Chapter Five: The Contract

Shakingly, Viviane turned to face Lucid. He switched on the hallway lights.

"Where are you coming from?" Lucid repeated, moving closer to her.

"I went to see my parents," Viviane lied, her voice cracking.

Lucid scanned her, suspicion clear in his eyes. "Without a driver?" he asked.

Viviane felt cornered, struggling to maintain composure. "I just wanted to go alone," she said weakly.

"Follow me downstairs," Lucid ordered.

Once they were seated, Lucid handed her the contract signed by her father.

"What does number three say?" he demanded.

"'Not allowed to leave the house premises without permission, except in emergencies,'" Viviane read aloud, her voice trembling.

"I guess your parents were only after the offer. They didn't even see it necessary to tell you what the contract entails. Now you've read it yourself. The next time you breach any of these rules, I'll make sure you are severely punished," Lucid warned, snatching the contract back before leaving her alone at the table.

Hours later, Viviane was heading to her room when a strange maid whispered beside her, "The house eats whosoever is not ready to fight back."

Viviane spun around immediately, trying to see who had spoken, but the hallway lights were suddenly turned off. The voice, however, was unmistakably frail, like that of an old woman.

The next morning, Viviane remained confined to her room, feeling lost in her new life. After her bath, she began arranging the gifts in her room when she noticed one from Rick. Her heart softened immediately, and a small smile crept onto her face.

She unwrapped the package to reveal a box with the inscription, 

"It is not over yet." 

Her smile vanished as unease settled in. Given Rick's behavior since her wedding, she couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

Inside the box, she found a flash drive. Overcome with curiosity, Viviane grabbed the laptop from her desk and plugged it in. What she saw chilled her to the bone: a sex video of her and Rick.

Her mind raced. When was this captured? she wondered, overwhelmed by betrayal and fear. She immediately called Rick, but her calls were met with the robotic response,

 "The number you've called is currently not available."

Viviane's chest tightened as panic set in. 

What will happen if this video gets out? My family… my mom… Lucid… the Petras family? Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she imagined the potential fallout.

"This is an emergency, Viviane. Isn't it?" she whispered to herself. "Yes, it's an emergency."

Determined, she grabbed her phone and rushed out of her room. As she reached the door, Bianca entered, her presence commanding and sharp.

"And where are you rushing off to, maidwife?" Bianca asked, her eyes sweeping over Viviane with disdain.

"It's an emergency. I need to take care of something," Viviane replied, trying to brush past her.

But Bianca grabbed her arm, almost causing her to stumble. Bianca pulled out her phone and called Lucid.

"This girl claims she needs to leave the house and says she's discussed it with you," Bianca said, her tone mocking.

"Let me speak with her," Lucid replied.

Bianca put the call on speaker, gesturing for Viviane to talk.

"Hello," Viviane said timidly.

"Are you stupid or just daft? Didn't I just show you what the contract entails yesterday? Or do you need a personal tutor to explain it?" Lucid snapped.

"It's an emergency," Viviane replied weakly.

"Oh, an emergency, is it?" Lucid sneered. "And what's this so-called emergency?"

Viviane froze, unable to think of an excuse.

"Or are you heading to your boyfriend's place, Mrs. Petras?" Bianca interjected, her voice laced with venom.

Viviane's heart sank. 

Does she know about Rick?

Bianca smirked and continued,

 "You can never trust these lowlifes, you know." She addressed Lucid directly. "I'll bring you the documents," she added, ending the call and strutting away.

Defeated, Viviane returned to her room, her mind racing for a way to contact Rick. A few minutes later, Bianca barged into her room, her eyes scanning the space with disgust.

"This place reeks of poverty," Bianca said, covering her nose theatrically. "I'll have to change my clothes after leaving here."

She stepped closer, grabbing Viviane by the neck. 

"Listen, maidwife. Don't even think about trying anything funny with Lucid. Whatever you're imagining—trying to win him over—it won't work. And if you're stupid enough to try, I'll teach you a lesson before you even face embarrassment."

She shoved Viviane back onto the bed. 

"Know your place as a paper wife, and we'll get along just fine," Bianca concluded with a smug smile before leaving.

At the office, Lucid watched the news when a headline caught his attention:

 "Cidthan Mecks Charged with Money Laundering Allegations."

Before he could react, investigative personnel stormed his office, seizing every document they could find. Lucid was devastated by the speed of the investigation and its implications.

Nathan, his co-founder, rushed into the office, alarmed. 

"What's happening, Lucid? Is this about the Tokyo deal?"

Lucid was too stunned to respond, anger and desperation etched on his face. His phone rang incessantly with calls for clarification.

When Bianca called, Lucid answered coldly,

 "I'm not in the mood to talk."

"Do you want me to come over?" she asked.

"I'd rather be alone," Lucid replied, ending the call and switching off his phone.

Later that night, Lucid came home drunk, supported by his driver. Viviane rushed downstairs to help, her concern overshadowing her own fears. She assisted the driver in getting Lucid to his room.

As she prepared to leave, Lucid grabbed her hand. 

"This… this was why my father killed my older brother," he slurred, his words dragging. "He was caught with drugs, and the old man couldn't let anyone stain his name."

Lucid passed out mid-sentence, leaving Viviane stunned. She returned to her room, replaying his words in her mind. That explains his coldness, she thought.

Just as she settled into bed, her phone rang. It was her mother, her voice shaky and fearful.

"Rick is dead," her mother whispered. "He committed suicide. He burned himself in his house."

A cold shiver ran down Viviane's spine.