finally claimed him, and he'd fallen asleep right there at his desk.

His secretary's heart ached seeing him like this.

He was already a man of immense power and influence. Why torture himself like this?

Even the strongest constitution couldn't withstand this forever.

Moreover, these past couple of days, Liam was clearly coming down with something.

His face was pale, his energy low. He was probably making himself sick.

Liam stirred awake, bleary-eyed. He squinted at his watch and instantly shot up from his chair.

His hair was disheveled, his complexion ashen, his whole body radiating exhaustion. Yet, he snapped at his secretary.

"I told you to wake me at six! It's already six-thirty! She wakes up at seven-thirty, do you understand?"

Furious, he didn't have time to lecture anyone further. He grabbed his jacket, phone, and car keys, ready to bolt.

The secretary opened his mouth but didn't dare say he had seen how deeply Liam was sleeping and couldn't bear to disturb him.

It was rare for him to get even a moment of shut-eye...

"Mr. Sullivan, these urgent documents need your signature before you go," the secretary hurriedly offered a folder.

Liam frowned, snatched a pen, and scrawled his signature quickly.

The secretary ventured cautiously, "Should I make you a cup of strong tea? You don't look well..."