Chapter 4: The Unwelcome Guest
1011 Words
Vivian’s POV
The dining room was so quiet it felt heavy. Vivian sat up straight, determined not to show any weakness in front of Damian's grandfather or the woman next to him.
Arthur Blackwood struck his cane against the marble floor, the sharp sound echoing through the room. "Damian, have you lost your mind? You bring this girl back into my sight on the day you are supposed to secure your inheritance?"
Damian didn't flinch. He led Chloe toward the table, his hand resting firmly on the small of her back. "Chloe was in danger, Grandfather. Her apartment was broken into, and she has nowhere else to go. She will stay here under my protection. The inheritance can wait."
"It cannot wait," Arthur growled, his gray eyes flashing with fury. He pointed at the legal documents on the table. "You sign these papers today, or I hand the chairmanship over to your cousin by midnight. You choose right now."
Vivian watched Damian closely and saw his jaw tighten. He was ambitious and had worked his whole life to lead Blackwood Enterprises. He wanted both Chloe and his company.
Chloe looked up at Damian, her eyes filling with fresh tears. "Damian, no, I don't want to ruin things for you. If your contract wife wants me to leave, I'll go back to the streets."
Vivian understood what Chloe was doing. Chloe acted like the victim and made sure everyone remembered that Vivian was only Damian’s wife on paper.
Before Damian could answer, Vivian spoke up, her voice clear and remarkably steady. "She can stay."
Everyone looked at her. Damian narrowed his eyes, studying her face with a cool curiosity. Even Arthur seemed surprised.
Vivian stood up, smoothed her dress, and spoke to Chloe with a polite, calm smile. "The mansion is large, and there are plenty of guest rooms. If Mr. Blackwood wants to help a friend, I have no objections. A good wife supports her husband's efforts to help others."
Chloe’s smile faded for a moment, and Vivian caught a quick look of anger in her eyes before she hid it with another soft sniffle.
Vivian turned to the lawyers, ignoring Damian's tension. "Let's move forward with the documents. My husband is busy, and we shouldn’t keep Grandfather waiting." The old man looked at Vivian with new respect. "Well, you certainly have a backbone, girl. Fine. Sign the papers."
Damian approached the desk, his presence imposing as he picked up the pen. He signed his name with quick, forceful strokes, then handed the pen to Vivian. As their fingers touched, he briefly tightened his grip, preventing her from pulling away.
"You think you're clever, don't you?" Damian murmured, his voice too low for the others to hear.
"I'm just doing my job, Mr. Blackwood," Vivian whispered back, meeting his gaze without blinking. "Saving my family."
He released the pen, and Vivian signed beside his name. The lawyers promptly stamped the documents, confirming the initial thirty-million-dollar transfer to her father's company. Vivian felt a wave of relief; her father was safe.
"We are done here," Arthur announced, standing up with his cane. He looked at Damian one last time. "Remember your boundaries, grandson. The media is watching."
After Arthur and the lawyers departed, the dining room felt stifling. Mrs. Gable stepped forward, her expression eager as she addressed Chloe. "Miss Chloe, your old room is just as you left it. I have kept it clean every day. Let me help you with your belongings."
Chloe smiled at the housekeeper. "Thank you, Mrs. Gable. You always make me feel at home." She then turned to Damian, embraced him, and disregarded Vivian. "Thank you for saving me, Damian. I knew you would keep your promise to protect me."
Damian gently patted her back, his expression neutral while his gaze remained on Vivian. "Go rest, Chloe. I need to go to the office."
As Chloe and Mrs. Gable ascended the stairs, Chloe glanced back. Her timid demeanor vanished, replaced by a smirk as she mouthed three silent words to Vivian: He is mine.
Vivian ignored her, picked up her handbag, and got ready to visit her father at the hospital now that the money was safe.
"Vivian," Damian's voice stopped her at the door.
She turned back. He put on his suit jacket, returning to his cold and distant manner.
"Don't ever speak for me in front of my grandfather again," Damian warned, his voice dangerously low. "You are here to play a part, not to make decisions in my house."
"I saved your inheritance, Damian," Vivian replied, crossing her arms. "If I hadn't agreed to let her stay, your grandfather would have canceled the deal. You should be thanking me."
Damian stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. The mix of his cologne and Chloe's perfume made Vivian uneasy.
"I don't thank people for doing what they are paid to do," Damian said coldly. "And don't get comfortable thinking you have any power here. Chloe is the only woman who matters to me. You are a ghost in this house. Remember that."
He walked past her, his shoulder brushing hers as he exited the mansion.
Vivian took a deep breath and stayed calm. She spent the afternoon at the hospital with her unconscious father, holding his hand. When she returned to the Blackwood estate late that evening, she climbed the grand staircase, exhausted and ready for bed.
She opened the heavy double doors to the master bedroom and stopped abruptly.
The room was dimly lit by a few candles. Vivian’s clothes had been taken from the closet and tossed in a messy pile on the floor. Chloe, wearing a silky white nightgown, was there holding a pair of scissors. She was slowly cutting Vivian’s favorite childhood photo of her and her father into tiny pieces.
Chloe looked up, her eyes cold in the candlelight. "Oops," she whispered, dropping the paper shreds onto the floor. "I asked Mrs. Gable to move your things out of my room. Damian said, I could sleep here tonight."
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