TASTE OF HIS RUIN 🖤

Chapter 8: Vivienne de Roche

Vivienne de Roche arrived at The Aurelian carrying two garment bags, a leather folder, and a complaint about the weather.

"The road from Sion was dreadful," she told Elise Moreau. "My driver spent twenty minutes behind a delivery van that appeared to have forgotten where it was going."

Elise smiled politely. "I'm glad you arrived safely."

"So am I. Philippe would have blamed me for missing the meeting, even though he was the one who insisted I come today."

Vivienne placed her folder on the reception desk and removed her gloves.

At thirty, she had learned how to move through rooms full of important people without looking as though she was trying. Her family had owned vineyards, hotels, and several properties along the French Riviera for generations. She knew how to dress for a business lunch, how to recognise when someone was lying, and how to keep a conversation pleasant when she wanted to leave it.

She also knew Adrian Laurent well enough to recognise when he was unhappy.

They had known each other since their early twenties. Their families attended the same charity events, and they had spent enough holidays and formal dinners in one another's company to develop an easy familiarity.

Vivienne had fallen in love with him gradually. She couldn't remember the exact moment it happened, only that somewhere along the way, she had stopped imagining her future without him in it.

Adrian had never encouraged her to believe they were destined to marry.

That had not stopped her hoping.

"He's in his office," Elise said. "I'll let him know you're here."

"Don't bother. He'll complain if you interrupt him, and then he'll complain that nobody told him I arrived."

Elise laughed. "You know him well."

"Unfortunately."

Vivienne collected her folder and headed upstairs.

Adrian was reading a report when she entered his office.

"You could knock," he said without looking up.

"I did. You were too busy pretending not to hear."

He raised his eyes.

"Good morning, Vivienne."

"Good morning, Adrian."

She leaned down and kissed his cheek before taking the chair opposite his desk. He moved a cup of coffee away from the papers in front of him.

"Black, no sugar?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I remembered."

"You've remembered for years."

"Some things are worth remembering."

Her tone was light, but Adrian looked at her for a moment before returning to the report.

Vivienne knew that look. He had noticed something beneath her words and decided not to discuss it.

She opened her folder.

"The winter charity dinner is in three weeks. My father wants to know whether The Aurelian will host it again."

"It depends on the final arrangements."

"Adrian, you've hosted it for four years. The local mountain rescue team depends on the money, and the village food programme has already begun planning around the event."

"I know what the event supports."

"Then don't make me explain it as though you're seeing the figures for the first time."

He put down his pen.

"The hotel has a renovation project to manage. I won't promise the ballroom until Elise confirms the schedule."

"That's reasonable." She paused. "You could have said that without sounding as though I'd asked you to give away the building."

"Would you have listened?"

"Probably not."

He almost smiled.

That was what Vivienne valued about their relationship. She could challenge him without worrying that he would throw her out of the room. She knew his habits, his stubbornness, and the quiet kindness he rarely showed in public.

But she also knew that familiarity wasn't the same as being loved.

"I'd like to visit the kitchen before the tasting," she said. "The charity dinner should feature food from local suppliers where possible. My father is particularly interested in supporting businesses in the village."

"Speak with Luc. He'll tell you what's practical."

"I intend to."

She stood, gathering her folder.

"And Adrian?"

He looked up.

"You should come to dinner with us on Friday. My father has been asking after you."

"I'll check my schedule."

"That means no."

"It means I'll check my schedule."

Vivienne gave him a knowing look and left.

In the kitchen, Zara was helping Ines Duarte test a dessert for the upcoming charity dinner.

The plan was to use pears from a nearby farm, served with a light cream and a thin, crisp biscuit. Ines wanted the dessert to feel elegant without becoming too sweet.

Zara tasted a spoonful.

"The pear is good, but the cream is covering it."

"That's what I thought," Ines replied. "I'm going to reduce the sugar."

"Try a little lemon first. You might not need to change everything."

Ines considered the suggestion before adding a few drops of lemon juice.

She tasted it again.

"Better."

"Much better."

Luc Morel approached, carrying a sheet of notes.

"Vivienne de Roche is here. She wants to discuss the charity dinner menu."

He turned to Zara.

"Bring the fish course you've been working on. We'll see whether it suits the event. Ines, prepare two versions of the dessert. I want to compare them before we make a decision."

Nobody objected. They returned to their work.

A few minutes later, Vivienne entered with Luc.

She greeted the kitchen staff warmly and asked about the ingredients they intended to use. When Zara presented the Arctic char, Vivienne tasted it without rushing.

"This is lovely," she said. "The fish is delicate, and the broth doesn't overpower it."

"Thank you," Zara replied.

"Where do you source the fennel?"

"Greta Keller handles the supplier arrangements. I can tell you what's in the dish, but she'll know which farms can supply us."

Vivienne smiled. "Fair enough. I should learn to direct my questions to the right people."

Luc looked pleased with the answer.

They discussed the charity dinner for several minutes. Vivienne wanted the menu to reflect the region without becoming so expensive that the event's costs swallowed the money raised for the village.

Greta would need to confirm which local ingredients were available in sufficient quantities, and Luc would decide what the kitchen could prepare without disrupting normal service.

Vivienne listened to both concerns and adjusted her suggestions accordingly.

Before leaving, she turned to Zara.

"Do you enjoy working here?"

"Most days."

"That's an honest answer."

"I think it's better than pretending every day is perfect."

Vivienne laughed.

"I suspect Adrian would disagree with you."

"Adrian isn't the one standing at the stove."

For a second, Vivienne studied her.

Then she laughed again, more genuinely this time.

"No. He certainly isn't."

When Vivienne left the kitchen, Zara returned to her work without giving the conversation much thought.

But later that afternoon, as Vivienne passed Adrian's office, she saw him standing beside the window, speaking on the phone with his brother.

He was laughing.

Not the restrained smile he offered guests, or the brief amusement she occasionally drew from him. He was genuinely laughing at something Étienne had said.

Vivienne stopped for a moment.

She had known Adrian for years. She had attended family dinners, remembered his preferences, and stood beside him at events where everyone assumed they would eventually become a couple.

Yet there were still parts of him she couldn't reach.

She continued down the corridor before he noticed her.

In the kitchen below, Zara was adjusting the seasoning of her broth, unaware that the woman who loved Adrian Laurent had just begun to realise how little certainty she possessed about his future.

And Adrian, for his part, had no idea that the two women had already met.