Chapter Six

Vivian barely remembered how she got into the taxi. Her legs had moved on their own, like her body had detached itself from her thoughts and decided survival was the only priority left.

Now she sat in the backseat, staring through the window as the mansion disappeared behind layers of trees and iron gates.

Her phone was still in her hand. The message remained open.

"You can’t run from this. Not anymore."

Her thumb hovered over the screen.

Delete?

Reply?

Report?

None of it felt useful.

Instead, she locked the phone and pressed it against her chest like it could steady her breathing.

The taxi driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

“You okay, madam?”

Vivian forced a nod. “Yes, just take me home.”

But even as she said it, something inside her tightened.

Home.

Did she even have one anymore?

***

At Alpha Zee Headquarters, Lucas Kingsley stood in front of his office window, staring down at the city below.

Everything looked orderly from up here.

Clean. Predictable.

Unlike the chaos that had just walked out of his house.

Behind him, Jane stood quietly with a tablet pressed to her chest.

She hesitated before speaking.

“Sir… about Miss Vivian.”

Lucas didn’t turn. “What about her?”

Jane swallowed. “She left the mansion. I arranged a ride for her.”

A pause.

Lucas gave a small nod. “Good.”

That was it.

Just that.

Jane blinked slightly, surprised at how flat his response was.

“Sir,” she tried again carefully, “she’s pregnant. The doctor said she needs emotional stability. Stress could...”

“I’m aware,” Lucas interrupted calmly.

Still, he didn’t turn around.

Jane shifted her weight. “Then maybe we should reconsider the arrangement. The contract...”

“There is no arrangement anymore,” Lucas said.

That made Jane pause.

Slowly, Lucas turned from the window.

His expression was unreadable.

“Miss Vivian made her choice,” he continued. “I made mine.”

Jane hesitated. “And the baby?”

Lucas’s eyes darkened slightly.

“That part hasn’t changed.”

A silence followed.

Then Lucas walked toward his desk and picked up a file.

He flipped it open casually.

“Send HR a directive,” he said.

Jane stiffened slightly. “Sir?”

Lucas didn’t look up. “Her position in the company needs review.”

Jane froze. “You mean...”

“I mean,” Lucas said, finally meeting her eyes, “she’s going to understand that independence comes with consequences.”

The air in the room shifted.

Jane’s face tightened slightly. “Sir, with respect, that sounds like retaliation.”

Lucas closed the file.

For a moment, something sharp flickered behind his eyes.

“Call it what you want,” he said quietly. “But she needs structure.”

Jane hesitated, then lowered her gaze. “Yes, sir.”

She turned to leave, but Lucas spoke again.

“Jane.”

She stopped immediately.

“If anyone asks,” he said, “she is still employed. Under review only.”

Jane nodded slowly. “Understood.”

When she left, the office became silent again.

Lucas leaned back in his chair.

For a moment, he stared at nothing.

Then his phone buzzed.

Unknown number.

A message appeared.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Mr. Kingsley. She doesn’t belong in your world.”

Lucas’s jaw tightened slightly.

He stared at the message.

Then replied:

“She’s already in it.”

***

Vivian reached her apartment building just as the sky began to darken.

The driver helped with her small bag, but she barely noticed.

She moved through the corridor slowly, exhaustion pressing on her bones.

When she finally opened her apartment door, the silence inside greeted her like an old friend.

Too quiet.

Too empty.

She dropped her bag near the door and leaned against the wall.

Only then did the weight of everything hit her.

Pregnancy.

Humiliation.

The mansion.

Lucas’s voice.

His offer.

His threat.

Her knees almost gave way.

She slid down to the floor.

A long breath escaped her lips.

“I can do this,” she whispered to herself.

But the words didn’t sound convincing.

Her phone vibrated again. This time, a call. Unknown number.

She hesitated. Then answered.

“Hello?”

A pause. Then a familiar male voice.

Low. Controlled.

Lucas.

“You should have accepted the contract,” he said.

Vivian’s grip tightened instantly. “Are you serious right now?”

“I am,” he replied calmly.

She stood up sharply. “Did you just threaten my job?”

A faint exhale came through the phone.

“I didn’t threaten anything,” Lucas said. “I’m reminding you how fragile things are.”

Vivian laughed bitterly. “Fragile? You think my life is fragile because I don’t want to be controlled by you?”

“No,” Lucas said. A pause. “I think your situation is fragile because you’re carrying my child in a world that doesn’t care about either of you.”

That silenced her for a second.

Her chest rose and fell quickly.

“You don’t get to talk about caring,” she said tightly.

Lucas’s voice remained steady.

“I do. Because I’m responsible for it.”

Vivian’s eyes burned slightly.

“Responsible?” she repeated. “You mean buying me a house and telling me what to do?”

A pause.

Then Lucas spoke again, quieter.

“I mean making sure you don’t suffer.”

Something about his tone was different for a second.

Less corporate.

More human.

But it vanished quickly.

“You’ll report to HR tomorrow,” he continued. “There are adjustments to your role.”

Vivian froze. “What adjustments?”

“You’ll see.”

Click.

The line went dead.

Vivian stood still, phone pressed to her ear long after the call ended.

Then she screamed.

Not loudly.

But enough to release everything building inside her.

She threw the phone onto the couch and paced the room.

“This man is insane,” she muttered.

Then another thought struck her.

If Lucas could reach her this easily, she wasn’t safe.

Not even here.

Back at the mansion, Evelyn sat alone in the dining room long after Lucas had gone upstairs.

She stared at her untouched tea.

Then she spoke softly to herself.

“This isn’t protection anymore,” she murmured. “It’s control.”

Upstairs, Lucas stood in front of his mirror.

He adjusted his cufflinks slowly.

But his reflection didn’t feel familiar anymore.

For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t sure if he was protecting something.

Or destroying it.

His phone buzzed again. This time, a photo.

Vivian entering her apartment. Taken from a distance.

Lucas’s eyes narrowed instantly. He didn’t know who sent it. But he understood one thing clearly.

Someone was watching her.

And it wasn’t him.

His jaw tightened.

“Jane,” he called sharply.

Moments later, Jane appeared at the door.

“Yes, sir?”

Lucas handed her the phone.

“Find out who took this,” he said.

Jane looked at the image and stiffened slightly. “Sir… this is surveillance-level tracking.”

Lucas’s voice dropped.

“I don’t care.”

A pause. Then colder.

“No one watches what belongs under my responsibility.”

Jane hesitated. Then nodded. “Yes, sir.”

As she left, Lucas remained still. His reflection stared back at him.

But now, something had changed in his eyes.

Not possession.

Not anger.

Something far more dangerous.

Focus.

Because whoever was watching Vivian was about to learn what it meant to watch the wrong person.