Chapter 81

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the master bedroom. Vivian Hartley stirred, her head throbbing from last night's excesses. She had no memory of how she'd ended up back in this room.

She sat up abruptly, the silk sheets slipping from her shoulders. Gwendolyn Pierce stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, lips curled in disdain.

"This is my bedroom," Vivian snapped, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "Why shouldn't I be here?"

Gwendolyn's smirk deepened. "Because Mr. Blackwood was very clear last night. He brought you home, handed you over to me, and insisted I clean you up and put you in the guest room. He didn’t want you soiling his space." She tilted her head, mocking. "I made sure you were asleep before I left. Imagine my surprise when I found you here this morning. Keeping track of you is exhausting."

Vivian froze, the words like a blade twisting in her chest.

Once again, she’d been a fool. Even with the truth staring her in the face, she’d let herself imagine Adrian Blackwood caring for her through the night.

But why would he? When she’d been feverish before, he hadn’t lifted a finger. Why would a drunken stupor change that?

She swallowed the bitter ache, forcing herself to see this as a lesson. A necessary one. It kept things clean. No complications. No awkward encounters today.

Maybe, in time, the last embers of hope would die out completely.

Once Gwendolyn left, Vivian dragged herself into the shower, dressed quickly, and gathered her things.

Outside, she checked her phone—dozens of missed calls from Audrey Winslow.

Just as she was about to call back, Audrey’s name flashed on the screen again.

"Vivian! Are you alive?" Audrey’s voice was frantic. "Last night, when the driver went to pick you up at Mirage Lounge, they said you’d left with someone else! I’ve been calling everyone, but no one would tell me who! If you hadn’t answered today, I was filing a missing person report!"

Vivian’s throat tightened at her friend’s concern. She bit back the humiliation and forced a light tone. "I ran into Adrian last night. Thought he was just another pretty face for hire. He took me back to Seabreeze Villa."

Audrey’s tension melted into curiosity. "You thought Adrian Blackwood was a gigolo? Did anything... happen?"

Vivian’s pulse jumped. "No. Nothing happened. How could it? I threw up in his car, and he dumped me here before leaving."

But the memory of that almost-kiss burned in her mind.

Did something that almost happened even count?

Audrey, oblivious to the shift in Vivian’s voice, brightened. "Let’s go shopping and grab lunch today. No bars, just us. Emerald Pizzeria? My treat."

Vivian agreed absently. "Fine. See you there."

She didn’t notice Gwendolyn watching from the shadows.

Not yet.