Chapter 325

The morning sunlight streamed through the bay windows as Vivian finished her skincare routine. A lavish lunch had already been laid out in the dining room, where Adrian sat scrolling through stock charts on his tablet, his brow furrowed in concentration.

She pulled out the chair opposite him, the legs scraping softly against the marble floor.

Adrian didn’t glance up. "Did the board contact you?"

Vivian’s fingers tightened around her water glass. "What did you do this time?"

With a lazy stretch, Adrian reached for his cigarette case, extracting one with practiced ease.

Ethan strode in just then, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Mrs. Blackwood, check Crestwood’s latest headlines. Everything will make sense."

Sighing, Vivian unlocked her phone. A breaking news alert flashed across the screen.

The article detailed the spectacular collapse of a once-reputable company, swindled by a fraudulent supplier now under federal investigation. Speculations ran wild—corporate espionage, insider betrayal. The Dawson family’s buried scandal had erupted into public scrutiny, their name dragged through the mud.

There was no doubt in Vivian’s mind who’d orchestrated this.

She met Adrian’s gaze. "Thank you."

Adrian lit his cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating his sharp features. Smoke curled between them as he exhaled, veiling his expression. His fingers tapped the cigarette against the ashtray, the motion elegant, deliberate. A smirk played at his lips. "That’s it? A half-hearted ‘thank you’?"

Vivian arched a brow. "What exactly are you expecting?"

Adrian leaned back, leaving the question hanging.

Ethan wiped his brow, mentally cursing Adrian’s indirect approach. The man had just dismantled Vivian’s family’s enemies with surgical precision—yet here he was, dodging the real conversation.

Adrian stretched his legs beneath the table. "Come with me to Sapphire Springs when you’re free. I need a break."

Ethan shot him an exasperated look. Always the deflection.

Vivian’s first instinct was to say, "Why not take Serena?" But her thumb brushed the still-open article on her phone. The weight of what he’d done settled over her.

She tightened her grip on the device. "Fine."

A beat of silence. Then she lifted her chin, voice steady. "Adrian, don’t you think this charade between us has gone on long enough?"

Adrian’s jaw clenched. The ember of his cigarette pulsed, then dimmed—like the fragile thread between them. He stubbed it out violently. "You agreed. See it through."

He still refused to look at her.

The tension shattered when Gwendolyn entered, balancing a tray of desserts. She hesitated, sensing the storm in the room. "Ma’am, forgive the interruption, but..."

Her voice trailed off, uncertain.

The air thickened, charged with everything left unsaid.