Chapter 8

Vanessa walked over, looked at Sloane's pale, fragile face, and let out a quiet laugh. "Ms. Mercer, you're exactly the kind of 'good woman' my uncle and his crowd love." Vanessa's uncle was notorious in Durmont for being a playboy. Sloane flinched, then shrank behind Logan, crying silently until her eyes reddened. Logan lifted a hand at once, shielding her behind him as his gaze turned sharp. "Vivian, that's enough! When did you turn into someone who picks on people weaker than you?" Vivian answered calmly, "I've always been like this. Whitfield Group didn't get where it is today because I played nice. I used every advantage I had and pushed every competitor out of the way." Logan's face hardened. Vivian kept going. "So, what exactly are you blaming me for, Mr. Whitfield? Are you putting on a show, or are you just feeling sorry for her?" Sloane tugged lightly at Logan's sleeve. "Mr. Whitfield, don't argue with Ms. Hartwell because of me. I'd feel awful." With Sloane speaking up, the men Logan had brought quickly tried to smooth things over. "Ms. Hartwell, we were just messing around. It made you misunderstand Mr. Whitfield. There's nothing going on between him and Ms. Mercer." Men were always best at covering for each other. They rushed to agree. "Exactly. If there was anything to it, Mr. Whitfield wouldn't have brought her right in front of you." Looking at their greasy smiles and eager flattery, Vivian suddenly felt tired. It was said that a man's nature could be seen in his friends. They weren't wrong. She lost whatever interest she had left in fighting with Logan. All the lines she'd prepared, all the urge to rip the mask off Sloane, vanished in an instant. Let them stay tangled up together. She would be fine on her own. Vivian looked past Logan and Sloane and fixed her eyes on Jack in the far corner. "Bring out everything he won tonight." If seven years couldn't hold a man, she wasn't about to be polite about what she was owed. Jack froze and looked at Logan. He was Logan's assistant now. He couldn't do anything without Logan's approval. Logan gave a small nod. Jack quickly turned back into the suite and had the staff carry the items out. "Ms. Hartwell, it's all here," he said. Vivian smiled faintly, then looked at Logan. "You're giving these to me willingly, right?" Logan's face was dark. He didn't like how distant she sounded. "Everything I have is yours. If you want it, there's nothing you can't take." Vivian replied calmly, "You and I already divided everything up with a property division agreement, so I'm just making this clear. I'd hate for someone to bat her lashes, and for you to suddenly decide I need to hand all of this back." Logan's expression darkened even more. "Enough! Consider it a gift. Take it and go." Vivian offered a perfunctory thanks and motioned for the staff to load everything into her car. Sloane stood quietly beside Logan, staring at a crystal bracelet as her jaw tightened. Logan lowered his gaze, then said in a low voice, "Leave the crystal bracelet." Vivian stopped, turned back, and smiled with practiced elegance. "Mr. Whitfield, you just said you were giving all of this to me. That means even if I don't like it, it's mine now." Sloane bit her lip and tugged gently at Logan's sleeve, shaking her head. Logan's face hardened. Vivian watched Sloane's little show of restraint, a mocking smile touching her lips. She didn't argue. She took everything and walked out with the staff trailing behind her. Once they were outside, Vivian handed the items off to Vanessa and asked her to handle the sale. Vanessa looked at the pile stacked in her car and lifted a brow. "Are you short on cash lately?" First, she wanted to sell her shares in Whitfield Group, and now, she was selling auction pieces too. Vivian shook her head and lowered her voice. "Camille gave me one month to clean up everything here. I've got 15 days left." In 15 days, she wanted her accounts reduced to nothing but cold numbers. She wanted to go back to Durmont clean and free. Out of everything, Vivian kept only the crystal bracelet Logan had singled out. ... Late that night, Logan showed up at Eleanor's place, carrying several bags of the flaky pastries Eleanor used to like. Vivian watched him hold them out, her expression unreadable. Logan carried the pastries inside, lowering his voice. "Is Eleanor asleep already? How's she been lately?" Vivian studied the concern he tried to put on, and her eyes only grew colder. Logan caught the shift in her mood and dropped his voice even more, like he was afraid of waking Eleanor. "Vivian, I already told you, there's nothing between Sloane and me. The wedding's in two weeks. I don't want some irrelevant person ruining what we have. Once this project wraps up, she'll be gone. Alright?" Vivian said indifferently, "Ms. Mercer must be something." Logan's jaw tightened. "Do you have to talk like that?" Vivian's tone stayed level. "So, I can't even praise her? She just graduated, yet the project can't function without her. I have to admire that." Logan frowned, forcing down the anger that kept rising. "She's someone the partner is focused on developing." Vivian's gaze stayed cool. "Oh. So, what are you doing here?" Logan stepped closer, slid an arm around her waist, and spoke softly. "You came here without telling me. I figured you were still upset, so I came to find you." Vivian noticed the way his eyes kept flicking toward the velvet box, but she couldn't be bothered to call him out. She reached up and pulled his hand off her waist. "You went back to the villa?" Logan nodded and tried to hold her again. When Vivian resisted, he tightened his grip and pinned her against him, his voice dropping. "Vivian, don't move. Just let me hold you for a minute." He was too strong. She couldn't get free, so she went still. A faint smile tugged at Logan's lips. After holding her a moment longer, he finally let go, then took her hand instead. "Come on. Let's go home." Vivian didn't move. She just stood there, watching him with a smile that never reached her eyes. He'd gone back to the villa and still hadn't noticed everything inside had been cleared out. Sloane had pulled his attention so completely away. Home? That place wasn't her home anymore. She wouldn't build a life with a man whose heart already belonged to someone else.