Chapter 431
Chapter 431:
“Brandon.” A voice spoke gently.
Brandon lifted his head to find Vivian there, her complexion washed out and pale. This update is available on.net
“What are you doing out here?” Brandon asked with a faint frown, his gaze falling on the fresh bandage around her wrist. Vivian’s eyes lingered on his bruised face instead.
“What happened to you?” she murmured, her eyes rimmed red. “Why do you look so beat up?”
Brandon shook his head, his attention never leaving her bandaged arm.
“It’s nothing serious,” Vivian said softly, following his line of sight. “The doctors wrapped it up. It’ll heal soon.”
“I’m so sorry, Brandon. This is all my fault,” she said as a tear slipped down her cheek. “I keep making things worse.”
Brandon dodged Vivian’s outstretched hand, his eyes dropping to the floor.
“Vivian,” he said quietly.
Vivian blinked back at him, her voice fragile. “Yeah?”
He took a steady breath. “Don’t ever hurt yourself again, alright?”
Vivian forced a small, shaky smile. “I promise. You don’t have to worry.” She looked so fragile, heartbreak written across her features. “I don’t even know what came over me. I just lost control for a minute.”
“But I’ll do better,” she added, her voice barely above a whisper.
Brandon finally looked up, his eyes dark and searching as he met her gaze.
Vivian shifted uncomfortably, a hint of worry in her voice.
“Brandon, is something bothering you?” she asked gently.
Brandon didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned his eyes back to the window, the silence stretching between them. A slow shake of his head was all the reply she got.
Outside, on the far edge of the clearing near the building, a handful of people had suddenly appeared.
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They were too distant to make out, just moving shapes he couldn’t quite place. Still, for some reason, those little figures captured his focus.
Out in the clearing, Millie, Ari, and Myron made their way across the lawn.
Myron stepped aside, heading to a nearby bush and searching around. Millie kept a gentle hold on Ari’s hand, watching curiously as Myron came back with a small bag.
“Lucky for us, no one found this stash while I was gone,” Myron said, pulling out several cylinder-shaped objects.
Millie leaned in, intrigued. “What are those?”
Myron handed one over to her. “Fireworks. Not the big, loud kind. These just make a little noise, nothing crazy.”
He offered another one to Ari, smiling. “Ari, is this okay for you? I know your condition and that you shouldn’t be too excited.”
Millie studied the small fireworks, the kind you place on the ground and watch as they shoot up colorful sparks. Before she could say anything, Ari chimed in with a nod.
“I can do it,” Ari said confidently. “We had these on Christmas Eve at the children’s home, the director lit some for us. They were beautiful.”
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