Chapter 54

Vivi sat in the garden, watching the sunset paint streaks of orange across the sky. The events of the past weeks weighed heavily on her mind - the scandal, the press, and most of all, the complicated dynamics within the mansion's walls.

Sophia approached, carrying two steaming mugs of tea. She handed one to Vivi and settled into the chair beside her.

"You seem troubled," Sophia observed, blowing gently on her drink.

"Just thinking about everything that's happened. The press conference helped clear the air, but..." Vivi trailed off.

"But there's still tension in this house. I can feel it too." Sophia took a careful sip. "Have you talked to Damien since..."

"No," Vivi cut her off. "And it's better that way. He's focused on Ava now."

"Is he though?" Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Or is that what you both keep telling yourselves?"

Vivi stared into her mug, watching ripples form in the amber liquid. "It doesn't matter. I made my choice. The family comes first."

"Family is important," Sophia agreed. "But sometimes what seems right on paper isn't what's right for the heart."

Inside the house, Damien watched the two women through the window. His fingers drummed restlessly against his thigh as he paced the study. The business deals were back on track, the scandal contained, but something still felt unsettled. Wrong.

Reginald's voice echoed from his office down the hall, discussing some merger or acquisition on the phone. The familiar sound of business as usual only heightened Damien's sense of disconnect from the life he was supposed to be living.

His phone buzzed - another message from Ava. He left it unread.

Sophia set her empty mug on the small garden table. "You know, when I first came here to help with the scandal, I thought this was just another wealthy family with typical rich people problems."

"And now?" Vivi turned to face her.

"Now I see it's much more complicated than that."

The glass door slid open and Damien stepped out. Vivi's shoulders tensed.

"Father wants to see you both," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "Something about the upcoming charity gala."

"Of course." Sophia stood. "Coming, Vivi?"

"In a minute."

Sophia headed inside, leaving them alone in the growing dusk. The silence stretched between them like a physical thing.

"Ava's been asking about you," Vivi said finally.

"Has she?" Damien's tone was clipped.

"She called earlier. Wanted to know if you were avoiding her."

"And what did you tell her?"

"That you were busy with work." Vivi stood, smoothing her skirt. "Which isn't a lie."

"No, it's not." He stepped closer. "But it's not the whole truth either, is it?"

"Damien-"

"You can't keep pretending nothing happened."

"I'm not pretending. I'm doing what needs to be done." She moved past him toward the door. "We should go. Your father's waiting."

"Right. My father." The words came out bitter. "Your husband."

Vivi's hand froze on the door handle. "Don't."

"Don't what? State facts?"

She yanked the door open. "We have a gala to plan."

Inside Reginald's study, the family gathered around his mahogany desk. Vivi kept her distance from Damien, focusing instead on the papers spread before them.

"The guest list needs final approval," Reginald said, sliding a document forward.

Sophia picked it up, scanning the names. "The Parkers are attending. Including their daughter."

Vivi's fingers tightened on her chair. Ava Parker. The woman's words from their last encounter echoed in her mind: "I always get what I want, Mrs. Blackwood. Always."

"Is there a problem?" Reginald asked, noting her tension.

"No," Vivi said quickly. "Just wondering about seating arrangements."

"I can handle that," Damien offered, not meeting her eyes.

"Perfect." Reginald smiled. "The Parkers are important business associates. We need to make sure they're treated well."

If only he knew, Vivi thought. Ava wasn't just after business connections. She'd made that crystal clear with her thinly veiled threats about exposing family secrets.

"I'll coordinate with the event planner," Sophia said, breaking the awkward silence. "We want everything perfect after the recent... unpleasantness."

"Agreed." Reginald turned to his son. "Damien, you'll escort Miss Parker, of course? She seems quite taken with you."

Vivi watched Damien's jaw clench. "Of course, Father."

The meeting continued, but Vivi barely heard the words. All she could think about was Ava's predatory smile, the way she'd cornered Vivi in the powder room at their last event. "It would be such a shame if certain things came to light," she'd purred. "Things about you and your stepson."

After the meeting dispersed, Sophia pulled Vivi aside into the garden where they couldn't be overheard.

"Those transactions I found," Sophia whispered, "Ava's been systematically targeting wealthy families for years. She gets close to the heir, creates scandal, then somehow ends up with a chunk of the fortune."

Vivi's stomach turned. "You think that's her plan with Damien?"

"The timing's too perfect. Right when our family was vulnerable from the media circus, she swoops in?" Sophia pulled out her phone, showing Vivi a spreadsheet. "Look at these patterns. The Hendersons three years ago. The Whitfields last year. Both families lost millions after Ava Parker entered their lives."

"She threatened to expose..." Vivi trailed off, unable to say the words.

"I know. But that's just her opening move." Sophia's eyes narrowed. "She doesn't just want hush money. She wants control of Blackwood Enterprises through Damien."

"How do we stop her without everything coming out?"

"We play her game better than she does." Sophia smiled grimly. "I've got contacts investigating her past. And I noticed something interesting about the timing of her previous... conquests. She always strikes when families are distracted by internal drama."

"Like now," Vivi breathed.

"Exactly. She thinks we're weak, divided. But she doesn't know we're onto her." Sophia squeezed Vivi's hand. "Let her think her plan is working. Meanwhile, we'll be building our case."

Vivi paced the garden path, her heels clicking against the stone. "But what if Damien doesn't believe us? He seems... different with her."

"Men can be blind when they're being played," Sophia said, pulling up another document on her phone. "Look at these photos from the Henderson scandal. Same calculated moves - getting close to the son, creating rifts in the family."

"She's good at what she does." Vivi crossed her arms, remembering how easily Ava had slipped into their lives.

"Too good. But she made one mistake." Sophia zoomed in on a bank statement. "She got sloppy covering her tracks this time. These shell companies she used? They all trace back to the same IP address."

"What do we do next?"

"We need more concrete evidence before confronting her." Sophia tucked her phone away. "Keep playing along like everything's normal. Let her think she has the upper hand."

"And Damien?"

"For now, we keep him in the dark. If he tips her off..." Sophia shook her head. "We can't risk it. Not until we have proof she can't wiggle out of."

The sound of footsteps made them both turn. Through the garden archway, they could see Ava leading Damien toward the pool house, her laugh carrying across the lawn. The calculated way she touched his arm made Vivi's skin crawl now that she knew what to look for.

"Watch how she operates," Sophia murmured. "Every move is designed to isolate him from the family. Classic predator behavior."

Vivi nodded, forcing herself to stay still as Ava shot them a sweet smile before disappearing into the pool house with Damien. "How long do we have to wait?"

"Not long. My contact is sending over the Henderson case files tomorrow. Once we establish the pattern..." Sophia's eyes hardened. "She won't know what hit her."
Trapped by my stepson
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