Chapter 8 Cold and Vengeful Man

Internally, Viviane felt relieved and admitted to herself that perhaps it was better to accept her resignation and find another way to locate her daughter. She made her way back to the room as quickly as she could. "You have fifteen minutes," she imitated the arrogant boss's voice. "What an idiot!" she muttered to herself.

In the room, she removed the uniform and put on the same black dress she had worn to dinner the night before. She let her hair down while looking in the mirror and arranged the platinum strands over her shoulders.

She hung the uniform on the hanger and placed it in the wardrobe just before taking out her suitcase. After organizing everything in the bag, Vivian sighed in relief. She swore to herself she would never act impulsively again.

She still had five minutes to decide what to say to that cold, authoritarian man.

For a moment, little Elizabeth came to mind. The poor girl would have such a strict upbringing and become as cold as her grandmother and father.

"That's not my problem!" she tried to convince herself.

She glanced at the clock and confirmed the time. Since it was her last day in the house, the thought of confronting him crossed her mind.

With two minutes left, Viviane dabbed a little lipstick on her cheeks, rubbing it in to give her skin a healthier appearance, then slid the lipstick across her lips.

Taking a deep breath, she left the room without looking back. She walked slowly along the carpet, in no rush to see the arrogant man. She stopped at the office door and smoothed the fabric of her dress before knocking.

"Come in!"

Dragging her suitcase, she crossed the threshold and faced the man who had his back turned. Gabe was looking out at the backyard vegetation through the glass. Vivian studied him closely. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder at her before saying,

"You're late, Viviane!"

Dark, straight hair fell over his forehead as Gabriel turned, revealing a chiseled jawline and angular chin that complemented his tanned skin. His gaze fixed on the woman holding the suitcase handle.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked sharply.

Dejected, she muttered: "To my home."

"I don't recall giving you permission."

"I'm no longer your employee."

"You're resigning?"

"I can't work in a house where my boss wants to keep me imprisoned."

Gabriel remained unmoved by her audacity.

Her voice faltered as she threatened, "If you don't let me out, I'll call the police."

"Do it! Call the police." He lifted the phone receiver and beckoned to Viviane with his other hand. "I'm sure my esteemed friend-or rather, the chief of police-will be thrilled to meet Pietro's ex-wife and accomplice."

He looked at the papers on the desk and hung up the phone when he saw that the nanny would not insist.

"I just want you to accept my resignation."

"Are you so desperate to run from me, Viviane?" He gave a sarcastic smile, trying to keep his tone controlled. "I will not accept your resignation! You will only leave this house when Pietro shows up," his arrogant voice thundered.

Vivian's face turned pale as she realized that this arrogant man had no intention of setting her free. Mr. Welsch was a powerful man who could make her complicit with her ex-husband. How could she search for her daughter from behind bars?

"Then why did you have me take off the uniform?" she asked, trying to break the silence and rid herself of the frustrating thoughts. "I thought I could leave."

"Don't you have other clothes?" He changed the subject.

He raised his face, his inquisitive eyes taking note of the knit fabric of Viviane's dress as he waited for a response; she remained silent, knowing his intent was to humiliate her.

"Sit down!"

"I prefer to stand," Viviane replied.

"I told you to sit!" he shouted.

Viviane dropped the suitcase handle and limped to the chair, where she sat.

Looking at the nanny, Mr. Welsch asked, "Did you know that Pietro was my wife's lover?"

"No!" She held Gabriel's gaze. "So you just want to use me to get back at Pietro?" Viviane tried to show confidence she didn't feel.

"Perhaps!" A threatening smile hovered on his face. "Since my wife cheated on me with your ex," he flopped into the chair, "I think it's only fair I take what's his."

"I'm not an object, and you can't force me to do anything." She raised her chin, challenging him.

"Listen carefully, Vivian!" Gabriel felt this was the moment to make his intentions perfectly clear. "Your husband ran when the car crashed and escaped with my money. Rachel abandoned her own daughter to run away with a man who left her to die in that burning car."

Viviane knew Pietro had a mistress he met with constantly, but it had never crossed her mind that Gabriel's wife was the woman he spoke to on the phone. Though it was shocking, she still refused to marry the man sitting across the desk.

"What would you want with a woman who can barely walk?" she tried, using her disability as an argument. "I'm not elegant, and I'm not an heiress. My father was a taxi driver, and my mother is a retired bank clerk. I'm just a teacher who spent ten years working as an educator."

"Lady Di was a ballet teacher!"

"She had the lineage of two kings of the Stuart dynasty," Viviane countered.

"So what if you don't belong to an aristocratic family?"

His thirst for revenge blinded him to social differences. Gabriel was obsessed.

"You don't have access to the best medical care, and I can provide that." He gestured toward Viviane's leg. "I've seen your medical records." He pushed a folder with copies of all her tests across the desk. "I've already sent them to a specialist. If you continue with the consultations and physical therapy, you can recover."

Viviane stared at the papers in astonishment after opening the folder. She had no idea Gabriel had access to her medical records.

"I saw you in that restaurant a few months before you were shot and went into a coma," he said at one point, studying her with a pitying gaze. "Where is the baby you were expecting?"

"She wasn't there when I woke up."

Tears stung Viviane's eyes. She had never spoken openly about her daughter. Head down, she looked at the ultrasound image of her baby. A tear rolled down her face and fell as she smoothed the photograph of her daughter still in her womb.

"I'm giving you a chance to take revenge on that bastard. I can find out where he is and locate your daughter."

The offer seemed tempting, but what could she offer a man who had everything, especially beautiful women who would do anything to marry him and care for Elizabeth?

"I don't think I'd be a good wife!" She closed the folder and touched her face, wiping away the tears. "Pietro left me because he said I was frigid."

Gabriel clenched his fists on the desk and swallowed hard.

"I only want you to be a good mother to Elizabeth and testify against your ex-husband."

Viviane sniffled and nodded.

"I'm sure you're not frigid," he commented.

"I can take care of Liz and testify, but there's no need for sexual relations."

"What do you think Pietro did with my wife?" His deep voice was filled with rage. "You will be my wife and the mother of my child. I expect you to fulfill your duties behind closed doors. If you ever insist on defying my orders, you know what will happen."

Viviane had read about women married without love in some countries. She had watched countless videos of young girls crying because they couldn't refuse marriage but had to obey their parents' wishes to follow family customs. Accepting a situation like this felt so strange, especially in the 21st century.

Even though she admitted Gabriel was a handsome man, she still didn't want to marry him. She couldn't stand his rude, authoritarian manner.

Soft knocks on the door interrupted the silence. Gabriel got up from the chair and took a few steps to turn the silver doorknob.

"Mr. Jenkins is here!" Yolanda announced.

"Take him to the living room and serve a drink. I'll be there shortly!"

Vivian turned slightly and glanced at the man standing at the door.

"Mr. Welsch, Elizabeth is awake, and her mother left very early," the housekeeper informed.

"Viviane," he said over his right shoulder, "put a dress on Liz and take her to the living room."

"Yes, sir!" She stood and grabbed the suitcase.

"Leave that there," Gabriel ordered. "I'll take it to the room!"

Viviane got up and passed through the door as Gabriel stepped aside. Could he really carry out those threats? She wondered, walking slowly along the beige carpet covering the hallway floor.

She still had doubts about whether he would truly help her. Now that she knew Pietro was a fugitive somewhere in the world with her daughter, Viviane decided to accept an alliance with the cold, vengeful man. The CEO's nanny was capable of anything to find her lost daughter.