Chapter 65
As James drew Ava into a discussion about modern art, Vivi seized her chance. She moved casually around the room until she reached the sofa where Damien sat alone.
"Mind if I join you?" Vivi kept her voice low, settling beside him with deliberate space between them.
Damien's jaw tightened. "Shouldn't you be entertaining your husband?"
"We need to talk." Vivi glanced at Ava, who was gesturing animatedly as she described a gallery opening to James. "About her."
"There's nothing to discuss."
"She's not who you think she is." Vivi leaned closer, her perfume stirring memories he'd tried to bury. "We've found some concerning connections-"
"Stop." Damien's fingers curled around his coffee cup. "You made your choice clear. You don't get to question who I'm with now."
"This isn't about us." Vivi fought to keep her voice steady. "She's involved with Romano. We have evidence-"
"Evidence?" His eyes finally met hers, sharp with disbelief. "Or are you just trying to interfere because you can't stand seeing me with someone else?"
"Damien, please." Vivi resisted the urge to touch his arm. "Just let me explain what we've discovered. Sophia and I-"
"Ah yes, your new best friend." His laugh held no humor. "The two of you playing detective while I move on with my life. How convenient."
Across the room, Ava's laughter rang out at something James had said. She hadn't glanced their way once, seemingly absorbed in the conversation.
"She's dangerous," Vivi whispered. "If you'd just listen-"
"I think we're done here." Damien stood abruptly, straightening his jacket. "Enjoy your investigating."
Damien strode down the ornate hallway, his footsteps echoing against the marble floors. The sounds of conversation and clinking glasses from the luncheon faded behind him. He needed space, needed to clear his head from Vivi's accusations about Ava.
The click of heels behind him made his shoulders tense. He didn't need to turn around to know who followed him.
"I'm not finished," Vivi called out, her voice tight with frustration.
"I think you are." Damien kept walking, turning down a quieter corridor lined with classical paintings.
"Would you just stop and listen?"
"To more of your theories? No thanks."
Vivi's patience snapped. She grabbed his jacket sleeve and yanked him around to face her. Before he could protest, she crushed her lips against his, backing him against the wall. Her fingers curled into the lapels of his expensive suit.
For a moment, Damien froze. Then his hands found her waist, pulling her closer as he returned the kiss with equal intensity. The familiar taste of her, the soft press of her body against his - it all came rushing back.
Just as quickly as it started, Vivi broke away. Her chest heaved as she stared up at him, lipstick slightly smudged.
"Now will you listen to me?" she whispered fiercely, still gripping his jacket.
Damien's dark eyes searched her face, his breathing uneven.
"Romano," Vivi said, her fingers still twisted in Damien's lapels. "Ava's working with Victor Romano."
Damien's brow furrowed. "My father's old rival? That's impossible."
"Sophia traced suspicious wire transfers. Large sums moving through shell companies connected to Romano's network." Vivi released his jacket but stayed close. "The timing lines up perfectly with Ava's appearance in your life."
"She approached me at that charity gala-"
"Which happened right after Romano resurfaced in Europe." Vivi's eyes locked with his. "It's not a coincidence, Damien. She targeted you specifically."
Damien ran a hand through his hair. "What would Romano want with me?"
"Not just you. The entire Blackwood fortune." Vivi glanced down the empty hallway. "Think about it. She's been pushing to get more serious, hasn't she? Talking about your future together?"
His jaw clenched as he recalled Ava's recent hints about marriage. "That doesn't prove anything."
"We found photos of her meeting Romano in Geneva last month. The same week she told you she was visiting her sick aunt." Vivi pulled out her phone and showed him the surveillance images. "She's playing you, Damien. They're using you to get to your father's empire."
Damien stared at the photos, his expression darkening as he recognized Romano's silver hair and Ava's distinctive profile. They sat at a cafe, heads bent together in intimate conversation.
"Why are you telling me this?" His voice was rough. "After everything..."
"Because despite what happened between us, I won't let them destroy your family." Vivi stepped back, creating distance between them. "The Blackwoods have given me a home. I protect what's mine."
Vivi turned on her heel, her heels clicking against the marble as she strode away. Her heart pounded, but she kept her composure, refusing to let her hands shake.
"Wait." Damien's fingers wrapped around her wrist, pulling her back. "What do you expect me to do with this information?"
She faced him again, noting the smudge of her red lipstick at the corner of his mouth. Without thinking, she reached up and wiped it away with her thumb.
"Keep playing along," Vivi said, her voice low. "Act like nothing's changed. We need to catch them red-handed, and that means letting Ava think she still has you wrapped around her finger."
"You want me to pretend everything's normal? Go back to sleeping with her?" His grip tightened on her wrist.
"Yes." The word tasted bitter on her tongue. "Whatever it takes to maintain her trust. Sophia and I will handle the rest."
"And what exactly are you and Sophia planning?"
"The less you know, the more convincing you'll be." Vivi gently extracted her wrist from his grasp. "Just focus on keeping Ava close. Make her believe you're falling for her games."
Damien's jaw clenched. "Fine. But I want updates on what you find."
"We'll be discrete." Vivi smoothed his lapels where she'd gripped them earlier. "Now go back to your girlfriend. She'll be wondering where you disappeared to."
Damien watched Vivi's retreating form, her words about "his girlfriend" stinging more than he cared to admit. The bite in her tone reminded him of his own cruel jabs, how he'd flaunted Ava in her face, made sure she heard them together.
He leaned against the wall, running a hand over his face. Every time he'd called Ava his girlfriend at the breakfast table, every moment he'd made sure Vivi saw them together - he'd wanted to hurt her the way she'd hurt him. But now it felt hollow, childish.
The memory of Vivi's kiss lingered on his lips, a contrast to Ava's calculated seduction. Even now, knowing Ava's true motives, he couldn't deny how effectively he'd used her to strike back at Vivi. He'd played right into Romano's hands, too blinded by his own wounded pride to see the trap.
His fingers traced where Vivi had wiped away her lipstick. The gentle intimacy of that gesture cut deeper than any sharp words they'd exchanged. She still cared enough to protect his family's legacy, even after he'd done his best to prove he didn't need her.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled him from his thoughts. Time to play his part, to pretend nothing had changed. He straightened his tie, pushed off the wall, and prepared to return to the woman who'd been using him all along.