Vivienne

I walk into the conference room alone. Well, not completely alone, but without the people who’ve been supporting me since I left my old life. Reina and X can’t be seen with me yet, so it’s just the lawyer they arranged for me, as well as a bodyguard. I know I’m safe but I’m shaking inside.

“Thank God!” Christon shouts, running toward me.

I have a moment of fear, before my guard steps in front of me. “The restraining order is still in effect.”

“It was a mistake.”

“It wasn’t,” I say, finding the courage I need right now.

“You’re overreacting, Vivienne. Come home where you belong.”

“I don’t belong there. Sign the papers, Christon.”

His face hardens at my order. “You do not tell me what to do. I am in charge.”

“Not of me. Not any longer.”

“You will do as I say,” he tells me, leaning in as far as my bodyguard will allow.

My lawyer moves to stand next to the bodyguard. “And that right there illustrates why the court needs to grant my client her divorce.”

Christon realizes what he’s done, but as he looks around, he knows he’s lost. “She’s not getting a dime.”

“I don’t want one.”

“It would be best for you to just sign,” his lawyer tells him. The man has always come across as smarmy, but right now he knows he’s lost, so he’s seeming more human.

“Fine. I should be glad to be rid of her anyway.”

I manage to keep myself looking aloof as we take our seats at the table, but I’m mentally sighing in relief. This is all going to be over and I can finally live my life the way I want to. I force my hand steady as I sign papers saying I don’t want alimony, or anything else, and then it’s over. Christon and his lawyer walk out, followed by the mediator, and I finally slump down in my seat.

“It’s over.”

“Vivienne!”

I sit right back up, as I recognize my mother’s voice. I barely have time to slip the blank look back onto my face before she descends on me. My father stands back, with a disapproving look on his own face, as she cries like it’s been years since I’ve seen her.

“What are you doing here?” I ask her.

“You’ve been missing for all this time, and you had some crazy idea about divorcing Christon! Of course, I’m here.”

“I wasn’t missing, I was getting out of a marriage I should’ve never been in.”

“You listen here, young lady, you will make things right with Christon! He looked angry when he passed us in the hall!”

“Sorry, Dad, but we’ve both signed the divorce papers.”

“Why must you always ruin everything! Your dalliance with the Madison boy almost cost me this deal, and now you’ve divorced the man I needed you to marry? If he cuts ties with my company, there will be hell to pay!”

Naturally, it’s all about him. I stand up, letting that sigh I held back earlier escape. “I’m broke, so someone else will have to pay. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

“Work? Where do you work?” my mother asks.

“Nowhere you’d approve of.”

With that, I do what X did this morning, and walk out without a glance backward. Earlier, I thought he was being rude—and he was—but now I understand how empowering it can feel. Just walking away from the people who it hurts too much to be around, can be cathartic.

The ride home is uneventful, other than me removing my wig. I leave the contacts out, because I like my blue eyes, while preferring the brown hair I’ve adopted to my natural blonde.

When I get back to the compound, I’m surprised to find X instead of Seri playing with Micah in the living room. “Where’s Seri?”

“She had some emergency come up. How did it go?”

“As well as could be expected, along with a surprise attack from my parents.”

“Are you okay?”

“I am.”

His phone rings before we can talk any further, and he furrows his brow as he answers. “What’s up, Matt?”

“What the hell did you do to Seri?” Matt’s booming voice comes through, loud and clear, even though the phone is against X’s ear.

“I didn’t do anything to her! She said she had to leave early from babysitting, so I came back home. She seemed a little upset when she left, but I figured that had to do with the emergency,” he replies, pulling the phone a few inches away from him.

“Well, she just quit!”

“No. She can’t quit! She wouldn’t!”

“She just did, you bastard! I’ve warned you more times than I can count not to mess with her, and you just wouldn’t listen!”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but she needs to man up, and call me herself!”

“I’d rather woman up, and talk to you in person.”

X jumps to his feet and drops his phone, as I turn to look at Seriyah. It’s obvious she’s been crying. “Seri, what is going on? Matt said you quit, but you wouldn’t do that.”

“I can’t work for you any longer.”

“Why? What happened?”

She just shakes her head, and looks away, tears rolling down her cheeks. Micah runs to her, and puts his arms around her legs.

“Daddy won’t kiss Viv again. I promise.”

My mouth falls open, and I see X freeze, then shudder, as though he’s been hit by a bullet. “Seri,” he whispers, his voice hoarse, and full of pain.

She leans down to talk to Micah. “Go to your room, little man. I’ll come talk to you before I leave.”

“Promise?” he asks, and she nods.

It’s not until he’s gone that she turns to face X. The pain on her face is gut-wrenching to even look at, but I can’t force myself to turn away.

“I’ve watched you parade every woman under the sun past me. I’ve sent out your gifts and flowers, made your reservations, and I’ve walked in on you making out with them in your office. But, you’ve never brought one into this house. You’ve never taken Micah from me before, to give to one of them.”

“Baby, no. It’s not like that.”

“I am not your ‘baby’. I’m just the woman who was stupid enough to fall in love with her boss, even when I knew it would go nowhere. I barely survived all those women, and I can’t survive her. I can’t watch it happen. I can’t watch you have another woman for more than sex. I can’t, and I won’t.”

“Nothing’s going on between us,” I say, finally finding my voice.

“You didn’t kiss?”

“We did, but it didn’t mean anything.”

“I don’t want the details.”

“What if I told you I love you too?” X asks, looking like he’s going to pass out.

“I wouldn’t believe you.”

She turns and walks out, going down the hall to see Micah. I step toward X, but he waves me off. “Leave this room, Viv. I don’t want to scare you, so you need to walk out now.”

