Chapter 3

Natalie's POV

Early the next morning, the driver took me to the accident memorial hall.

A colleague was already waiting at the entrance, holding the notice Ethan had sent last night.

The notice contained only one sentence: "Remove all materials related to Sebastian from the main exhibition area and transfer to regular archives."

Ethan had personally selected that memorial plaque’s location years ago.

Back then, he stood beside me and told the staff, "Sebastian saved me. He saved Natalie. He deserves to be remembered."

Now, he wheeled Vivian inside without even glancing at that plaque.

Vivian sat in the wheelchair, her arm still wrapped in a stabilizing bandage. When she saw me, her voice was gentle.

"I don't want to upset you, but I really can't stand it. Why should the name of the person who caused Melissa's death be displayed alongside hers?"

Ethan didn't correct her.

He only told the staff, "Begin."

The staff member stepped forward and reached for Sebastian's memorial plaque.

I stood nearby, fingers gripping my sleeve, and didn't stop them.

A colleague asked quietly, "Ethan, where should we put the removed materials?"

Vivian spoke first. "Put them in the regular archive room. Don't display them in such a prominent place anymore. It's too painful for us victims."

I looked up at her. "Sebastian wasn't someone who harmed people. He went in to save people."

Vivian's face paled. Her eyes quickly reddened again.

"But if your father hadn't sealed off that passage, Melissa wouldn't have died. Your brother saving people is true, but your father causing death is also true. You can't just remember what benefits you."

"Don't lump my brother together with the accident." My voice was hoarse. "He died in there. He didn't die so you could insult his name."

Vivian suddenly reached out to grab the memorial plaque. "Then I'll take it down myself, okay?"

I instinctively blocked her.

Vivian immediately pulled her hand back, clutching her old injury and leaning back, tears falling. "Ethan, I was just trying to help..."

Ethan quickly stepped forward to support her. When he looked at me again, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes was gone.

"Do you have to make a scene here?"

I looked at his hands. "Do you remember? Years ago, you were the one who put my brother's name in here."

Ethan fell silent for a moment.

Vivian trembled beside him. "When Melissa was waiting for rescue inside, she probably didn't even have the strength to call your name."

Ethan's silence shattered under those words.

He said coldly, "Remove that plaque."

I stepped forward and finally pressed my hand against the memorial plaque. Ethan gripped my wrist, his force landing right on my still-healing injury. My face paled, but I didn't let go.

"Stop using Sebastian's death to claim victim status." Ethan's voice was ice cold. "Natalie, what your family owes Melissa is already too much."

My hand slowly released.

The memorial plaque was taken away. A space opened up in the main exhibition area. Vivian looked at that spot and said quietly, "Tonight I can finally have fewer nightmares."

After it ended, Vivian said the stimulation had upset her, and she wanted me to spend time in the rescue experience zone too.

Ethan frowned. "Her body hasn't recovered yet."

Vivian took out Melissa's old belongings and asked softly, "So you're going to forget how Melissa died again, just because she saved you?"

Ethan stopped looking at me.

He had the staff leave, keeping only medical personnel outside on standby.

After the experience chamber door closed, cold air and mist pressed down together.

Through the glass, I saw Ethan standing beside Vivian, head bent as he listened to her speak.

When the door opened again, I could no longer stand.

When I was sent back to the villa guest room, my fingers had swollen again, and my wrist bore marks from Ethan's grip.

A maid brought a stack of cards, saying, "Miss Vivian is holding a memorial service for Miss Melissa tomorrow. Mr. Ethan wants you to finish writing these cards tonight."

I asked, "What if I don't write them?"

The maid kept her head down. "Mr. Ethan said the materials removed from the memorial hall are still in his possession."

I sat at the desk and opened the first card.

From downstairs came the sound of Vivian trying on clothes.

I gripped the pen, my fingers trembling with pain.

My phone lit up then. Adrian sent a message: "The documents for leaving are being processed. Wait for me a few more days."

After reading it, I set my phone on the desk and continued writing.