Chapter 23 His and Vivian's Past
Elodie's POV
He let out a cold laugh, reached out to grab my chin, and forced me to look at him. "What counts as your way of handling things - getting tricked into bed or getting sold off?"
Humiliation washed over me instantly. I struggled hard, but he didn't budge an inch.
"I'll say it again - he and I are just friends! I'm not as easy as you think!"
Nelson let go, his tone softening a bit. "You're still young. Stop thinking about dating all the time. Behave yourself and focus on your studies."
Was this him caring about me or ordering me around?
These words sounded like an elder scolding a disobedient junior.
My feelings were all mixed up - annoyed at being controlled, but also feeling something strange I couldn't quite put my finger on. To end this topic as quickly as possible, I replied sullenly, "Fine, I got it. I just want to focus on studying."
Hearing my promise, he seemed satisfied. That overwhelming presence around him eased up quite a bit.
"Let's go." He tossed out those two words and started walking.
I hesitated for a moment, then followed anyway.
We walked side by side down the quiet street, neither of us saying anything.
I secretly glanced at him from the corner of my eye. The streetlights cast deep shadows on his sharp profile - high nose bridge, thin lips pressed tight, coldness written all over him.
Just then, the hair on the back of my neck suddenly stood up. A feeling of being watched came from behind me.
I whipped my head around. No one was there - just the night wind swirling fallen leaves around.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. It was like somewhere in the shadows, a pair of eyes was boring into us.
I was about to look more carefully when a stumbling figure suddenly rushed out from a nearby alley, heading straight toward us.
It was a woman in an expensive dress, now all wrinkled and creased. Her elaborate makeup was smeared from crying, and she reeked of alcohol.
I was shocked - it was Vivian.
Her steps were unsteady, and she looked like she was about to fall right into me.
I instinctively reached out to catch her, but Nelson beside me reacted faster. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me forcefully to the side.
Vivian fell hard onto the ground, her silk dress covered in dust, looking completely pathetic.
Still shaken, I felt Nelson's arm still wrapped tightly around my waist, its burning heat seeping through my clothes.
Vivian lay on the ground for a long time without getting up.
She lifted her head, looking at Nelson with tear-filled eyes full of despair and disbelief.
"Nelson..." she cried out, "Why... why are you doing this to me..."
Nelson looked down at her from above, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at a complete stranger.
Vivian covered her face and broke down crying. "Why? We weren't like this before! We can go back to how things were, can't we? Please, let's go back to how we were..."
Her crying sounded especially miserable in the quiet night, each word like an accusation about some unknown past.
I stood frozen in Nelson's arms, watching this dramatic scene unfold, my mind in turmoil.
Go back to how things were?
What kind of past did they share?
Nelson's arm tightened around my waist, like a solid wall between me and the broken woman on the ground. He didn't even look down at Vivian. "Stop making a drunken scene here."
"I'm making a drunken scene?" Vivian acted like she'd heard the biggest joke. She pushed herself up from the ground, swaying as she stood, her expensive dress covered in dust, making her look like a butterfly with broken wings. "Nelson, look me in the eye and tell me - this isn't how we used to be. I saved your life. Without me, you'd already be..."
"So what? You want to use your life-saving favor to blackmail me into playing along with you for the rest of my life?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over me before landing back on Vivian, the warning clear as day. "I'll say this one last time - stay away from her, and stay away from me. We settled our debt a long time ago."
With that, he didn't spare Vivian another glance. He turned and walked away with his arm still around me.
My heart was racing - partly because of his arm around my waist, and partly because of the huge amount of information revealed in that exchange.
A life-saving favor? Playing along? What exactly had happened between them?
He half-guided me back to the apartment. All the way, Vivian's miserable crying could still be faintly heard from behind us.
Only when the apartment's heavy door closed, completely shutting out everything outside, did Nelson finally let go of me.
I leaned against the door, watching him walk to the center of the living room and loosen his tie. That icy aura around him finally eased up a bit.
After hesitating several times, I couldn't hold back my curiosity. "What... what did she mean just now? She saved you?"
Nelson's hand paused as he poured water. He didn't turn around, just gave a simple "Yes."
Seeing that he didn't seem willing to talk more, I became even more curious.
I walked over to face him and gathered my courage to ask, "What about the playing along part?"
Nelson took a sip of water and finally turned around, those deep blue eyes looking at me quietly.
I thought he'd be impatient or just refuse to answer, but surprisingly, he started talking.
"A few years ago, I was ambushed by an enemy and got injured. She happened to pass by and saved me." He kept it brief. "After that, she told me she had a terminal illness and didn't have long to live. Her only wish was for me to pretend to be her boyfriend and stay with her until the end."
My heart sank.
So that's what happened.
"Out of a sense of duty, I agreed." He continued, "It wasn't until later that I found out her terminal illness diagnosis was fake. It was all just a scheme to tie herself to me."
I didn't know what to say for a moment.
So during all that time he was gone, all these unbelievable things had happened.
"Then why didn't you completely cut ties with her?"
"Her father has some connection with the elders in my family. Out of respect for the elders, I can't make things too harsh."