Chapter 3 Eight Years Later

The soft clicking of heels sounded through the wide foyer of the Donovans' company, announcing an elegant presence. With the delicious scent of her exotic perfume coming forth, they already knew who it was.

The staff, already aware of her arrival, exchanged knowing glances and grins stretching across their faces.

"Welcome, Miss Vivienne," Tiffany, Vivienne's acting PA, greeted her as she stepped out of the elevator, followed by other staff greetings. Vivienne forced a smile with her deep-red-colored lips and made her way to her office.

As she walked past them, she could hear their murmurs.

"She's so beautiful. Does she ever stress at all?"

"I wish I were her, imagine being the soon-to-be CEO of this billion-dollar company."

"And she's marrying that handsome, wealthy Tobias Bennett."

"Poor Miss Vivienne, I heard she still mourns her lost lover and-"

"Shut up, let's focus on work before we get fired for gossiping."

Vivienne shook her head, sighing at the sickening whispers. She wondered if they knew how to gossip quietly.

She hastily walked to her office, having deliberately slowed down to eavesdrop on their conversations.

Upon entering her office, she didn't bother to settle in. She needed to stay busy, to keep her mind from wandering over her past and most recent burdens. Her hands glided over the spines of numerous books and files lining the mahogany shelves, searching for the file she had placed there the previous day.

The soft click of her office door reached her ears, but she couldn't register it. Suddenly, two pairs of hands snaked around her waist from behind, pulling her into a close embrace.

"Miss me, Vivi?" The masculine voice whispered against her neck, inhaling her scent deeply.

Vivienne tensed, her body stiffening at the unexpected contact. She turned around abruptly, breaking the embrace. "Tobias, what are you doing here?"

The young man who was clad in an Armani suit let out a dark chuckle, clearly accustomed to her attitude. "What am I doing in my fiancée's office? C'mon Vee, you need to relax and start acting like my fiancée. Don't you think?" His hand reached up to coil a few strands of her hair around his finger and she cringed.

"Don't call me Vee, Tobias. Only Tristan called me that. I've warned you severally but you delusionally believe you can replace hims. Even if we eventually get married, you can't, so dream less. You can't have me the way you want." She bit out coldly, stepping away from him, and maintaining a decent amount of space.

Tobias brows pinched, an emotion flashing in his eyes but he recovered before it could linger there. "You are my wife-to-be, It's high time you start accepting we are meant together, babe"

Rolling her eyes, Vivienne scoffed disdainfully. Tobias was good-looking and he had the charms most daring women would love to have around them. But for her? He could never be that guy he so much wished he would.

"You make it sound like I should be eager to become your wife. We both know I am not your biggest fan, and I would only do this because Tristan and my parents want me to." Her attitude was evident as she folded her arms across her chest.

Not being able to bottle the anger anymore, Tobias landed a book on her desk with a thud that jolted her, his eyes glinting with menace. "It's been eight years, Vivienne. Tristan is long gone. Why do you always bring him into our conversations? It's unpleasant and becoming unbearable." Sparing him another dry look, Vivienne shook her head at him and settled in her leather chair, ready to ignore him and focus on work, but as she expected, he wasn't going to back off.

What she didn't expect was his next action. Suddenly, Tobias forcefully grabbed her chin tightly and tilted it upward in his hard grip. "Don't ignore me while I'm talking to you, Vivienne," He snapped and Vivienne's eyes contorted with fear. "Let go of me, Tobias," she managed to say before she successfully wriggled out of his hold and held her aching chin.

Suppressing his anger, Tobias turned away from her to collect himself before turning back abruptly, looking frustrated. "What do you want, Vivi?"

"I wish you could give me what I want, but you can't. I want you to leave me alone and tell my parents you don't want this marriage!" Vivienne lashed out at him with disdain in her eyes.

"You promised me we would be officially together once you are out of college. I had to pretend to everyone, including our parents, that we were dating. Now, you've graduated, and you think I will just allow my years of patience to go in vain?"

"You asked me what I want." Vivienne simply mouthed in response while fiddling with the dove chain pendant hanging down her neck, a gift Tristan gifted her many years ago. Tobias eyes fell on it in a temporary glance, knowing she was fiddling it on purpose but he looked away.

"I mean... what do you want so that I can have you the way I had always craved!" Tobias ran a hand through his brown curls, infuriated. Vivienne had a look that said 'you are unbelievable' before she leaned over her desk, ready to address him.

"We are not compatible, Tobias. Why are you forcing it? You are violent, irresponsible, selfish, and... you are just a stark contrast to Tristan. You can never be him for me," Vivienne spat. Just when Tobias thought she was done, she continued,

"I can't believe you've liquidated your late father's company to build a club, do gambling and other irresponsible stuff. Tobias, can you really do something right about yourself? Maybe I might possibly start considering you if you could, but sadly, people like you don't change." She exhaled tiredly.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to attend to if you don't. Leave my office." Anger blared in Tobias' eyes as he glared at her, jaw clenching as if he was going to lash out but he ate it up. With one last menacing look at her, he exited her office.

A few hours later, Tobias in the late Bennett mansion's living room, sat on the couch looking agitated. His everly modern mother, Natalie, stood by the large window, dressed in a short black gown, sipping expensive red alcoholic wine.

"You complain of stomach aches lately a lot Mum, you should limit how you take alcoholic drinks" Tobias complained. "I'm fine son." She tilted her head towards him and flashed a smile, giving Tobias relief.

"Do you think we should come up with another plan, It's been eight good years and she's still as stubborn as ever, damn it"

"She must be delusional if she thinks she won't marry you," Natalie's voice, though calm, was tinged with coldness.

"But she's making it difficult. We might just eliminate them all and take what we want," Tobias suggested, an evil smile curling his lips. Natalie took another sip of her wine, letting out a low throaty giggle before turning to him.

"It's not done that way, boy. We would easily be suspected. You have to marry her first, then we execute a second plan after she gives you a child. We can eliminate them after that. Don't worry about her stubbornness, her father won't allow her cancel the marriage plan. I know a secret about Donovan that he wouldn't want me to reveal." Tobias' evil smirk deepened at this revelation, giving him newfound confidence.

It wasn't look after that he received a call from the Donovans which he left home to attend to.

"We are buying the Bennetts' company" Audrey Donovan informed Tobias and a deep frown morphed his face instantly.