Chapter 5 - Echoes Of That Winter Sky
Vincent stood his ground, letting the tears fall freely down his face. ""I tried to come back! Anna, please listen to me. I got Sophia out, and I turned around immediately. I was five steps from the hatch when the wing exploded! The shockwave threw me fifty feet into the ravine! I woke up in an ICU with third-degree burns and broken ribs, screaming your name until my vocal cords bled!""
Vivienne shook her head, clutching Leo tighter. Leo whimpered slightly at the tension, burying his face in his mother's shoulder.
""You think the physical explosion was the part that killed me, Vincent?"" Vivienne asked, her voice trembling with the weight of three years of unspoken agony. ""It wasn't the fire. It was the choice.""
Vincent flinched as if struck by a whip.
""Sophia wasn't even injured,"" Vivienne continued, each word delivered like a cold, precise dagger. ""She was just panicked. She was hysterical. But I was eight months pregnant with your heir. I couldn't move quickly. I needed help down that aisle. And when we both looked at you, Vincent... you didn't even hesitate. You picked her.""
""I thought I had time!"" Vincent cried out, his voice breaking in the crisp afternoon air. ""I swear on my life, Anna, I thought I had time to get both of you! I thought she was lighter, faster—I could shove her out and carry you!""
""You prioritized her survival over mine,"" Vivienne whispered. ""You gambled with my life and your child’s life so your precious first love wouldn't suffer a scratch. That wasn't a tactical decision, Vincent. That was your heart making its confession.""
""No!"" Vincent pleaded, stepping toward her, but the two bodyguards immediately stepped in between, guns drawn and pointed straight at his chest.
""Back off, Mr. Moretti,"" the lead guard barked.
Vincent didn't care about the guns. His eyes remained locked on Vivienne. ""Anna, I was blind. I was an arrogant fool who thought he controlled fate. The moment I lost you, my entire world turned to dust. I haven't slept without pills in three years. I haven't smiled. I haven't lived. Sophia means nothing to me—I broke off the engagement this morning! I will give you everything. My company, my fortune, my life. Just let me be a father to our son. Let me earn your forgiveness.""
""Forgiveness isn't for sale, Vincent,"" Vivienne replied coldly, stepping backward toward her waiting armored SUV. ""And Julian is the only father Leo has ever known. Julian was the one who pulled me out of the snow while you were being treated for light burns. Julian was the one who held my hand through forty-eight hours of premature labor while I almost bled out on a Swiss operating table. Julian gave us a home, a name, and unconditional protection.""
""Julian Vance is using you to hurt me!"" Vincent shouted. ""You know our families have been business rivals for decades!""
Vivienne paused at the SUV's open door. She turned back, looking at him with absolute pity.
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""Julian saved me because he has a soul,"" she said softly. ""Something you traded away a long time ago. Stay away from my family, Vincent. Or I will use every resource at my disposal to destroy you.""
She climbed inside, the heavy door thudding shut with an ominous finality. The SUV roared to life and sped away, leaving Vincent standing alone in the falling leaves, his heart shattered into a million irreparable pieces.
