Chapter 5 First Crack
1157 Words
Vincent's POV
The ballroom remained unusually quiet long after the projector screen went dark.
Although conversations had resumed, the atmosphere was no longer the same.
The guests had witnessed something they were never supposed to see.
Not the photographs.
Not Olivia's cruelty.
Not Grace's silence.
The real shock was seeing a Harrison publicly challenge another Harrison.
And Vincent knew everyone in the room was talking about it.
He stood near one of the windows, holding a glass of water while watching the city lights beyond the mansion grounds.
"That was quite a scene."
Vincent didn't need to turn around.
He recognized Dominic's voice immediately.
A few seconds later, his older brother joined him.
Neither spoke for a moment.
The tension between them was impossible to ignore.
Finally, Dominic sighed.
"You embarrassed Olivia."
Vincent looked at him.
"No. Olivia embarrassed herself."
Dominic's jaw tightened.
"It was a family matter."
"And humiliating Chloe in front of half the city wasn't?"
Dominic remained silent.
Vincent shook his head.
"Tell me something, Dominic."
"What?"
"When did everyone start treating Chloe like she doesn't belong here?"
His brother's expression became unreadable.
"You're overthinking things."
"I don't think I am."
Dominic took a sip of his drink.
"She has a good life."
Vincent almost laughed.
A good life?
Was that what Dominic believed?
A wife who constantly looked sad.
A woman who was publicly humiliated by her own family.
Someone who barely smiled anymore.
That was a good life?
"You should pay more attention to your wife," Vincent said quietly.
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"And you should mind your own business."
The words hung heavily between them.
Neither man backed down.
After several uncomfortable seconds, Dominic walked away.
Vincent watched him disappear into the crowd.
Something wasn't right.
Not just with Chloe.
With Dominic too.
His brother had changed.
The Dominic he remembered wasn't particularly warm, but he wasn't cruel either.
Somewhere over the years, something had shifted.
And Vincent intended to find out what.
Meanwhile, Chloe stood alone on one of the mansion's balconies.
The cool night air felt refreshing after the suffocating atmosphere inside.
She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the city below.
The events of the evening replayed repeatedly in her mind.
The photographs.
The laughter.
The humiliation.
Then Vincent's defense.
A small tear escaped before she could stop it.
She quickly wiped it away.
"Why are you crying?"
Chloe jumped.
She turned to find Vincent standing near the balcony entrance.
Embarrassed, she looked away.
"I'm not crying."
Vincent smiled slightly.
"That's a terrible lie."
Despite herself, Chloe laughed softly.
The sound surprised both of them.
It was genuine.
Rare.
Beautiful.
For a moment, Vincent found himself staring.
Then he quickly looked away.
"You didn't deserve what happened tonight," he said.
Chloe lowered her eyes.
"I'm used to it."
The words hit him harder than he expected.
Used to it.
As though humiliation had become normal.
As though being treated badly was simply part of her life.
That realization made him angry.
"Nobody should get used to that."
A sad smile appeared on her face.
"Life doesn't always give us choices."
Vincent studied her carefully.
The woman standing before him was trying so hard to appear strong.
Yet beneath that strength, he could see years of pain.
Years of loneliness.
Years of disappointment.
For the first time, he wondered just how unhappy her marriage truly was.
Before either could continue, footsteps approached.
Grace Harrison appeared.
Her expression immediately hardened when she saw them together.
"Vincent."
"Mother."
"The guests are looking for you."
Vincent nodded.
"I'll be there shortly."
Grace's eyes shifted toward Chloe.
"The kitchen staff needs assistance."
The message was obvious.
Leave.
Immediately.
Chloe nodded.
"Of course."
Without another word, she walked away.
Vincent watched her disappear down the hallway.
Something about the interaction bothered him.
A lot.
Elsewhere in the mansion, Sarah Prescott sat alone in one of the private lounges.
She looked elegant in her designer gown.
Confidence.
Beautiful.
Perfect.
At least on the surface.
The moment the door opened, she smiled.
Dominic entered.
Her smile widened.
"You took forever."
Dominic locked the door behind him.
"We need to be careful."
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"No one saw us."
"You don't know that."
She approached him slowly.
"You're becoming paranoid."
"Maybe because we have reasons to be careful."
Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Then leave Chloe."
Dominic immediately stiffened.
Not because he loved Chloe.
At least that's what he told himself.
The reality was more complicated.
"Not now."
Sarah stepped back.
Frustration flashed across her face.
"You've been saying that for years."
Dominic remained silent.
Sarah's voice hardened.
"I am tired of waiting."
"You knew the situation."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I knew you promised things would change."
The room became tense.
For months, their relationship had been deteriorating.
Neither wanted to admit it.
Yet both could feel it happening.
Then Sarah noticed something.
"You're jealous."
Dominic frowned.
"Of what?"
"Vincent and Chloe."
A dangerous silence followed.
Dominic laughed.
But the sound wasn't convincing.
"Don't be ridiculous."
Sarah smirked.
"If you don't care about Chloe, why were you watching them all evening?"
Dominic said nothing.
Because he didn't have an answer.
And that scared him.
On the upper floor, Zoey Wilson sat quietly inside her office.
The celebration downstairs was irrelevant.
She had more important matters to handle.
Her laptop displayed confidential Harrison Group financial records.
Dozens of files.
Hundreds of millions of dollars.
Years of business information.
Her phone vibrated.
A new message appeared.
The competitor accepted the proposal.
A smile spread across her face.
Everything was progressing perfectly.
Years of planning.
Years of patience.
Years of pretending.
Soon the Harrison family would suffer exactly as her family once had.
The thought filled her with satisfaction.
She opened a small drawer.
Inside was an old photograph.
A man.
A woman.
And a little girl.
Her family.
The family Grace Harrison had destroyed.
Zoey's eyes darkened.
"This is only the beginning," she whispered.
Then she closed the drawer.
And continued her work.
Later that night, after most guests had left, Vincent found himself unable to sleep.
Something kept bothering him.
The conversation he overheard earlier.
Dominic and Sarah.
Their behavior felt strange.
Too familiar.
Too intimate.
He couldn't explain it.
But his instincts as a lawyer told him something was wrong.
Very wrong.
As he walked through one of the quiet hallways, he suddenly heard voices.
A man.
A woman.
Speaking softly.
Instinctively, he stopped.
The voices came from one of the private sitting rooms.
The door wasn't fully closed.
Vincent moved closer.
Then froze.
Because he immediately recognized the voices.
Dominic.
And Sarah.
His fiancée.
His heartbeat slowed.
Every instinct in his body told him not to listen.
Yet something forced him to remain where he was.
And as the conversation continued behind the partially opened door, Vincent realized he was about to discover a secret capable of destroying two families.
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