Part 3The Billionaire's "One That Got Away": My Fiancé is His Brother

That single sentence sent a shockwave through the room.

The way everyone looked at me instantly changed.

Only Nolan acted like he already knew. He grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him protectively.

"Carter, the past is in the past. From now on, she will be my wife, and your sister-in-law."

Carter ignored Nolan’s words entirely. His eyes were glued to our intertwined hands.

He let out a cold, dark laugh. "You really think you can steal my woman and live long enough to marry her?"

"Let me make this perfectly clear. Whoever dares to marry her, I’ll kill him. If you don't believe me, try it."

He aimed that threat directly at Linda, Nolan’s mother.

The effect was immediate.

The warmth in Linda’s eyes vanished. She glared at me, blaming me for provoking a monster like Carter.

She marched over and physically yanked Nolan away from me. "I'm so sorry, Vivian! But I really don't think you two are a good match. Let's just call off this engagement."

I lowered my head, my grip tightening on my now-empty hand.

Nolan refused to leave with her. "Mom, what do you mean call it off?! I'm marrying Vivian!"

His mother dragged him toward the door. When Nolan resisted, the usually gentle Linda suddenly slapped him hard across the face.

"Carter just said he'll kill whoever marries her! Do you have a death wish?!"

"Did you forget that he and his mother are both absolute lunatics?!"

Nolan, who had been fighting her off, suddenly went completely still. He let his mother drag him out of the room.

My mother rushed out after them. I knew she was going to try to salvage the situation.

Eventually, Carter and I were the only ones left in the private room.

I stepped around him, preparing to leave.

But as I passed him, his hand clamped down on my wrist like a vice. "Vivian, it's been so long. Do you really have nothing to say to me?"

I struggled, but couldn't break free. He hadn't changed a bit in six years.

I sighed, exasperated. "Carter, stalking me won't change anything. I said everything I needed to say six years ago."

He still refused to let go, but thankfully, my mother rushed back in at that exact moment.

She shoved Carter away, pulling me behind her, eyeing him defensively. Without a word, she dragged me out the door.

In the elevator, I expected my mom to interrogate me, but she didn't ask a single question.

Seeing my body trembling uncontrollably, she just wrapped me in a tight hug. "Vivian, Mom won't let anyone bully you."

She smelled so comforting. I took a deep breath and nodded against her shoulder.

But the moment we stepped out of the elevator, she clutched her chest and collapsed forward.

My mother suffered from severe heart disease.

In the blink of an eye, her face turned a terrifying shade of pale.

I screamed for help.

Carter, who had just stepped out of the neighboring elevator, saw what happened. He immediately rushed over, scooped my mother up in his arms, and sprinted toward the exit.

In that moment, I threw all our past grudges out the window. I only prayed he could get her to a hospital in time.

On the frantic ride there, Carter didn't forget to comfort me. "Don't be scared. She'll be fine."

Years ago, in the pitch black, he had said those exact same words to me: "Don't be scared, Vivian."