Escape from the Loveless Zone

"Are you ready, Cassian? Let’s head towards happiness together!"

Cassian’s expression shifted and he quickly tried to explain, "Freya took an endorsement for this navigation software. She was worried she wouldn’t get it right during the recording, so she decided to test it out in my car first."

He added, "If it bothers you, I can switch it."

Vivienne suppressed the sting of pain in her hand and responded with a calm composure, "There’s no need."

Cassian studied her, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he checked her expression for any hint of discomfort. "You’re not upset?"

Vivienne pressed her lips together, the words hanging between them.

Being angry required caring and that was something she no longer felt for him.

In the past, Freya had hurt her because she had still held on to some attachment to Cassian.

Now, she had nothing left to lose. Why would she bother herself with the women in his life?

"It’s just a navigation voice. I’m not that petty."

Cassian suddenly grew animated. "Why couldn’t you have been this way before?"

"I promise, no matter who I marry in the future, you’ll always have a place in my heart and our relationship will never change."

"Vivienne, you're the one I truly love."

In the past, hearing Cassian confess his love would have made Vivienne’s heart soar.

But now, all she felt was disgust.

"Let’s go. My hand really hurts."

Vivienne and Cassian lived in a secluded villa in the suburbs, a quiet haven far from the bustle of the city.

The neighborhood boasted excellent security, but its remoteness was a constant reminder of how disconnected it was from the life Vivienne once knew.

The pain in her hand had intensified, leaving her with a numb, dull ache that seemed to spread through her entire arm. Leaning against the car window, her face pale, she fought the dizziness creeping over her.

After a ten-minute drive, just as they reached the city's edge, Cassian’s phone rang.

"Cassian, what are you doing? Freya misses you!"

The familiar, personalized ringtone of Freya echoed in the car.

Vivienne turned her gaze to the window, desperate to avoid the suffocating reality of it all.

To her surprise, after glancing at Vivienne’s face quickly, Cassian ignored Freya’s call and pressed the gas pedal harder.

When the car came to a stop at the next red light, Freya’s call rang through again.

Cassian fidgeted awkwardly. "Freya called twice; she might need something urgent..."

"Go ahead, answer it," Vivienne said flatly, cutting him off.

Sweat beaded on her forehead from the pain and the skin on her burned hand felt as though it were still being scorched by fire. Every fiber of her being screamed to claw at it, but she held herself back.

Cassian answered the call and a soft, genuine smile spread across his face as his fingers tapped the steering wheel in a rhythmic pattern. "Cassian, I’m really craving that strawberry cake from the dessert shop in the south part of town!"

The mention of the familiar shop made Vivienne’s eyes snap open. She couldn’t help but glance at him, a bitter taste rising in her chest.

It was the same cake he had bought for her all those years ago when he’d rescued her from the clutches of her debt collectors.

And whenever he had angered her, he would show up with that cake, hoping to win her forgiveness. And each time, she had given in.

Vivienne had once thought it was a special little understanding between them. But now, it had twisted into nothing more than a way for Cassian and Freya to flirt, an inside joke she had never been a part of.