Chapter 146: Clinical Curiosity
Vivienne didn’t look back as Windstone escorted her out. She knew when to accept defeat, especially when it came to Trevor Ariston Fitzgeralt.
There were certain battles you lost quietly, not because you lacked ambition, but because the cost of pressing forward would brand you desperate.
She sighed as they reached the privacy door. The corridor behind her was silent, dignified, like even the walls had chosen not to remember her visit.
"I’m sorry for troubling you," she said sweetly, her voice carrying just enough grace to sound sincere.
"There is no need for apologizing, my lady," Windstone replied, unbothered, his golden-framed glasses catching the late noon sun. He looked the same as always, composed, unshakable, impossible to charm.
"You’re as cold as your master," she said, smiling faintly. "You know, I only wanted to see him. To know him."
"You could have requested an appointment," Windstone said, tone calm but without kindness. "Or waited for a social event where both of you were present."
Vivienne tilted her head, a gesture too refined to be called defiance. "I didn’t think I’d be allowed."
Windstone’s gaze didn’t shift. "No, my lady. You didn’t think you’d be welcomed. That’s not the same."
She stilled, her fingers brushing the edge of her sleeve, adjusting the pearl cufflink as if it mattered. "So you’ve decided I’m the villain again."
"We both know you," Windstone said simply. "You didn’t come for closure. You came to compare. To confirm who won and who still had to be removed."
Her lips parted, but nothing came. No clever line. No quiet defense. Because it wasn’t untrue.