Divorcing Billionaire Vincent

CHAPTER TEN -- Matrimony and War

CHAPTER TEN -- Matrimony and War

The whispers drifted from the hallway, muffled but clear enough to stir unease in the air. I could make out the worried murmurs of the maids, their voices thin and frantic.

"He’s furious," one maid hissed. "He said he wants her brought to him immediately."

"He’ll punish her severely," another whispered back. "You know how the young master gets when he’s angry. I can't bear to even watch."

A cold wave rippled through me. Vincent's temper was never mild, and if he believed I had truly harmed his dogs, there was no telling how far his rage might go. But before I could dwell on it, footsteps pounded down the hallway, stopping abruptly outside my door.

Madam Kensington’s voice cut through the air like a blade. "You," she snapped. "Bring me to Vincent now."

The urgency in her voice wasn’t anger. It was panic.

I crept closer to the door, listening intently. The maids barely had time to answer before I heard the sharp click of her heels as she stormed away. I quickly went out and followed at a distance. The study is slightly open so I get to eavesdrop in them.

Madam Kensington’s voice returned, quieter but unmistakably pleading. "Vincent, please."

"Mother, you saw what she did! She poisoned my dogs! If I hadn’t gotten to them in time—"

"I know," Madam Kensington cut in sharply, "but punishing her won’t solve anything. Let it go."

"Let it go?" Vincent’s voice was tight with disbelief. "She could've killed them! She’s reckless, selfish—"

"Don’t be hasty," she interrupted, her voice softer now, almost desperate. "Please... for my sake."

I closed my eyes, the tension in my chest twisting painfully. Madam Kensington had spent every breath trying to destroy me, yet now she was begging for my forgiveness? No, not for my sake — for her own. She was terrified. Terrified that I might expose her precious secret.

The silence that followed stretched long and cold.

Finally, Vincent spoke. "Fine."

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

"But," Vincent continued darkly, "she goes nowhere without Collins watching her."

My relief curdled. Collins. The man was practically Vincent's shadow — stone-faced and ruthless. Wherever I turned, his cold, unwavering gaze would follow me. This wasn’t forgiveness. This was a prison sentence

I rushed back and not so long after, my door creaked open, and two guards stood at the threshold. "Your presence is requested," one of them muttered.

I followed them down the hall. The air felt heavy with tension, each step echoing louder than the last. When I reached Vincent’s study, he barely looked at me, his back turned toward the fireplace. The flames danced violently, licking the brick with angry orange tongues.

"I should punish you," he said flatly, his voice colder than the air outside. "But for my mother’s sake, I won’t."

His words weren’t a relief; they were a warning. His head turned slightly, and I glimpsed the sharp tension in his clenched jaw.

"Collins will accompany you everywhere," he continued. "Step out of line, Jana... and you won’t get another warning."

I clenched my fists, biting back the retort that threatened to escape. "Understood," I said stiffly.

I held his gaze, forcing steel into my spine. The tension clung to the room like a storm about to break. Vincent’s stare lingered before he turned sharply, dismissing me with nothing more than his silence. I knew better than to linger — I turned on my heel and walked out, Collins falling behind.

The suffocating presence of Collins followed me everywhere — his cold, calculating gaze tracking my every move like a vulture waiting for its prey to falter. His presence grated on my nerves, fraying them thin. I couldn’t take it anymore.

I knew what I had to do.

"I need to see Madam Kensington," I announced to Collins, forcing my voice to stay calm.

"You can’t," he said flatly, his deadpan expression unwavering.

"She’s my mother-in-law," I countered. "If you want to stop me from speaking to her, you'll have to drag me by my hair." I took a step forward, daring him to try.

He hesitated — not out of fear, but uncertainty. The Kensington name carried weight, but Madam Kensington’s unpredictable temperament made her an equally dangerous force. Without a word, Collins relented and stepped aside, his eyes flickering with suspicion.

Madam Kensington was seated in her parlor, a delicate porcelain teacup balanced between her fingers. Her gaze lifted lazily when I entered, her smirk barely concealed.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" she drawled, voice syrup-sweet and venomous.

"We need to talk," I said firmly. "Alone."

Her smile faltered. "Collins, leave us."

He hesitated. "Ma’am..."

"I said leave."

Collins reluctantly obeyed, shooting me a hard look before disappearing out the door. I waited for his footsteps to fade before stepping closer to Madam Kensington, leaning down until we were almost eye to eye.

"I want ten million ," I said quietly. "Or I talk."

Madam Kensington’s expression didn’t flicker, but her fingers tightened around her teacup. "That’s quite the price for silence."

"You know why," I shot back. "I need it for my divorce compensation. Vincent won’t let me walk away freely . You and I both want me to out of here so why don’t we work together. Ha ?.”

"You’re playing a dangerous game," she warned. "And if you think I’d risk exposing myself to give you that kind of money, you’re mistaken."

I leaned closer. "You don’t have a choice."

"You think I can just pull that kind of money from thin air?" she hissed. "I can’t access that amount without alerting Vincent."

"Then you’d better get creative," I said, stepping back. "Or the whole city learns about your illegitimate son."

Her face paled beneath her powdered skin, her teacup rattling against the saucer. I turned and walked out, feeling her furious stare burn into my back.