Chapter 7

Damien.

"Sera."

Vivienne, still reeling, latched onto him and started sobbing.

"Damien — she was going to —"

He pulled her up gently and glared at Seraphina.

"Sera. You've gone too far."

She laughed. "I've gone too far? Why don't you ask her what she was doing?"

"She was injecting something into my mother. She wanted to kill her to protect her own reputation."

Damien's mind stuttered.

He turned. Looked at Vivienne with new questions.

She faltered — but pulled it together.

"No, I wasn't — I didn't —" She shook her head, big-eyed. "Damien, no — a nurse said her mother's numbers looked off, I was checking her, adjusting her drip, I wasn't — go check the syringe, go check, I'd never —"

Fat tears.

"Damien, I don't know why Seraphina hates me so much. She's been coming at me for months. The kidnapping, and now she's hitting me. I'm scared — if you hadn't shown up, I think she would have —"

She let the sentence trail off.

Rage. Clean rage, this time. When he looked back at Seraphina, there was no hesitation left in his eyes.

"Sera. Vivienne was doing her job. She showed up early, for you, to check on your mother, and this is how you thank her?"

"No gratitude. Just accusations. Look at yourself."

"Apologize to Vivienne. Now."

Whatever Vivienne said, he took as gospel.

He had never given her any reason to hope.

Seraphina's laugh was hollow. "And if I don't?"

"What's the punishment this time? Run my brother over? Pull my mother's meds? Kill me?"

He had no answer.

Then Vivienne spoke up.

"Damien... it's fine."

"An apology doesn't actually fix anything. She's already apologized more than enough. Let me go. I'll transfer to another hospital. I'll get out of the way."

She turned to walk out, stumbling.

Damien caught her arm immediately.

"Vivienne. Tell me. What does she have to do for you to forgive her?"

A glint of triumph — hidden fast.

She hesitated, turned slowly, and put on the most reluctant voice she owned. "Seraphina's state of mind is... concerning. One of my old mentors is a psychiatrist. Let me set her up with him."

"I don't want this to go ugly. She's your wife. She's my friend."

Damien didn't even need to think about it. He'd been expecting something worse.

"Done."

The two of them locked eyes over her head, and that was that. Her fate was decided.

No matter how she fought, the security detail walked in and took her out of the room.