Chapter 68

Back at the mansion, the tension crackled through the air as they filed into the grand foyer. Ava's hand remained locked around Damien's arm, her perfectly manicured nails leaving crescent marks on his skin.

"Why don't we have some drinks in the study?" Sophia suggested, her voice light but her eyes sharp.

"Wonderful idea." Reginald nodded, already loosening his tie.

As they settled into the study, Sophia casually pulled out her tablet. "Oh, Mr. Blackwood, there's something interesting I found during my research that you might want to see."

Ava's grip on Damien tightened imperceptibly.

"It seems there have been some peculiar transfers from your accounts," Sophia continued, turning the screen toward Reginald. "And coincidentally, they align perfectly with Miss Parker's appearances at certain events."

The color drained from Ava's face. "I don't know what you're implying-"

"She's implying that you've been working with Romano," Vivi cut in, her voice steel. "Planning to destabilize the Blackwood empire from within."

"That's ridiculous!" Ava jumped to her feet, but Damien caught her wrist.

"Is it?" He pulled out his phone, showing a series of screenshots. "Your text messages with Romano's assistant say otherwise."

Reginald's face darkened as he reviewed the evidence. "Security," he called out sharply.

"You don't understand," Ava's composure cracked. "Romano promised me-"

"Get her out of my house," Reginald ordered as two security guards appeared. "And contact our lawyers immediately."

As the guards escorted a struggling Ava out, her perfectly crafted facade crumbled completely. "You'll regret this!" she shrieked. "All of you!"

The heavy doors closed behind her, leaving a weighted silence in the study.

Damien slumped into a leather chair, running his hands through his hair. "I can't believe I fell for her act."

"She was trained for this," Sophia said, scrolling through more documents on her tablet. "Romano picked her specifically because of her... talents."

Vivi stood by the window, watching the security escort Ava off the property. "We need to figure out what information she managed to gather."

"I'll have IT do a complete sweep," Reginald said, already on his phone. "Check every system she might have accessed."

"What I don't understand," Damien turned to Sophia, "is how you managed to uncover all this."

Sophia exchanged a quick glance with Vivi. "Let's just say my time in Paris wasn't spent entirely on art."

"You've been holding out on us, little sister." Damien's lips quirked up.

"Someone had to keep an eye on the family interests," Sophia shrugged. "Even from across the ocean."

Reginald ended his call and faced them. "The lawyers will be here within the hour. We need to contain this before Romano makes his next move."

"He won't stop," Vivi said quietly. "This was just his opening play."

"Then we'll be ready," Damien stood up. "He tried to use me to get to us. That's not happening again."

"We need to present a united front," Reginald declared. "No cracks for him to exploit."

The words hung heavy in the air as Vivi and Damien carefully avoided each other's gaze.

"I'll start compiling everything we have on Romano's recent activities," Sophia broke the tension, heading for the door. "Dad, you should probably join that call with the lawyers."

As Reginald and Sophia left the study, Vivi and Damien found themselves alone. The weight of unspoken words pressed down on them like a physical force.

"Thank you," Damien broke the silence. "For helping expose Ava."

Vivi traced her fingers along the edge of a leather-bound book. "I couldn't let her destroy your family."

"Our family," he corrected, then caught himself. "I mean, you're part of it now too."

"Right." Vivi's voice was barely above a whisper. "As your stepmother."

Damien crossed to the bar cart and poured himself two fingers of scotch. The amber liquid caught the late afternoon light streaming through the windows. "I should have seen through her."

"She was very good at what she did." Vivi watched him take a long drink. "Romano trained her well."

"Did you?" His question hung in the air between them. "See through her, I mean."

"Not at first." Vivi moved to stand by the window, putting distance between them. "But something felt off. The way she appeared in our lives exactly when Romano started making moves against the company."

"And now?"

"Now we prepare." Vivi squared her shoulders. "Romano won't stop just because we caught Ava. He'll try something else."

"We should probably join that meeting with the lawyers." Damien set down his glass with more force than necessary.

"Probably." Neither of them moved.

The grandfather clock in the corner ticked away the seconds as they stood in loaded silence. Everything they couldn't say filled the space between them.

Finally, Damien headed for the door. He paused with his hand on the handle. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're part of this family."

The door closed behind him before Vivi could respond.

Vivi remained by the window long after Damien left, her fingers pressed against the cool glass. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the manicured lawn where security had escorted Ava away minutes earlier.

"Mrs. Blackwood?" A maid appeared at the doorway. "Mr. Blackwood requests your presence in his office for the meeting with the lawyers."

Vivi smoothed her dress and followed the maid through the mansion's winding corridors. Inside the office, Reginald sat behind his massive mahogany desk while Sophia perched on a leather armchair, tablet in hand. Damien leaned against the bookshelf, arms crossed.

"Ah, there you are," Reginald gestured to an empty chair. "The lawyers will be joining us via video conference."

As if on cue, the large screen on the wall flickered to life, revealing three stern-faced attorneys.

"We've reviewed the evidence Miss Blackwood provided," the lead lawyer began. "The paper trail linking Miss Parker to Romano is substantial."

"What are our options?" Reginald's voice carried the weight of authority.

"We can pursue legal action against both Miss Parker and Romano. However, proving conspiracy will be challenging without direct evidence of their communication."

Sophia tapped her tablet. "I may have something that could help with that." She pulled up a series of encrypted messages. "These were buried deep in Ava's cloud storage."

The lawyers leaned forward, interest piqued. As they discussed legal strategies, Vivi caught Damien watching her from across the room. His expression was unreadable, but something in his eyes made her heart race.

"We'll need statements from everyone," one of the lawyers said. "Especially you, Mr. Damien, given your... close association with Miss Parker."

Damien's jaw tightened. "Whatever you need."

The meeting continued, but Vivi found it harder to focus. Between the family drama, Romano's threats, and her complicated feelings for Damien, everything felt like it was spinning out of control. Yet here they sat, discussing legal proceedings as if their world hadn't just been shaken to its core.