Chapter 11

A sharp crack split the air as Vivienne's palm connected with Diana's cheek. The impact sent Diana stumbling backward, her smugness replaced by stunned disbelief. Fury blazed in her eyes as realization dawned.

“You… you actually dared to strike me?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Vivienne’s voice carried the chill of winter. “What makes you think you’re untouchable?” In one fluid motion, Vivienne seized Diana by the throat and thrust her toward the open window with devastating force. Diana’s feet left the floor, her upper body dangling precariously over the edge.

The dizzying height of fifteen floors below sent waves of terror through Diana. Her vision swam as panic choked her. “Help! Someone please—”

“Diana Mitchell, I’ve tolerated your behavior until now, but don’t mistake my patience for weakness,” Vivienne drawled, her tone deceptively casual. “Since you can’t control that tongue of yours, perhaps I should help you with that.” She tightened her grip on Diana’s neck.

Diana’s body hung further out the window, tremors wracking her frame as survival instinct took over. “Please, I’m sorry! I swear I’ll never do it again…” The spectacle drew a crowd; phones emerged to capture the confrontation.

Vivienne surveyed the gathering onlookers with calculated coolness. Her imminent return to the Ford family and their business interests demanded discretion. She couldn’t afford a scandal. “Let this serve as your final warning!” Vivienne’s words dripped with contempt as she yanked Diana back to safety. Diana’s legs nearly buckled as they found solid ground again.

Relief flooded her system as the immediate threat of death receded. Scrambling to her feet, she retreated, attempting one last show of bravado. “Vivienne, you’ll regret this! The Mitchell family won’t let this insult stand!” Vivienne’s perfect eyebrow arched elegantly; a glacial smile graced her features, enhancing her ethereal beauty. “Do what you must.” The Mitchells held no power over her anymore. She had nothing left to fear. If they chose confrontation, she would ensure they learned their place.

Back in her room, Diana’s revelation continued to haunt her. “Don’t think I’m ignorant of why you vanished back then. Warren shared everything!” The hollowness of broken promises echoed in her mind. What cut deeper was the knowledge that the man she had loved had never truly believed in her innocence.

Had Warren forgotten the true circumstances of her kidnapping? How could he expose her deepest trauma so carelessly, so without compassion? Memories of that night in the alley overwhelmed her, sending violent tremors through her body. Her heart felt like an open wound exposed to bitter winds, the cold seeping into every fiber of her being.

A knock at the door jarred her from the painful reverie. Derek’s figure filled the doorframe, his unexpected presence dispelling her initial alarm. She hadn’t anticipated seeing him again so soon, especially in these moments of vulnerability. “Did you need something?” Vivienne managed to ask. Derek advanced into the room with measured grace, his impeccable suit a testament to refined taste. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, creating a golden aura around his commanding presence. The illumination emphasized his aristocratic bearing, as if he existed in a realm separate from ordinary mortals. His gaze fixed on Vivienne’s face, noting the telltale glisten of unshed tears. The slightest furrow appeared between his brows.