I lifted my hand and rested it on her head, a cold smirk pulling at my lips.

"Vivienne, if you had to choose between me and Caleb, which one of us would you not be able to let go?"

Panic flashed through her eyes.

"Adrian, why would you bring him up out of nowhere? Did someone say something to you?"

"I cut contact with him a long time ago. Don't overthink this."

I lowered my gaze, wiped the tears from my face, and stood up without a word.

"Nobody said anything."

"I was just feeling sentimental. If I hadn't let Caleb drink that night, maybe he'd still be your good little assistant."

Vivienne's expression visibly tensed. Her spine went rigid, and the words tumbled out before she could stop them.

"Adrian, how could I possibly keep him as an assistant forever? He was clumsy and useless. Why, did someone say something to you?"

I let out a dry laugh, bracing myself against the wall as I made my way slowly toward the bedroom. My hand was clenched around the phone, around the message Caleb had just sent me.

"Adrian, you want to know what Vivienne says about you? The great young master of the Caldwell family, worse in bed than a nightclub escort."

"Oh, and to prove her devotion to me, every time you stripped down and tried to seduce her, she made sure to video-call me. I figured I shouldn't let it go to waste, so I set up a livestream. Over a million viewers tuned in. Everyone agreed you really know how to put on a show."

Vivienne, if you betray me, I will never let it go. I will make sure you pay for every last thing.

I deleted every message in silence. No confrontation. No screaming.

Because I knew that if screaming solved problems, the king of the jungle wouldn't be the tiger. It would be the donkey.

The five-year partnership between our families reached its successful conclusion.

I deliberately chose Blueberry Manor and invited every friend, relative, and business partner to celebrate together.

That day, I prepared a special gift for Vivienne. She giggled and asked what it was.

A set of lingerie? Some new trick I'd learned?

I just smiled and told her it would be something she'd remember for the rest of her life.

Crystal chandeliers cast their light across the gala, glinting off champagne flutes raised in toast after toast. Vivienne took my arm, and together we walked onto the stage.

Fireworks burst above our heads, marking the success of the Caldwell-Ashford partnership.