A ring with a backstory
1491 Words
Elena’s POV
“What does that mean?” I asked him inquisitively.
Damian leaned against the edge of his desk, his cufflinks now resting beside him and for the first time since I’d entered the room, he looked tired.
Not angry, not surprised, just tired.
“I asked you a question,” I reminded him.
“And I gave you an answer.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I wanted to know how far this would go.” His eyes lifted to mine.
“You’re speaking in riddles.” I frowned.
“I don’t have time for riddles.”
“Neither do I. I was forced into a wedding dress less than two hours ago.”
Something flickered across his face. It looked like guillt but I couldn’t tell.
“I know.”
“Then explain.”
He was silent for a moment then he walked toward a cabinet behind his desk and pulled out a folder while my eyes followed him.
“What is that?”
“Something I received three days ago, anonymously.”
He placed the folder on the desk and I didn’t move.
“What is it?”
“Open it.”
I approached cautiously but the moment I opened the folder, my stomach twisted.
There were photographs, photographs of Vivienne, dozens of them.
Some showed her leaving restaurants, others showed her entering her car.
There were photographs of her at charity events, business meetings, even outside the Laurent estate.
I looked up to Damian and asked, “Why do you have these?”
“Because someone has been watching her.”
My fingers went cold. “Who?”
“I don’t know.”
I looked back at the photographs and asked, “Did Vivienne know?”
“That is what I’m trying to find out.”
I turned to another page then I froze.
There was a photograph of Vivienne talking to someone outside a cafe, I recognized the man and my heart began beating faster.
“That’s Mr. Hayes.”
Damian’s expression changed. “You know him?”
“Yes.” I answered immediately.
“How?”
“He works with the Laurent family.”
“Worked, you mean”
I looked at him. “What?”
“He hasn’t worked for them in six months.”
I stared at the photograph again, that wasn’t right.
I had seen him, not recently but a few weeks ago when I’d been sent to deliver some documents to Vivienne. When I’d arrived, I’d seen Mr. Hayes leaving her office.
I’d thought nothing of it but now I wasn’t so sure.
“Why didn’t Vivienne tell me about this?” I asked out loud
Damian gave me a strange look.
“You were her assistant.” He asked rhetorically.
“Yes.”
“Exactly.” I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t tell me something that vital.
“She told you what she wanted you to know.”
The words stung so I closed the folder.
“You think she was using me?” I asked sadly.
“I think Vivienne kept secrets.”
“So do you.”
His expression hardened. “That isn’t the point.”
“It is to me.” I stepped away from the desk.
“I’ve spent three years working for that woman. I know her schedule, her preferences, her family, her friends. I knew when she was upset before her own mother did.”
“And yet you didn’t know she was planning to disappear.” Damian said casually and I felt inferior.
I went quiet, he had me there. I just looked down.
“No.”
There was pin drop silence then Damian spoke again.
“Did she say anything strange to you this morning?”
My mind immediately returned to her words.
“Elena, have my back and protect my image.” I hesitated.
“Yes.”
“What?”
“She told me to protect her image.”
His eyes narrowed. “Anything else?”
“No.”
I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t tell him about the way she’d smiled.
It had seemed normal at the time but now she’d disappeared, it didn’t.
A knock sounded, we stopped talking but neither of us answered.
The door opened anyway and Ethan stepped inside.
“Sorry to interrupt.”
Damian looked irritated. “What?”
“We have another problem.”
I sighed deeply. Apparently, that sentence was becoming a regular part of my day
Ethan looked at me then back at Damian.
“The Sinclair board is asking questions.”
“About the wedding?”
“About the bride.”
Damian’s expression remained calm.
“What did you tell them?”
“That Vivienne had a private family matter and that the ceremony went ahead as planned.”
“And they believed you?”
Ethan smiled without humor. “Some did.”
I looked between them.
“What happens if they find out?” I asked and Ethan’s expression turned serious.
“Then the marriage becomes a public scandal.”
My stomach dropped. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”
“I know,” Ethan said.
His tone was unexpectedly gentle.
“But unfortunately, the people who did ask for it don’t seem particularly concerned about what you wanted.”
Damian looked at him. “Anything else?”
Ethan hesitated then he pulled out his phone.
“Someone accessed Vivienne’s private account this afternoon.”
My heart stopped. “After she disappeared?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“We don’t know.”
Damian took the phone from him.
I watched his expression change as he read something.
“What?”
He didn’t answer.
“What is it?”
Damian turned the screen toward me.
It was an email, no subject or sender name, just a single line.
“The right woman is wearing the ring.”
They both looked at me and my gaze dropped instinctively to my hand, after all it was Vivienne’s engagement ring.
I hadn’t even noticed it since the ceremony so I tried to pull it of but it wouldn’t move.
My breathing quickened. “It’s stuck.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“Don’t force it.”
He exchanged a glance with Damian.
“What?”
Damian took my hand carefully and examined the ring while his face became unreadable.
“Where did this come from?”
“It was on the vanity.”
“Did anyone tell you to wear it?”
“Margaret.”
He released my hand and Ethan stared at the ring.
“That’s not Vivienne’s original ring.” Damian said.
I blinked. “What?”
Ethan looked at him. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve seen the original. I bought it myself”
My mouth went dry. “Then whose is this?”
Neither man answered so I looked at the ring again and now, it didn’t look like jewelry, it just looked like evidence.
A knock sounded again and this time, Margaret entered with her face pale.
“Damian.”
He turned.
“What happened?”
She looked at me then at the ring and her expression changed.
“You’re wearing it.”
I swallowed. “You told me to.”
“I know.”
She looked genuinely frightened which frightened me more.
“What is it?” I asked.
Margaret didn’t answer so Damian stepped forward.
“Mother.” And she looked at him.
“Where did Vivienne get that ring?”
Margaret’s lips parted but for several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she whispered, “It wasn’t supposed to be given to Elena.”
My stomach dropped. “What?”
Margaret looked at me and suddenly, I saw something I’d never seen on her face before.
Fear! Not embarrassment, not anger but real fear.
“Take it off,” she said.
“I can’t.” Her face went white.
“Then we have a problem.”
Before anyone could speak, my phone vibrated and I pulled it from my purse, it was another message.
An unknown number, my hands shook as I opened it.
There was no photograph this time, only six words.
“Vivienne didn’t choose you by accident.”
I stared at the screen then another message appeared.
“Ask your mother why.”
My blood ran cold when I saw the last one because I didn’t have a mother.
At least not anymore, she had died when I was seven.
I slowly looked up and Margaret was staring at me.
Damian noticed and asked, “What did you receive?”
I couldn’t speak so I passed the phone to him.
And for the first time since Vivienne disappeared, I wasn’t wondering where she had gone but why someone believed Vivienne had known something about me that I didn’t know myself and why they thought my dead mother was part of it.
Magaret had some explaining to do too.
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