The Billionaire’s Collateral

Chapter4

The Mansion of Vipers

The West estate didn’t feel like a home.

Tessa had been in the mansion for less than twenty-four hours, but walls already felt like they whispered, their echoes laced with hatred and unhappiness. The corridors were infinite, lit by chandeliers that cast more shadows than light. Each and everyone of the servants she passed avoided her eyes, their silence speaking volumes and everything looked suspicious.

This wasn’t a house. It was a kingdom — and Tessa wasn’t a queen. She was a prisoner with a title.

By morning, the storm began.

She followed the event planner, Mr. Kane, into the grand dining hall — a room so gigantic it could have contained the entire café where she’d worked. A table as long as nearly the full length, laden lined up with golden dishes steaming with eggs, toasts, fruits, and all kinds of foods she didn’t recognize and probably never seen since her lifetime.

Six people were already seated. Five pairs of calculating eyes turned toward her the second she crossed the threshold.

Blake sat at the head, unreadable as ever, his dark suit a shield. To his left, a man in his mid-thirties lounged casually — handsome, with a roguish grin and a whiskey glass despite the early hour.

“Ah, the bride,” he drawled, raising his glass. “Maxwell West. I assume you’ve heard the horror stories. Most of them are true.”

Next to him sat Hugo, a huge figure with broad shoulders with face fiercely looking, his expression stoic but his eyes cold and scary. He didn’t say anything, merely weighing Tessa up like he was measuring her and trying to check usefulness.

On Blake’s right was Declan, the only one who offered something resembling a polite smile and warm welcome. His neatly combed dark hair and sharp suit made him look more like a lawyer than a brother. “Tessa, welcome. I’m Declan. Don’t mind these dragons.”

Finally, there was Sophie. She didn’t even care to look at Tessa at first, busy sipping her wine, her long brown hair spread all over her shoulder. When she did, her grey eyes sparkled — not with kindness, but with the satisfaction of a predator hunting down a prey.

“So this is the girl Greg Ford sold to my baby brother,” Sophie whispered, her voice as sweet as honey but laced with poison. “She’s… Antique. You really outdid yourself, Blake. Did you order her from a bargain bin?” I almost lost my breath looking at her.

A loud and sharp laugh coming from Maxwell. Hugo smiled faintly.

Tessa’s cheeks burned, but she forced herself to stay strong and stand tall. “I’m not here to please you or impress anyone.”

Sophie’s smile widened. “Oh, honey. That’s good. And it’s quite interesting to know. Because you won’t go through that.”

Blake’s voice sliced through the tension like a blade. “That’s enough already.” He didn’t raise his tone, but the energy behind his single word silenced the table. “She’s here now. She stays till when I want. Anyone who has a problem with that can find another house to put a roof over their head.”

Maxwell leaned back lazily. “Relax, brother. We’re just getting to know the new sister-in-law. We wouldn’t dare scare her away. Yet.”

Declan cleared his throat softly, redirecting attention. “Tessa, would you love to take coffee?”

She gave a nod, grateful for his kind gesture amid the tension at the time.

As one of the servant poured her a cup, Declan’s voice dropped just low enough for only her to hear. “If you’re smart, you’ll keep your head down and observe everyone’s moves. Especially Sophie and Nate.”

She glanced at him. “Nate?”

“Our dear uncle,” Declan murmured, his polite smile never faltering for the others’ sake. “He doesn’t live here, but his shadow does. He’s been circling the company like a shark since Our Father died.”

Before Tessa could ask more, Sophie’s voice rang out. “Oh, Declan, don’t bore her with your paranoia. The poor girl already looks pale.” Sophie’s eyes slid back to Tessa, sharp as glass. “Though I must admit, you do have the wide-eyed, deer-in-headlights look down perfectly. Keep it. The press will eat it up.”

The laughter that followed — Maxwell’s hearty, Hugo’s low grunt, Sophie’s soft chuckle — made Tessa’s stomach knot.

She took a sip of her coffee, only to nearly choke. Bitter. Overpowering.

Declan leaned slightly closer, his lips barely moving. “Never drink anything you didn’t pour yourself. Not in this house.”

Tessa froze. “Are you saying—”

But Declan’s smile returned to the room. “So, shall we raise a toast to our new sister-in-law?”

