Chapter 2

Natalie's POV

When I was sent back to the villa, the master bedroom door was already open.

My coats had been thrown in the hallway. Medicine bottles sat on a suitcase, with a mug lying beside it.

A maid stood by the door, head down, not daring to look at me.

Inside the room, Vivian's belongings had already appeared.

The right side of the closet had been emptied. Her medicine sat by the bed.

Vivian sat on the edge of the bed, wearing Ethan's coat. Ethan was bent over examining the old injury on her arm. "The family doctor will watch over you tonight. Call him if you feel unwell."

That was the spot where I used to sit when I felt cold. During many nights after the accident, Ethan sat there keeping me company until dawn.

Now he left that light for Vivian.

Vivian looked up and saw me. "Natalie, good, you're back. Please hurry and clean this place up. When I see things related to that accident, my wound hurts."

I didn't argue. I walked into the master bedroom and packed Sebastian's memorial items one by one into a box.

Vivian leaned against the bed watching me. "Sebastian's death was truly unfortunate, but if your father hadn't made that decision back then, Melissa wouldn't have died in there."

My movements stopped.

Vivian continued. "You people caused someone's death, yet your brother still got placed in the memorial hall. While you lived in the villa, did you not hear how the other families cursed you outside?"

I placed the materials in the box. "Don't touch my family."

Vivian laughed. "Isn't your brother's death the best leverage you have to bind Ethan? He lost his own sister!"

I looked up at her. "You're using Melissa's death to live here, using old injuries to make Ethan punish me again and again. Vivian, you have no right to use the dead as your weapon either."

Vivian's expression changed.

She suddenly reached out to grab the memorial items from my arms.

I instinctively protected the box. Vivian deliberately stumbled against the corner of the bed, her arm hitting the edge. She immediately began crying out in pain.

The bathroom door was pulled open.

Ethan came out. His first glance went to Vivian clutching her trembling arm.

He didn't look at me, only walked to Vivian's side. "Where does it hurt?"

Vivian's eyes reddened. "I was just trying to help Natalie pack. She might still be stuck in past pain. She suddenly pushed me away..."

I stood beside the scattered memorial items. "She insulted my father and brother first, and tried to grab Sebastian's belongings."

"Shut up." Ethan coldly cut me off.

He helped Vivian up, his gaze falling on my face. "Vivian's old injuries are from that accident. If not for your father's rescue error back then, Melissa wouldn't have died. And you still want to hurt her?"

I clutched the box tightly and said nothing more.

Ethan turned to instruct the maid. "Move her things to the guest room."

The guest room was at the far end of the villa, far from the master bedroom. Boxes were piled at the door. Sebastian's memorial items were mixed in, and several pieces had been broken.

I crouched down and carefully put them back together, one by one.

My phone vibrated.

Adrian sent a message: "In ten days, I'll meet you in New York."

I replied: "Okay."

Outside the door, the maid whispered that Mr. Ethan wanted the pillow I'd used thrown out, and the bedside lamp removed too, so Miss Vivian wouldn't feel upset seeing them at night.

At dinner, Vivian sat beside Ethan, wearing a coat I'd left in the master bedroom. "Natalie, I'm just cold. You don't mind if I borrow this, do you?"

Ethan didn't ask her to take it off, only instructed the maid. "Pour her some milk."

I sat in the farthest seat.

Vivian glanced at my still-stiff fingers and deliberately pushed a plate toward me. "Natalie, my arm hurts. Can you help me tear open this package?"

Ethan glanced at me. "Vivian's wound hurts. Help her."

I lowered my head and did as told. My fingers, damaged by the cold, couldn't grip the bag properly. I nearly dropped it into the plate.

Vivian's eyes immediately reddened. "Ethan, is Natalie still angry that I moved into the master bedroom?"

Ethan set down his utensils. "Natalie, be careful. Don't take your resentment out on Vivian."

I placed the opened package in front of Vivian.

Ethan's gaze landed on my trembling hands, then quickly moved away.

After dinner, I carried my medicine back to the guest room.

As soon as the door closed, another message from Ethan came in.

"Go to the memorial hall tomorrow and remove Sebastian's materials from the main exhibition area. Vivian is upset tonight. She doesn't want to see your family name displayed alongside that accident anymore."

I looked at his message, then slowly raised my head toward the box by the door.

My brother had died in that accident trying to save me. Later, Ethan personally funded the placement of his materials in the memorial hall. Now, because Vivian didn't want to see it, Ethan was telling me to remove those materials myself.

Knocking soon sounded at the door. The maid's voice came through. "Miss Natalie, Mr. Ethan also said you should go tomorrow morning."

The maid added another line.

"Miss Vivian will go with you."