CHAPTER 5

The Shadow of the Past

The following afternoon, the penthouse was quiet, save for the low hum of the central air. Avery sat at the kitchen island, scrolling through her phone, when the elevator bell rang. It wasn’t the polite, anticipated chime of Vivian returning from work. This was a sharp, unannounced intrusion.

The doors slid open to reveal a man who looked like he had been engineered in the same high-end laboratory as Vivian. He wore a bespoke navy suit, his blonde hair slicked back with clinical precision, and he held a massive bouquet of white orchids. He stepped onto the herringbone floor with the unearned confidence of someone who owned the air he breathed.

"Vivian, darling, I know I'm early, but—" He stopped dead in his tracks. His blue eyes locked onto Avery, who was currently wearing paint-splattered joggers and a vintage band tee. His expression instantly soured. "Oh. You must be the... temporary arrangement."

Avery sat up straighter, her internal radar instantly flagging a threat. "And you must be lost. The service elevator is down the hall."

Before he could snap back, the private line of the elevator chimed again. Vivian stepped out, her leather briefcase in hand. The moment her eyes landed on the man, her entire posture went rigid. The faint, relaxed softness Avery had glimpsed the night before vanished instantly, replaced by a wall of absolute sub-zero ice.

"Deo," Vivian said, her voice cutting through the room like a razor blade. "You do not have security clearance for this building."

"I told the lobby desk I was your fiancé, Viv. They didn't realize the paperwork had changed," Deo said smoothly, offering a slick, practiced smile that didn't reach his eyes. He set the orchids on the pristine kitchen island, right over the imaginary boundary line. "I heard about the stunt at City Hall. I assumed it was a desperate play for the board of directors. But really? This is what we're using to secure the CEO chair?"

He gestured vaguely at Avery, his tone dripping with condescension.

Avery’s temper flared, but before she could speak, she felt a firm, warm hand slide onto the small of her back. The contact was electric, sending a jolt straight up her spine. Vivian didn't just touch her; she pulled Avery flush against her side, anchoring her.

"My wife’s name is Avery," Vivian stated, her voice dangerously quiet, her emerald eyes narrowing to slits. "And you are standing in our home. If you do not remove yourself from this property in the next sixty seconds, I will have the security team remove you forcefully. And then I will personally call the chairman of your firm to discuss your breach of ethics."

Deo’s smile faltered. He looked at Vivian's hand resting possessively on Avery's hip, then at the fierce, united front the two women presented. For the first time, a flicker of doubt crossed his face.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Vivian," Deo muttered, backing toward the elevator. "The board is going to see right through this little domestic fantasy."

"The only thing the board sees is my track record," Vivian countered. "Goodbye, Deo."

The elevator doors slid shut, cutting off his glaring face.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Vivian didn't immediately let go. Her hand remained on Avery’s hip, her thumb pressing slightly into the fabric of Avery's joggers. Avery could feel the rapid, furious beat of Vivian's pulse against her side.

"You okay?" Avery asked quietly, looking up at her.

Vivian slowly dropped her hand, stepping back as if she had just realized how close they were standing. She rubbed her temples, looking genuinely rattled for the second time in twenty-four hours.

"He was my partner for three years," Vivian said, her voice tightly controlled. "Personally and professionally. He left the firm six months ago to join our biggest competitor. He wants my position, and he knows a messy divorce or a fake marriage scandal would ruin my standing with the board."

Avery looked at the white orchids sitting on the marble island. Without a word, she grabbed the vase, walked over to the trash chute near the pantry, and shoved the expensive arrangement straight down the bin.

The heavy thud echoed through the kitchen. Avery walked back, leaning against the counter.

"Well," Avery said, a sharp, fiercely protective smirk spreading across her lips. "It looks like we have a common enemy. Which means we're going to have to make this 'domestic fantasy' look entirely indisputable."

Vivian stared at her, her emerald eyes dark, intense, and utterly unreadable. "Section Three of the addendum dictates forty-eight hours' notice for public appearances."

"Forget the addendum, Thorne," Avery said, taking a step closer into Vivian’s space, breaking the boundary line entirely. "If that guy is watching us, we play for keeps. No rules."

Vivian's throat swallowed hard. Her gaze dropped to Avery’s lips before snapping back to her eyes. "No rules," Vivian agreed quietly.