Breathing rugged, fury burning just beneath the surface, Vivienne glared at Aveline on the stage, earning a round of applause for a mere floral art.
But that wasn't what irritated her.
Aveline's natural grace. Whether calling a waiter or wiping her hands, she was so flawless without even a hint of arrogance, but with extraordinary elegance. That kind of grace left not just her, but the entire crowd watching her, spellbound.
Then suddenly it hit her. Damien probably wasn't the one who sent her an invitation card to the event.
'Did he bring her instead of me?'
'How dare he appear in public with her?'
Vivienne's glowering eyes scanned the hall until they spotted Damien, who was staring at Aveline without even blinking.
She stormed towards him, yet her walk was smooth as though she was on a runway. Her toned long leg peeking through the slit of evening dress, just enough to run a man's mind wild.
Damien, completely absorbed in Aveline and in the thoughts of reining, was jolted by his secretary's hurried whisper. "Ms. Sinclair is heading this way."
His brows furrowed instantly. When it came to Vivienne, his emotions were raw, affecting his calmness. But one thing he couldn't figure out.
'How the hell did she manage to enter the event without an invite?'
Since he had ghosted her and Aveline was present in the hall, it wasn't hard to guess that Vivienne was enraged. And an angered Vivienne often forgets to think twice about her actions.
He ordered through his gritted teeth, "Stop her." Stop her from reaching him.
His secretary moved instantly to block her and greet like a polite associate, "Ms. Sinclair…"
But his voice fell on deaf ears.
Vivienne slipped past him like butter melting on a hot pan. He cursed himself and followed, trying hard not to catch the negative attention of others.
Vivienne's expression turned abruptly bright and surprised. "Director Ashford, what a surprise!" She smoothly embraced him in front of everyone, like old friends meeting after a long time.
Her intention was for Aveline to witness it.
Damien clenched his jaw, fury bubbling under his skin. One who was supposed to be locked away in a villa was wandering, stealing the spotlight. Another one who was too possessive to think clearly.
"Ms. Sinclair." He responded loud enough for others to hear, "Get off." Only she caught the sharp warning underneath.
Damien's secretary tried to manage the situation, "Ms. Sinclair, we didn't know you were invited. As brand ambassadors of our products, we could have assisted you." He wanted to make sure people didn't assume anything.
But they slipped while trying to manage things.
Vivienne's eyes glinted maliciously at the realization. Damien wasn't the one who invited her. She took a deep breath and stepped back.
She feigned a smile, looking Damien in the eye. She didn't fear his growing fury. He loved her, and he had to put on a show for the businessmen around them.
So she continued the act, replying to the secretary, "As a member of Obsidian, the hosts wouldn't miss to invite Sinclairs."
In reality, neither Lancaster nor Alaric gives two hoots to them.
When the lights in the hall dimmed, she smoothly glided beside Damien. Her voice lowered so only Damien could hear. She gave the ultimatum, "Follow me if you don't want to regret this." She turned and walked away.
Downing his champagne, Damien glanced at Aveline who was focusing on the demo. He couldn't deal with her in the event, so he excused himself in the name of the restroom and instructed his secretary, "Keep an eye on her."
He exited the hall and caught up with Vivienne. He ruthlessly grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the main hallway. A mix of panic and anger controlled his actions.
Vivienne winced at the pressure around her wrist. It burned physically and emotionally. He abandoned her, left her behind without a word, brought Aveline to the event, and now had the nerve to drag her around like she was nothing.
"Let me go…" She snapped, shrugging off his hand. But he quickly grabbed her again and pinned her against the wall. His eyes flickered towards the hallway before locking onto hers.
"Have you f*cking lost your mind?" He hissed. Voice low but cutting with raw emotions, raw rage.
Vivienne didn't hold back. "Yeah…" She almost screamed, "I have lost my mind trusting you!"
His face turned red with fury. He checked the hallway again and leaned in, his grip tightening. "Voice. low."
Vivienne tried to shove him but her strength wasn't enough. Her voice dropped but her words stayed sharp.
"You ghosted me, Damien Ashford, You ghosted me. Now you are dragging me around like I'm a rag doll." She held up her wrist, a red red circle around her wrist, "Is this what you call love?"
Her tears fell, not of sadness but betrayal. Fear. The fear of losing him to the woman she hated most.
"You brought that b*tch to the event and left me behind," she spat.
Damien was caught off guard by her raw emotions and stared at her. He was stunned at how cluelessly he hurt her.
His fury was triggered due to Aveline. How could he show it all to Vivienne?
Regret flickered in his eyes. His grip loosened. His hand slipped down to hers, thumb brushing gently over her wrist, the other hand cupping her face.
His tense shoulder slacked, his attention long lost from the hallway. "I'm sorry, Love. I didn't mean to hurt you." His voice dropped lower. "That woman is screwing up everything in every way. She is slipping out of my control."
He paused and tried to justify his action, "I married her because of you. Try to understand my situation."
Vivienne shook her head, more tears spilling. "I can't. I can't take seeing her around you anymore. I'm scared. Scared you'll fall for her. I can't do this…"
Damien resisted wiping her tears, not wanting to smudge her makeup. He cupped her face again and tried to assure her, "Trust me, she doesn't have that charm."
The certainty in his voice calmed her a little. But her voice wavered, "I trust you, but her? It kills me every day. Why... why don't we forget this whole plan? I don't care about the Laurents. I just want you beside me, Damien."
He froze.
Only if she had said that a second before his wedding to Aveline. He truly did want to consider it. But now, it would haunt them forever.
How could they give up halfway?
"Just wait one more week," he said quietly, "I'll fix everything. Go to my vacation house and rest for a while."
He meant: Don't meddle. Stay away until I handle it.
Vivienne sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him, "Just for a week," she mewled.
He rubbed her back gently, whispering promises, unaware that someone heard it all and was retreating behind the corner.