Maxwell raised his glass again, Hugo a silent nod. Sophie’s smile was a mask, perfect and poisonous. Blake didn’t even bother pretending.

As Tessa forced a smile, Declan’s words echoed in her head. Never trust a drink. Not here.

After breakfast, Declan caught up with her as she walked through the hallway, still trying to memorize the endless turns.

“I’m not trying to make you scared,” he said softly, staring over his shoulder to ensure no one was eavesdropping on them or watching him. “But there are so many things about this family you need to know if you want to survive your year here.”

Tessa crossed her arms behind her, her guard still up. “Like what exactly ? Do you mean they all hate me? I figured that out during breakfast.”

A faint smile came through Declan’s lips, but it didn’t last for a second . “I meant deeper and darker things. Secrets. One even Blake doesn’t fully understand at all.”

Her brows knitted. “What are you trying to say?”

Declan hesitated, as though checking and weighing how much to disclose. “Have you ever noticed how Blake doesn’t looks like our father?”

She blinked. “What does that have to do with me?”

“Everything,” Declan said in softly. “There are whispers — old rumors that Father isn’t actually his father. If that’s true, Blake isn’t entitled to half what he’s fighting to inherit. Which means…” His gaze hardened. “People like Sophie and Nate would love nothing more than to expose it and tear him apart. And they’ll use you to do it if you’re not careful around here.”

Tessa’s pulse quickened. “Why are you letting me know about this?”

“Because unlike the rest of them, I don’t want blood spilled on the walls before this whole cold war is over. And because…” He gave her a small, sad smile. “You remind me of someone we lost. Someone who couldn’t make it out of this house alive.”

Before she could press him, Sophie’s voice came loud from down the hall. Are you there?. “Tessa! There you are. Come along — I want to show you the greenhouse. It’s so lovely this time of year.”

Declan’s expression darkened. “Be careful around her. She’s worse than she looks.”

Tessa swallowed hard and followed Sophie, Declan’s warning ringing in her ears.

The greenhouse wasn’t as beautiful as she thought. It was more like a jungle — exotic and wild plants clustered over glass walls, their vines sprawling up like fingers. Sophie led her down to a narrow and crooked path, her heels thudding softly, her cologne spreading in the humid air.

“So,” Sophie began a conversation casually , plucking a blossom flower and twisting it in between her fingers, “you’re the reason why Blake suddenly decided to play this house. Tell me, honey, do you really love him, or is this strictly based on a paycheck agreement?”

Tessa kept her tone neutral. “I didn’t exactly have a choice.”

Sophie smirked. “Of course you didn’t. Greg Ford doesn’t breathe without a dollar incentive. I’m just curious how long you’ll last before you c***k. Blake is… difficult. Our family is worse. And if you think being his wife will protect you, you’re adorably naïve.”

Tessa’s hands curled around her fists by her side. “Why are you saying this to me?”

Sophie’s smile sharpened, like a flicker of cruelty in her gaze. “Because I like to watch the new ones fold and squeeze out. It’s entertaining. And because, sooner or later, you’ll realize you’re not on his side. No one ever is.”

Before Tessa could say anything, Sophie’s phone vibrated. She glanced at it, her expression turning into something sharper. “Could you excuse me for a moment.”

She stepped away, voice dropping as she answered. Tessa, concealed by the vines, lingered a few feet back.

Sophie’s voice was low but clear. “Yes, Uncle Nate. Tonight works. Blake’s little bride is already nervous — perfect timing. We’ll start by leaking the footage of Greg’s debt. Make her look like a gold digger before the press even meets her. And Blake? Once the paternity test is public, he’ll lose everything.”

Tessa’s chest pounding to her ear and stomach dropped. A Paternity test?

Nate’s voice, deep and slick, crackled faintly on the other end. “Good. And the girl? Make sure she’s crushed in the process. The more broken she is, the easier she’ll be to control when the time comes.”

Tessa’s breath dropped. A twig snapped just under her foot.

Sophie’s head turned around, her eyes wide and narrowing. “Who’s there?”

Panic snapped through Tessa as she rushed back into the vines, her pulse pounding in her ears.

Another twig cracked. Sophie’s footsteps approached, slow and deliberate.

Sophie’s voice turned cold, echoing through the greenhouse.

“Whoever’s listening… come out now. Or I’ll make sure you never leav