THE FIVE OF US

Chapter 23: Velvet Ropes and Woven Roots

The Ties That Bind

Inside Room 412, the initial shock of the revelation still hung thick in the air, but the sharp tension had softened into a quiet, sacred stillness.

Scarlett sat back down on the edge of the bed, her fingers tracing the edge of her aunt’s old knitted scarf. "My parents died in a car crash when I was five," she said softly, her green eyes fixed on the floor as the girls listened intently. "Aunt Martha didn't even hesitate. She was my mum’s younger sister, barely twenty-four at the time, but she took me in instantly. She didn't have much, but she sacrificed every single thing for me."

Vivian leaned against the wardrobe, listening with a rare, open expression.

"She worked double shifts at your estate just to send me to good schools, Vivian," Scarlett continued, a watery smile breaking through her quiet tone. "She’d come home with blistered feet, sit on my bed, and tell me stories about this beautiful, quiet little girl in the big mansion who lost her mother. She loved you like her own family, Vivian. She always said you were so proud and elegant, even as a kid."

Vivian’s breath hitched slightly, her hand gripping her blazer sleeve. A surge of warm memories flooded her mind—Martha brushing her hair after her mother’s funeral, Martha sneaking warm peach tart slices up to her bedroom when her billionaire father was too busy with board meetings to check on her.

"She did take care of me," Vivian acknowledged softly, stepping across the room to sit beside Scarlett. "When my mother passed... Martha was the only person in that house who made it feel like a home. She used to play classical records for me when I couldn't sleep."

Chloe let out a soft sigh, resting her chin in her hands as she looked between them. "So while Scarlett was trying so hard to act like she belonged in Vivian's world, her aunt was literally keeping Vivian's world running."

"It's not just a small world," Ava said, a warm, genuine smile gracing her lips as she leaned against her desk. "It’s like you two were meant to end up on this same floor."

Scarlett looked up at Vivian, a timid, honest expression replacing all her former bravado. "I'm sorry I acted like a spoiled rich girl around you, Vivian. I was just so scared of people finding out where I really came from."

Vivian reached out, gently patting Scarlett's hand. "You never have to pretend with us, Scarlett. Not here.