Midnight Rules

                POV: Vivienne Ashford

"Either you come down to my car right now... or I walk inside and drag your husband out by his collar."

Roman's ultimatum still echoed in my ears.

I stared through the study window at the three black SUVs parked beyond the iron gates. Don Roman Cavendish stood beside the lead vehicle, his phone pressed to his ear, waiting for my answer.

He wasn't bluffing.

A man with his influence didn't need to raise his voice to make a threat sound real.

"Don't go anywhere," I said.

"I wasn't planning to."

I ended the call, grabbed my dark wool trench coat and slipped out of the study.

The estate was silent as I hurried down the east wing corridor. When I reached the main staircase, my eyes drifted towards the closed doors of the west wing guest suite.

Damon was in there.

The thought of him sleeping under my mother's roof still made my stomach turn. But I wasn't about to let Roman turn my home into the scene of a confrontation.

I unlocked the front door and stepped outside.

The night air was cold. As I approached the iron gates, one of the security guards opened them.

Three armored SUVs stood on the private road. Roman was leaning against the hood of the first vehicle, a cigar between his fingers.

He dropped it and crushed it beneath his shoe when he saw me.

"You're here," he said.

"You threatened to come inside if I didn't."

"I meant what I said."

"I know. That's precisely why I'm here."

He stepped closer, his attention fixed on my face.

"That man shouldn't be in your house."

"Whether you approve or not, the law requires him to live there during the Cooling-Off Year."

Roman's expression hardened.

"The law doesn't concern me."

"It concerns me. I don't want trouble at my home, Roman. I have already dealt with enough."

His gaze moved briefly across my face, settling on the faint bruise Damon had left.

"Has he touched you again?"

"No."

"Has he threatened you?"

"Not since he returned."

Roman studied me for a moment before reaching into his inner suit pocket. He withdrew a sleek, matte-black phone and held it out.

"Take this."

I looked at the device.

"What is it?"

"A secure phone. It has a direct line to my private office and my personal number."

"I already have a phone."

"Not one that connects directly to me."

I didn't take it immediately.

"Why do I need this?"

"Because I don't intend to hear about something happening to you after it's too late."

His tone left little room for argument, but I wasn't prepared to accept everything he offered without question.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch."

"There's always a catch with you."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"Then consider it a precaution."

I finally accepted the phone.

Roman watched me put it in my coat pocket before speaking again.

"Listen carefully, little rabbit. I have two rules."

I folded my arms.

"I'm listening."

"First, keep that phone charged and within reach, especially at night."

"And the second?"

"If Damon threatens you, touches you, or makes you feel unsafe, you call me immediately. Don't wait until the situation gets worse."

I stared at him.

"And what happens when I call?"

"My security commander, Gabriel Stone, will coordinate a response. My men can reach this property quickly."

His expression turned cold.

"And if Damon believes he can intimidate you simply because the law requires him to live under the same roof, I'll make sure he understands that the consequences of his behaviour won't disappear with the morning."

"Roman, I don't want you making decisions about my life without consulting me."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"You think I don't understand that?"

"Then understand this. Ashford Manor is my home. You don't get to send men inside whenever you please. Nobody enters these gates without my permission."

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he gave a small nod.

"Your gates. Your rules."

I wasn't entirely convinced he would always remember that.

"You walked into my club that night," he continued, his voice quieter now. "You asked me what my price was. You spent the night with me, then disappeared before I could learn anything about you."

"That doesn't mean I belong to you."

His jaw tightened.

"I know what I want, Vivienne. And I don't intend to pretend otherwise."

"Wanting something doesn't give you the right to own it."

His gaze remained fixed on mine.

"Perhaps you'll understand how serious I am when you finally make your decision about my proposal."

"I haven't made that decision."

"I know."

He reached for my hand, but stopped before touching it.

"Goodnight, little rabbit."

I looked down at the phone in my pocket, then back at him.

"Goodnight, Roman."

He stepped aside, allowing me to return through the gates.

"Keep the phone close."

"I heard you the first time."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

I turned and walked back towards the manor. Behind me, the gates closed, leaving Roman and his men outside.

I opened the massive front door and stepped into the dim foyer.

A floorboard creaked near the grand staircase.

I turned.

Damon stood in the arched doorway leading to the west wing. He was wearing his silk bathrobe, his arms crossed over his chest.

His eyes moved from my face to the coat I was wearing.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Outside."

"Don't play games with me, Vivienne. I saw those black SUVs parked beyond the gates. Who were you meeting?"

I slipped the new phone deeper into my coat pocket.

"That's none of your business."

"None of my business?" He stepped farther into the foyer. "We're still legally married. I have every right to know who you're sneaking around with at midnight."

I looked at him calmly.

"You may still be my legal husband, Damon, but that doesn't mean you have the right to question every move I make."

His expression darkened.

"Who was that man?"

"Someone you don't need to concern yourself with."

"Was it a lover?"

I didn't answer.

Damon moved closer, his voice rising.

"You're still married to me, Vivienne! Whatever arrangement you've made with that man, you should remember that!"

I stared at him.

"Remember what, Damon? That you were sleeping with my secretary while I was trying to have your child? That you humiliated me and blamed me for something that wasn't my fault?"

His mouth tightened.

"Don't bring Camille into this."

"Then don't lecture me about marriage."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then his phone began vibrating.

He pulled it from his robe pocket and glanced at the screen.

His expression changed.

I watched the confidence drain from his face.

"What is it?" I asked.

He scrolled through the phone, then immediately pressed a number.

The call went to voicemail.

He tried again.

Nothing.

"What happened?" I asked.

Damon looked up at me, his face tense.

"The bank has placed a temporary hold on my personal accounts."

I frowned.

"What?"

"My credit facilities, too.

He stared at the screen again, his fingers tightening around his phone.

"Why would they do that?"

I had no answer.

But one thought crossed my mind.

Roman.

I remember the cold expression on his face when he spoke about Damon living under my roof.

I looked at Damon.

"Perhaps you should call your lawyer again."

"Do you know something about this?"

"No."

He studied my face, clearly unconvinced.

I turned towards the staircase.

"Goodnight, Damon."

"Vivienne!"

I stopped but didn't turn around.

"What's going on? Who is that man outside?"

I glanced over my shoulder.

"That's a question you should have asked before you decided to make enemies you couldn't afford."