Chapter 57

The next morning arrived with a heavy tension in the mansion. Vivi nursed her coffee at the breakfast table, the manila folder tucked discreetly beside her plate. Across from her, Damien looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes as he pushed eggs around his plate.

"Sleep well?" Reginald asked, scanning the morning paper.

"Like a baby," Ava purred, her hand sliding possessively over Damien's arm.

Vivi's grip tightened on her coffee cup. She caught Sophia's meaningful glance from the doorway.

"Damien, could I speak with you after breakfast? About the foundation's upcoming event," Vivi kept her voice steady.

He barely looked up. "Can't. Have meetings all morning."

"It's important-"

"So are my meetings." His chair scraped back. "If you'll excuse me."

Ava rose with him, twining their fingers together. "I'll walk you out, baby."

After they left, Vivi slumped in her chair. Sophia appeared at her elbow, voice low.

"We need another approach. Those documents aren't getting any less damning."

"I know." Vivi rubbed her temples. "But how do we make him see what's right in front of him?"

"Maybe we don't need him to see it first," Sophia mused. "Maybe we need to follow the money trail further. Find out who's really pulling Ava's strings."

Vivi nodded slowly. "You're right. We need more concrete proof before confronting him. Can you-"

"Already on it," Sophia assured her. "I've got some contacts looking into those offshore accounts."

They fell silent as Ava sashayed back into the room, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. She paused by Vivi's chair.

"Such a lovely morning, isn't it?" She trailed her fingers across the back of Vivi's chair. "Everything just falling perfectly into place."

Vivi watched Ava's retreating form, her blood running cold at the thinly veiled threat. Under the table, her hands clenched into fists.

"She's getting bolder," Sophia muttered, sliding into the seat beside her. "Did you see the new wire transfers?"

"Show me."

Sophia pulled out her tablet, fingers flying across the screen. "Three more deposits this week alone. All from the same shell company." She tilted the screen. "Look at the timing - each one right after a major business decision Damien made."

Vivi studied the numbers, her stomach dropping. "These amounts... they're not small."

"No, they're not. And there's more." Sophia swiped to another screen. "I dug into her background. Ava Parker didn't exist until two years ago. Before that? Nothing."

"A fabricated identity?"

"Has to be. The question is, who's behind it?"

Reginald's voice boomed from the hallway, making them both jump. Sophia quickly tucked the tablet away as he entered.

"Wonderful news! The Richardson merger is back on track." He beamed at Vivi. "We'll need to host a dinner next week to celebrate."

"Of course, darling." Vivi forced a smile. "I'll start the arrangements."

"Excellent. And make sure Damien brings Ava - the board loves her." He dropped a kiss on Vivi's cheek before heading to his study.

Once he was gone, Vivi exchanged looks with Sophia. "A dinner party."

"Could be useful," Sophia mused. "Get the right people in the room..."

"Or dangerous, if we're not careful." Vivi stood, smoothing her skirt. "Keep digging. I need to make some calls."

But as she walked away, her mind wasn't on party planning. It was on Damien, and how with each passing day, he seemed to slip further under Ava's spell - and further from the truth they desperately needed him to see.

Vivi headed upstairs to her room, her mind racing. Through the walls, she could hear muffled voices from Damien's suite - his deep laugh mingling with Ava's sultry tones. Her chest tightened.

She pulled out her phone, dialing the caterer for next week's dinner. As she discussed menu options, her eyes drifted to the photos on her vanity - carefully staged shots of the "happy" Blackwood family. Reginald beaming proudly, Damien's practiced smile, her own frozen expression.

A text from Sophia lit up her screen: "Found something. Meet me in the garden in 20."

Vivi wrapped up the call and changed into casual clothes, not wanting to draw attention. She made her way through the mansion's winding halls, past the kitchen where staff prepared lunch, and out to the sprawling gardens.

Sophia was already waiting by the rose bushes, tablet in hand. Her face was grim.

"Remember those shell companies I mentioned?" Sophia pulled up a document. "I traced them back through six different countries. But look at this name that keeps appearing."

Vivi leaned in, scanning the highlighted text. Her eyes widened.

"Victor Romano?"

"Reginald's old business rival. The one who nearly bankrupted Blackwood Industries fifteen years ago."

"Before my time," Vivi murmured. "What happened?"

"Reginald outmaneuvered him at the last minute. Romano lost everything." Sophia's voice dropped lower. "He disappeared after that. Everyone assumed he'd given up."

"Until now." Vivi stared at the screen. "And Ava..."

"Is almost certainly working for him." Sophia closed the tablet. "The question is, how do we prove it? And how do we get Damien to see the truth?"

Vivi paced the garden path, her heels crunching on the gravel. "Damien won't listen to me. Not after..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"He might listen to proof," Sophia said, tucking the tablet under her arm. "Hard evidence that Ava's been playing him."

"Even if we get that, Romano's smart. He'll have covered his tracks." Vivi plucked a rose petal, crushing it between her fingers. "And Ava's got Damien wrapped around her finger."

The sound of laughter drifted down from an upstairs window - Ava's theatrical giggle cutting through the afternoon air. Vivi's jaw clenched.

"We need to be careful," Sophia warned. "If Ava realizes we're onto her, she could accelerate whatever plan they have."

"Or worse - convince Damien we're the ones plotting against him." Vivi let out a bitter laugh. "She's already got him thinking I'm just a gold-digger who married his father."

Sophia pulled up another document on her tablet. "Look at these transfer dates. They line up perfectly with major Blackwood acquisitions and board meetings. Someone's feeding her insider information."

"But who?" Vivi leaned closer, studying the timestamps. "The board members have been with Reginald for decades."

"Maybe that's exactly why Romano targeted them. Long-term loyalty can breed resentment, especially if they felt passed over for promotions or partnerships."

A door slammed somewhere above them. Vivi straightened quickly, smoothing her dress. "We should head back inside before we're missed."

"I'll keep digging," Sophia promised, powering down the tablet. "There has to be a weak link somewhere in their chain."

"Just be careful," Vivi cautioned. "Romano destroyed lives last time. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of this."