I can tell he means it, so I hurry from the room. As I reach my door, I hear the sounds of glass breaking, and wood splintering. I have a feeling he would take this whole place to the ground if his son and the woman he loves weren’t still within its walls. Who knew one stupid kiss could end up causing so much pain?

Rhys

I’m just hanging out around the office once again, literally twiddling my thumbs. X came in briefly, and threw some basic stuff my way, but he’s been gone for a few hours now, and Seriyah’s nowhere to be found, either. I don’t even know why the fuck I’m still here; it’s not like I’ve gotten any information on Vivienne. It’s just a waste of time at this point, but I know the bastard wants me to quit, and that’s not going to happen.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Seriyah barreling through the floor toward her desk, a box in her hand. As she starts throwing things in the box, I jump up from my seat, and rush over.

“What are you doing?”

“Quitting,” she says, looking up at me with red eyes, and tear-stained cheeks.

“Why?”

She shakes her head. “Why not? Everyone’s going to know soon enough. X found himself a girlfriend. Someone he’s let into his house, and around his son. That means it’s serious.”

“Wow. I always thought you two were going to get together.”

“Yeah, well we were both wrong.”

“Who’s this woman?”

“I don’t know. Her name’s Viv, and she’s classy, and gorgeous, and the perfect person to be on his arm at all the damn events he gets invited to.”

What? “Wait, her name’s Viv? Does she have blond hair and blue eyes?”

“Brown hair, and green eyes. No, wait, when I saw her right now, they were blue.”

“She was in disguise.”

“Huh?”

“I know her. We were friends once. No one’s seen her for over a month.”

“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? And it’s why he won’t let you do anything.”

“Yeah.”

“She’s at the compound. Here’s the address.”

She writes it down, and hands me the paper. “Thank you. Are you going to be okay?”

“No, but I’ll make it through every day, because I won’t let that man completely break me.”

“He’s an idiot.”

“Thanks for saying that.”

“Do you have a job lined up?”

“Matt’s insisting on sending me somewhere, but I’m afraid X will find me, so I’ll probably just go completely off the grid. I’ve met enough people through him to do it, and I have a lot of money in savings, because of how much he paid me.”

“Make sure you keep my number, and call if you need anything. I know we’re not really friends, but I care.”

“Thanks, Rhys. I appreciate it.”

There’s nothing more for either of us to say, so I clock out, shut my company laptop down, and leave the building. I’m angry and hurt about Vivienne being with X, but I still need to see that she’s okay. I’ll see her and then I’ll move one, because while I never considered Christon my equal, X is so far above me, I can’t even see his pedestal.

I’m expecting the gate, but I’m not expecting it to open so easily for me when I hit the buzzer. After all this time, and all of the hiding, I thought the guards would come out and tell me to go away. I’m not going to dwell on it right now, but it’s definitely weird.

It gets even weirder when X stumbles out of the main house, a bottle of whiskey in his hand. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see Vivienne.”

“Who?” he asks, smirking as he tips the half-empty bottle back, taking down a long swallow.

“I know she’s here.”

“You don’t know jack shit.”

I hold out the paper Seriyah gave me. “Recognize the handwriting?”

He swings at me before I even know his fist is coming, my head snapping back on contact. “You little piece of shit!”

He hits me again, and as I fall, he goes to the ground with me. I try to protect myself, but although I work out, I’ve always been more of a lover than a fighter. I manage to protect my face, so he hits lower.

“Stop! X! What are you doing?”

I’ve never been the kind of guy who’s ashamed of a girl saving him, but having Vivienne see me like this, embarrasses me enough to get up, and limp to my car when X gets off me. It’s not the first time I’ve been beaten for her, but she doesn’t know about the last time, and she didn’t see the aftermath. I’m mortified to have her witness this.

“Yeah, go on like the little bitch you are,” X slurs at me. “You have no clue about protecting a woman. You’re just a prissy little rich boy.”

“Shut. Up. Now.” Viv looks angrier than I’ve ever seen her, but she’ll go back to him when I leave.

“He’s right. I could never protect either of us.”

She’s at my side by the time I get my car door open. “Let me clean you up, Rhys.”

“I only came here to make sure you were really safe. That’s all,” I say, looking down, because I can’t face her.

“I know.”

“They all think I was here for my parents—or yours—or for that asshole, but I’d die before telling them. I don’t know what he did to you, but it was bad enough for you to run, and I’m going to kill him for it.”

“No. He’s not worth it. I’m free from him now, and that’s enough.”

“Are you happy with him?”

“Him? You mean X? I’m not with him.”

“That’s not what Seriyah told me.”

“Don’t you dare speak her name,” X growls from behind me.

Vivienne rolls her eyes at him. “Just go inside before you embarrass yourself further.”

“Me? I don’t have a scratch on me,” he reminds her with a laugh.

“Which is precisely why you should be embarrassed. You’re drunk, and hurt because Seri left. Taking it out on Rhys was an asshole move, and when you sober up, you’re going to realize it.”

“Whatever.”

I’ve still got my head down, so I’m not sure if he’s listening, but then sirens start sounding. A lot of sirens. I don’t know what they’re for, but Vivienne grabs my arm, and starts pulling me toward the house.

“What’s going on?”

“The compound has been breached. We have to get inside!”

I run as fast as my battered body will take me, leaning on the wall once we get inside. Vivienne uses her handprint to make walls come down in front of the windows and doors.

“Whoa.”

“Come on, we have to get downstairs to the basement.”

I follow her through a destroyed living room to a secret door she opens once again with her handprint. X is already down here with his son, and some guards. There is one SUV, but I don’t know where it could possibly go. Wherever it is, I know it’s not on any blueprint anywhere, and I thank God for that. We might just make it out of here alive.