VivienneMy fists were still trembling.“Celestria?” I echoed, like his words were coated in acid. “Are you telling me she knows?”Oliver’s silence told me everything. He didn’t nod. Didn’t speak. Just stood there with the kind of guilt that ages men overnight.“That little royal parasite knew about my son and said nothing?”“I didn’t say she knew, Vivienne,” he said carefully. “I said I think she suspected. She’s not stupid. She has access to things—Vail things. And she’s been around Darius more than anyone lately.”“Of course she has,” I muttered, venom rising. “She’s probably crawling into his bed every time he twitches.”His eyes flinched at that. Good. Let it sting.I stepped forward, fire pulsing in my veins. “So what now? She knows the truth and she’s just sitting on it like a viper?”“She doesn’t know for sure,” Oliver replied tightly. “But she’s playing it smart. Manipulating Darius. Feeding him just enough to keep him calm—but not enough to snap.”I narrowed my eyes. “And wh
Vivienne“But you know I could never turn my back on you, Vivienne Fox,” Doctor Oliver muttered, his voice husky like he hadn’t slept since I left. “That night you walked away—I should’ve stopped you. I should’ve done something reckless.”He paused, dragging a shaky breath. “But instead, I did this.”I narrowed my eyes. “This?” My voice cracked like lightning.He looked at me, guilt carved into his features. “You don’t know how many times the Alpha has cornered me. Threatened me. Bribed me. Begged. He’s obsessed—completely unhinged—about getting to you again.”I took a step back, my breath caught halfway to hell.“But I held it down. For you. For your son. I kept him out of the fire, even when it nearly burnt me alive,” Oliver said, his voice breaking. “But now... he’s calmed down.”I blinked. “Why?”He hesitated. And when he finally spoke, it wasn’t a whisper. It was a knife.“Because he got what he needed.”My heartbeat slammed in my chest like a warning bell. “What the hell does th
VivienneAfter the event, everything felt louder. My heels against the floor. The weird beating of my heart. And the feeling that my life can end anytime. But I had one priority—my son.I made sure he was safe, tucked away under the protection of Daisy and Sebastian’s eyes. No one gets past them. Not tonight. Not ever.Then I turned my attention to the real threat.I spotted Doctor Oliver slipping through the back corridor of the eastern wing, walking too fast, too quiet—like someone with something to hide. Like someone about to meet the devil.I moved quicker.He didn’t expect me when I stepped into his path, cutting him off like a blade to the throat.He skidded to a stop.Then, that smug little smile curved his mouth like venom.“You’re really like your mother, Fox,” he said, voice low and oily. “Showing up without saying a word. Always watching. Always silent. Dangerous little trait you inherited.”I didn’t smile.I didn’t blink.I just stared into his eyes with no soul behind mi
Darius“She’s my friend,” I ground out, voice low but trembling with fury. “Why would you do something like that?”My fists are clenched at my sides, nails digging into skin. I don’t even know what I’m more—angry or confused. Everything feels like a haze of betrayal.She smiles.Not the innocent kind. The kind that makes your blood run cold. The kind of smile that says she planned this, rehearsed this, enjoyed this.“Because you’re mine,” Celestria says, brushing a nonexistent wrinkle off her pristine sleeve, “and we have a daughter.”My breath halts. She says it like a trap snapping shut.I stare at her. “Excuse me?”“You heard me.” She steps closer, tilting her head, all sweet venom. “You belong to me, Darius. You always have. Our bond is real. Our family is real.”“You don’t get to claim me just because you gave birth to a child,” I snap.Her smile wavers. Slightly.“Oh, but I do,” she counters, still sweet, still terrifying. “Because I’ve given you everything. I’ve stood by you. A
Darius The event, of course, ended with my usual debrief. I was halfway through strategizing with my beta and a few of our best warriors, trying to piece together the strange aura shifts we’d sensed earlier, when the door creaked open behind me—without warning. I was in the middle of changing out of my ceremonial jacket, bare-chested, when I heard the unnecessarily dramatic heels clicking in. Celestria. “Honey,” she said, her tone already laced with irritation, “you barely greeted the people.” She folded her arms, jaw tight like she was auditioning for a drama. I didn’t bother looking up. I tugged my black shirt over my head slowly, savoring the moment of silence before I had to deal with her theatrics. “I’m sorry,” I said with a stoic smile, finally glancing her way. “You know I’ve been busy with the recent situation—” “Oh, please,” she cut in with a sharp flick of her hand. “You always have a ‘situation,’ Darius. That’s what you say every time you don’t want to stand beside me
Vivienne“What are you on right now?”The words hit me like ice water down my spine.I blink, heart already racing as I take in the sharpness in her voice, the quiet demand behind her question. My hands tremble slightly, but I hide them beneath the folds of my coat. No one can see that I’m scared. Not even her.Because I could never—never—let anyone harm my child.Ever.I stare at her, my breath coming in tight. “Why would you say that?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.She doesn’t answer right away. Instead, she reaches out, gently grabbing my hand. Her fingers wrap around mine with a grip that says don’t lie to me.“It seems like the Vail’s been digging,” she says softly, then sighs, the weight of it too heavy for someone who’s always been stronger than me. “We’ve noticed they’re getting obsessed. Not just with controlling things... but with keeping Darius close. Too close.”My breath hitches.My free hand curls into a fist. I stare at the floor. “No one knows about the past,”