Chapter 3

The carved epitaph shattered into pieces. The black-and-white portrait of her mother was smeared with filth.

A crew of workers huddled around it, shovels already raised toward the burial mound.

Vivienne's mind went blank. She lunged forward, staring at Diana in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

Diana smiled pleasantly. "Why, Mrs. Caldwell -- I'm digging up your mother's grave."

Vivienne's whole body shook with fury as she planted herself in front of the excavator. "This is my mother's resting place. The land belongs to the Caldwells -- how dare you?"

Diana swept her hair back, contempt glinting in her eyes. "I called you 'Mrs. Caldwell' out of pity. You signed a registry -- that doesn't make you Sebastian's wife. Caldwell land does what I say."

"What are you waiting for -- get to work!"

At her command, the workers moved toward the excavator controls.

In desperation, Vivienne clambered into the driver's seat and wrenched the steering wheel hard.

The machine lurched -- straight toward Diana's head.

Diana went white. Only her bodyguard's swift intervention saved her from taking the blow.

Shaking, she stared at Vivienne's white-knuckled grip on the wheel. "You're just some woman my husband slept with for years, and you dare raise a hand against me?"

The driver lunged in, kicking Vivienne hard in the stomach -- once, twice, again and again. She bit down on the pain and refused to let go. "Sebastian would rather put a ring on a kept woman than ever give you a name!"

Diana's eyes flooded with venom. "Throw her under the excavator -- grind her into the dirt!"

The bodyguards surged forward to drag Vivienne away.

But the moment they reached for her, a black Maybach rolled through the cemetery gates.

Sebastian was out of the car in three strides. He knocked the bodyguards aside and crushed Vivienne against him.

"Diana! How many times have I warned you -- don't touch my wife!"

He searched Vivienne carefully, and when he saw the bruises blooming across her stomach, the anguish in his eyes was almost unbearable. "Viv, I'm sorry I came late..."

His gaze cut to Diana, cold as a blade. "How many times have I said it -- you lost the right to interfere in my life when we divorced. Push me further, and I'll turn the Harrington name to ash."

Yet Diana, rather than flinching at the threat, only tilted her head with a faint smile.

And Vivienne had already noticed -- on both Sebastian's and Diana's wrists were the matching parent-child bracelets the school had given out.

The heat of Sebastian's body against hers, the fierceness with which he was shielding her -- it overlapped with the memory of the man who had broken into that compound to save her.

And it moved her not at all.

Vivienne stepped out of his arms and addressed Diana coldly. "What exactly do you want?"

Diana didn't answer. She just gave Sebastian a look.

Sebastian rushed to explain. "Viv, this land was sold to the Harrington family for a development project. All the remains were relocated -- your mother is fine. I had her moved to a better place, and the headstone was remade. Things have been hectic -- I forgot to tell you."

The workers uncovered the burial mound. It was empty, just as he said.

Vivienne exhaled with relief. And then came the absurdity of it.

He had been thinking about accompanying her to visit her mother just this morning -- yet he had forgotten to mention that the grave had been moved.

She pressed her hand over her bruised stomach and pushed aside his reaching hand.

"Take me to see my mother. And after that, I'll give you that document to sign."

Sebastian walked her toward the car. Diana got there first.

"Mr. Caldwell, there are some business matters we still need to discuss."

As she passed Sebastian, her fingers trailed lightly across his arm.

Sebastian's expression shifted almost imperceptibly. "Viv, wait just a moment -- let me speak with Ms. Harrington first..."

The two of them slipped into the car. Almost immediately, sounds began to filter through the doors.

Sebastian trusted the Maybach's soundproofing far too much. He had forgotten that Vivienne also had the key to disable it.

She pressed the switch on her phone in a kind of self-inflicted cruelty, dropping the noise barrier to its lowest setting.

From inside the car came a muffled gasp.

"Diana -- in the car -- Viv is right outside..."

Diana's voice came out soft and breathless. "Isn't that what makes it exciting? Every time she had one of her episodes and passed out, we were at her bedside. Three hours minimum -- and she always thought she'd just had another nightmare."

Vivienne went pale.

Every time her trauma surfaced and she lost consciousness, she would wake to terrible, sickening dreams.

And Sebastian would always be at her side, tender and steady, swearing he hadn't left for even a second.

She still remembered the journey back from the compound -- how he had cried the entire way, his whole body covered in wounds, his voice barely a rasp as he promised:

From now on, he would never leave her side.

He hadn't lied about that. He truly hadn't left.

He'd just been at her bedside with Diana while she slept.

A wave of nausea surged up Vivienne's throat. She gripped the back of the car, retching helplessly.

Inside the car, the movement suddenly stopped.

Diana's voice came out annoyed. "Vivienne's bag is poking me."

"Just move it." Sebastian's voice cut off abruptly.

"The document in her bag -- what is it?"