Chapter 60

Vivi paced the study while Sophia's fingers flew across the laptop keyboard. The late afternoon sun filtered through the tall windows, casting a golden glow across the antique furniture.

"How am I supposed to tell Damien about this?" Vivi stopped by the window, pressing her forehead against the cool glass. "After everything that happened..."

Sophia glanced up from her screen. "You mean after you told him to move on?"

"I had to." Vivi's voice came out barely above a whisper. "It was the right thing to do. But now with Ava..."

"Being a potential threat to the family?" Sophia finished, turning her laptop to show Vivi another suspicious transaction.

"Exactly." Vivi moved away from the window, settling into a leather armchair. "I told him we needed to end things completely. That he should focus on Ava. Now I have to tell him she might be working with Romano?"

"He needs to know, Vivi." Sophia's expression softened. "Personal complications aside, this affects the whole family."

Vivi ran her fingers through her hair, remembering their last encounter - the heat, the passion, and then the painful goodbye. She'd pushed him away, told him to forget everything between them. Now she'd have to break that carefully constructed distance.

"Maybe you should tell him," Vivi suggested, but Sophia shook her head.

"It needs to come from you. He'll take it more seriously."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Vivi stood up again, unable to stay still. "He might think I'm just making excuses to interfere in his life again."

"We have evidence," Sophia reminded her, gesturing to the financial records spread across her screen. "This isn't about personal feelings anymore. This is about protecting Blackwood Industries."

Vivi collapsed back into the armchair, shaking her head. "The evidence won't matter if he won't listen. You don't know how stubborn he can be."

Sophia's eyes lit up with sudden inspiration. "Then we need a different approach. You'll have to make him fall for you again."

"What?" Vivi stared at her in disbelief. "That's absolutely absurd."

"Is it? Think about it - he already has feelings for you. They haven't just disappeared."

"And that's exactly why it would be cruel." Vivi stood up, pacing again. "I told him to move on. I pushed him away. Now you want me to deliberately pull him back?"

"For his own good," Sophia insisted, closing her laptop. "And for the family's good. You care about him, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Vivi whispered. "That's why I can't toy with his emotions like that."

"It's not toying if your feelings are real." Sophia leaned forward. "Look, I know it sounds manipulative, but we need him to see the truth about Ava before it's too late. And he won't listen to reason or evidence right now - he's too caught up in trying to forget you."

Vivi wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the weight of the impossible choice before her. "So you want me to seduce him away from Ava just to tell him she's working with Romano?"

"For him," Sophia said softly. "And for the family. Sometimes we have to do difficult things to protect the people we love."

Sophia leaned back in her chair, a calculating look crossing her face. "You need to remind him what you two had. What you still have."

"That's insane." Vivi shook her head, dark hair falling across her face. "I can't just—"

"Can't you? Every time you're in the same room, the tension is palpable." Sophia's eyes sparkled with determination. "Ava may be seductive, but what you and Damien share goes deeper."

Vivi's fingers traced the edge of the desk. "Even if that were true, I pushed him away. Told him to move on."

"And he's trying to—with Ava. But we both know that's dangerous for him and the family." Sophia stood up and moved beside Vivi. "You don't have to play games or be manipulative. Just... stop fighting what's already there."

"What's already there could destroy everything." Vivi's voice cracked slightly.

"What's already destroyed is his judgment when it comes to Ava." Sophia placed a hand on Vivi's shoulder. "He's using her to forget you, but in doing so, he's blind to who she really is."

"So I'm supposed to what? Bat my eyes at him? Brush against him in the hallway?" Vivi's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"No. Be yourself. The woman he fell for." Sophia's voice softened. "The one who still makes his breath catch when she enters a room."

Vivi turned away, but Sophia continued. "I've seen how he looks at you when he thinks no one's watching. Those feelings haven't gone anywhere—he's just buried them under whatever Ava's offering."

"This is wrong," Vivi whispered, but her resolve was wavering.

"What's wrong is letting him fall deeper into Ava's trap." Sophia squeezed her shoulder. "Sometimes the right thing doesn't feel right at first."

Vivi sank back into the leather armchair, her shoulders dropping in defeat. "You're right. I hate that you're right, but you are."

"Finally." Sophia's lips curved into a satisfied smile. "So you'll help save him from himself?"

"I'll try." Vivi rubbed her temples. "But this isn't just about protecting him from Ava. If Romano is involved, this could be bigger than we thought."

"That's why we need to act fast." Sophia perched on the edge of the desk. "The longer Ava has her claws in him, the more damage she can do."

"I just..." Vivi's voice trailed off. She looked up at Sophia, vulnerability clear in her eyes. "What if I can't do it? What if he's too angry, too hurt?"

"Trust me, he's not over you." Sophia's expression softened. "I've watched him these past weeks. The way he tenses when you enter a room, how his eyes follow you when you leave. He's trying to convince himself he's moved on, but..."

"But what?"

"But you don't look at someone the way he looks at you if you're truly done." Sophia leaned forward. "So, are you in?"

Vivi took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "I'm in. For Damien. For the family."

"And maybe," Sophia added gently, "for yourself too?"

"Maybe." Vivi's whisper was barely audible. "God help me, but maybe."