The warehouse was silent except for the sound of Vivian's quiet sobs.
Liam knelt there for a long moment, his sharp eyes fixed not on Vivian, but on Sora.

She gave the slightest of nods.

It was all he needed.

Liam let out a deep breath, a soft sigh that carried the weight of years — years of bitterness, confusion, and guilt.
He turned his gaze toward Vivian, whose face was buried in her hands.

"I forgive you," Liam said quietly, the words feeling strange but right on his tongue. "And... I'm sorry, too."

Vivian lifted her head slowly, her eyes red and swollen with disbelief.

Liam's voice was low, steady.
"I used you," he admitted, not cruelly, but honestly. "Back then, I needed someone to lean on. I was weak... angry... lost. And you were there."

Vivian pressed her lips together, blinking furiously.

"You were never just a replacement for Sora," Liam continued, his tone softer now. "But... you were the comfort I grabbed onto when I didn't know how to heal."

A tear slipped down Vivian's cheek.

"Thank you," Liam added. "For being there when I didn't even deserve it."

Vivian covered her mouth with her hand, a broken sound escaping her, somewhere between a sob and a laugh.

Sora stood silently nearby, her heart aching for the shattered girl before them — and oddly, feeling a deep sense of peace at Liam's honesty.

Vivian wiped her tears roughly.
"I think... I think I need to leave," she whispered, voice cracking. "I need to find out who I am without all of this."

Sora stepped forward, her voice gentle. "That's a good idea, Vivian. Give yourself a fresh start."

Harry finally spoke up, his voice steady but carrying an unexpected warmth.
"I'll go with her."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Vivian blinked, startled.
"You don't have to—"

"I want to," Harry interrupted, his gaze unwavering. "You're not as alone as you think you are."

Vivian opened her mouth to argue, but the look in Harry's eyes silenced her.

For the first time in a long, long while, she let herself believe someone might care without needing to chain her down.

Within the week, Vivian made arrangements to study abroad — a small coastal town in Europe, quiet and distant from the painful memories she left behind.

Harry went with her.

Everyone could see it — the way Harry hovered near her protectively, the way his eyes softened whenever he looked at her. He clearly liked her from the first time they met, and after he had let Sora go. 
But Vivian, still nursing old wounds, remained blind to the affection growing right under her nose.

Still, no one rushed her.
Some healing needed to happen slowly, like flowers pushing stubbornly through winter snow.

Back at the Carter estate, peace settled once more.

There were no more unexpected calls, no more dark shadows lurking in the corners of Sora and Liam's lives.
There was just the sound of laughter, of family dinners stretching late into the night, of whispered plans and shy kisses under the stars.

And at the center of it all, Sora and Liam stood together — stronger, wiser, and finally, truly whole.