THE MAN WHO RETURNED AS THORN

2

Just as the truck slammed into the front of their car, the driver-side door flung open—sending both of them flying out with force.

The red glow that had briefly lit the air vanished the moment their bodies hit the ground.

Vivienne gasped, struggling to catch her breath and stay calm. Slowly, she lifted her head to examine her body. A soft, disbelieving smile crossed her lips—there wasn’t a single injury.

“It’s a miracle…” she whispered.

She turned to her left and saw Evan lying unconscious not far from her.

“Evan! Evan!”

Vivienne scrambled to her feet and rushed to him, tears streaming down her face.

There were no severe injuries on Evan’s body—just scrapes on his arms. But he was out cold.

She gently patted his face, desperately trying to wake him.

“Evan! Wake up! Please!”

A few cars had pulled over, and Vivienne waved frantically. “Please, someone help me—my husband!”

Her cry for help was quickly answered. An ambulance arrived and the paramedics rushed to Evan. They lifted him onto a stretcher and headed straight to the hospital.

Vivienne sat beside him in the ambulance, holding his hand as her tears kept falling.

“Please don’t die, Evan. Please…”

Fear twisted inside her chest. She prayed over and over, begging the universe not to take him away.

Even when they arrived at the hospital and Evan was taken into surgery, anxiety gripped Vivienne like a vice. The next two hours felt like an eternity.

When the doors finally opened and the doctor walked out, Vivienne stopped breathing. He looked directly at her, and panic surged in her chest.

“Doctor… don’t tell me—”

She froze as a nurse pushed a wheelchair out from behind the doctor.

Evan was sitting in it, smiling wide.

“Evan… you…”

“Yes, he’s perfectly fine. All wounds have been cleaned, and there’s no internal damage. Mr. Evan is cleared to go home,” the doctor informed her.

“Thank you for your care,” Evan said as he stood up from the wheelchair. The doctor and nurse nodded and left them alone.

Seeing Evan healthy and vibrant filled Vivienne with relief. She let out a shaky breath, thinking to herself, Maybe I overreacted… but thank God, he’s okay.

“Thank you,” Evan said warmly.

“For what?”

“For worrying about me. The way you looked at me and stayed by my side… that proves there’s still love left.”

Evan stepped closer, arms out to hug her—but Vivienne instinctively pushed him away, scowling.

“Of course I was worried—we were in the same accident, and you protected me! I’m not heartless. But that doesn’t mean you can hug me like nothing happened! My heart is still broken from your confession!” she snapped.

“I’ve told you the truth, Vivienne. I wasn’t lying.”

She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head in disbelief.

“You say you weren’t lying, but you gave two different answers! Which one should I believe, Evan? I can’t keep hurting like this. This marriage… has to end.”

“No!” Evan immediately grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a quieter corner.

“Believe whatever you want,” Vivienne said coldly, yanking her hand away. “The divorce is already in motion.”

“Just let me say one thing. One offer,” Evan said, eyes locked on hers—serious, desperate, sincere.

Vivienne crossed her arms, her expression stone cold, but she allowed him to continue.

“Give me five days. I’ll prove I was framed by Darian Voss. I’ll show you the truth. If I fail—then I’ll accept whatever consequences you choose.”

Vivienne studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“If you can’t prove it in five days—we divorce.”

Her phone rang from inside her purse, cutting through the tension like a knife.

She frowned when she saw the caller ID: Grandma Helena.

Vivienne stepped away to answer.

“Yes, Grandma,” she said quietly.

“Oh, thank God. I saw the crash on the news, and when I recognized your car, my heart nearly stopped! Is this how you plan to kill me, Vivienne?!”

“I’m sorry, Grandma. But we’re okay. Evan and I aren’t hurt—”

“What?!”

Grandma Helena’s shriek made Vivienne hold the phone away from her ear.

“Vivienne, have you lost your mind?! I suspected something the moment I saw that crash happened near the prison! You went to pick him up, didn’t you? You're still involved with that man—a convicted criminal!?"

Vivienne turned to look at Evan, who was watching her silently. Her chest tightened.

She loved him.

Evan was her first love. She remembered how hard it was to convince him to marry her. His social status had always been a barrier, especially after his mother fell seriously ill. Vivienne’s parents had even triple-checked their accounts to make sure no money was being funneled to Evan.

But she’d found ways to secretly support his mother’s treatment. She never once felt ashamed of Evan working at a regular company.

Her love for him had been real. Powerful.

“You’re wrong about him,” she whispered into the phone. “I’ll explain later.”

“Excuse me? Are you defending him again?!” Helena snapped. “You should’ve divorced him the moment he got out! He’s a threat to the LaRue family’s reputation!”

Suddenly another voice came through the phone—it had been handed off. Vivienne exhaled sharply.

“Vivienne,” her mother, Nancy, said sternly, “if you care about this family, you’ll divorce Evan immediately. That man is a disgrace. You almost died in that crash because of him!”

“This is all a misunderstanding! He was framed!”

“Framed? You’re still clinging to that excuse? I don’t want to hear another word! Come home alone, Vivienne. Grandma’s calling a full family meeting tonight. Do not bring Evan.”

Before Vivienne could respond, the call ended.

She lowered the phone and stared ahead, anger and pain flashing in her eyes. Then she turned back toward Evan, her expression calm but determined.

“What happened?” Evan asked gently. “What did they say?”

Vivienne looked up at him.

“We need to find you something decent to wear,” she said.

“Because tonight… you’re coming with me to the family gathering.”