Chapter 6 The Warning

Vivienne stared at the note in her hand, the ink beginning to smudge under the pressure of her trembling fingers. He's not who you think. Run. Her chest tightened. The words crawled under her skin, embedding themselves like splinters. Who had left it? Viktor? Elena? Someone else in this house? Was it a threat or a warning? She sat on the edge of the bed, the paper still clutched in her hand. The chandelier above her swayed gently, casting fractured light across the cold, white walls. Everything in this room felt pristine, controlled.

Like it had been cleaned of secrets that still lingered in the corners. She folded the note and tucked it beneath the mattress. Then she picked up her phone. No signal. Of course. A knock at the door made her flinch. "Vivienne?" Damian's voice. She rose slowly and opened it. He stood there in a black T-shirt now, his jacket gone, his sleeves rolled up. The softness in his features had returned, but so had the walls behind his eyes. "I came to say goodnight," he said. She stepped back, letting him enter. "That's surprisingly polite of you." He gave a faint smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You handled my mother better than I expected." "She was testing me." "She always is." Vivienne hesitated, then asked, "Do you trust her?" Damian glanced toward the window, his jaw tightening. "No." The word dropped like a weight between them. She watched him carefully. "What about Viktor?" His gaze snapped back to her. "Why are you asking about him?" She hesitated. "He found me. In the library." Damian's expression darkened. "What did he say to you?" "Nothing direct," she lied. "Just...a warning. That this house changes people." Damian exhaled through his nose, his hands on his hips. "You shouldn't be alone with him. Or my mother." Vivienne stepped closer. "Then tell me what's really going on here. Why do they hate you? Why do they look at me like I'm a pawn?" He didn't speak for a long moment. Then, quietly, "Because I took control of the company after my father died. And some people didn't think I deserved it." "Like your uncle?" He nodded once. "He's been waiting for me to fail ever since." "And your mother?" "She thinks power belongs to men like my father. Men who ruled with fear. She sees emotions as weakness." Vivienne's voice softened. "But you're not like them." Damian looked at her then really looked at her. "That's what scares her." They stood in silence for a beat too long. Then he straightened. "Get some rest. We leave early tomorrow." She nodded, and he turned to go. But just before he stepped out, she said, "Damian... if I ever needed to leave, would you let me?" His back tensed. He didn't turn around. "No," he said quietly. "Because I wouldn't let anything happen to you." The door shut behind him. Vivienne sat back on the bed, her heart hammering. That didn't sound like safety. It sounded like a warning of its own. She didn't sleep. She lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts spiraling. By morning, she was already dressed when a knock came. This time, it was a maid, informing her that breakfast would be served shortly. She followed the woman downstairs, where Elena was already seated, sipping black coffee from a delicate porcelain cup. "Good morning," Vivienne said carefully. Elena's eyes didn't rise. "Is it?" Vivienne sat opposite her. No Damian in sight. "Where is your son?" she asked. "He left early. Business." Elena finally looked up, her stare sharp. "He didn't say goodbye?" Vivienne didn't answer. Elena sipped again, then leaned back. "So how long do you think you'll last?" "In this marriage?" "In this family." Vivienne's voice was calm. "Long enough." Elena tilted her head. "You're not stupid. That's good. But you're still naive." "I've survived worse." "No," Elena said. "You haven't." She rose from the table and walked out without another word. Later that day, as Vivienne waited outside for the car to take her and Damian back to the city, she spotted Viktor standing by the fountain, feeding bread crumbs to the koi fish. She tried to ignore him. But he called out anyway. "You looked shaken last night." Vivienne turned. "I'm fine." He gave her a look. "You shouldn't be. Not in this house. Not with him." She narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you just say what you mean?" Viktor smiled faintly. "Because if I do, you'll think I'm trying to scare you." "Aren't you?" "I'm trying to save you." The car pulled up behind her. Viktor took a step closer. "Whatever you think Damian is, he's not. He's worse." Vivienne stepped back. "I don't believe you." "You will." She turned and got into the car. As they drove away from the estate, she glanced back once. Viktor was still standing there. Watching. Waiting. She didn't know what scared her more,the man warning her to run Or the man she was beginning to trust.