𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Chapter 40 : A Shadowed Path

Alexander

The drive back to my penthouse felt like a journey through a fog, the city lights blurring into streaks of gold and red as my mind reeled from the revelations Delaney had laid at my feet. The car's engine hummed in the background, a low, constant reminder that time was moving forward, even as everything I knew was collapsing around me.

Vivian. The name pulsed in my mind, a constant, maddening beat that echoed with betrayal and blood. My father had been killed by the very woman I had allowed into my life, the woman who had wormed her way into our family, into my home, and into the heart of my father. A predator. A murderer.

The idea of her had always unsettled me, like a shadow lingering in the corners of my thoughts, but I had never allowed myself to see her for what she truly was. I had pushed down my suspicions, let them fester in the back of my mind, unwilling to confront the possibility that she was the architect of all the pain that had been inflicted upon my family.

But now, the truth was undeniable. My father’s obsession with uncovering the truth had led him to his death. My mother—Catherine—had been taken from me because she knew too much. And now, it was my turn to step into the darkness they had both been consumed by.

As the car pulled into the underground garage of my building, I took a deep breath, trying to steady the fury boiling within me. I had to stay calm. I had to stay in control. Losing my temper now would only make me more like Vivian—calculating, cold, driven by a hunger for power that had no boundaries. But as much as I wanted to believe I could remain detached, the rage that seethed inside me was like a living thing, clawing at my insides, demanding retribution.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and I stepped into the quiet opulence of my penthouse. The city skyline stretched out before me, a glittering sea of lights that seemed almost peaceful from this distance. But I knew better. Beneath that surface, the city was a labyrinth of corruption, lies, and secrets. And I was no longer just a bystander. I was a player in a game I hadn’t asked to join.

As I walked through the silent rooms, I couldn’t help but think of Scarlett. She had become entangled in this web of deceit because of me. My decisions had brought her into a world she was never meant to know. The thought of her in danger—of Vivian seeing her as a threat—made my blood run cold. Scarlett was strong, resilient, but she was also vulnerable in ways she might not even realize. I had to protect her, even if it meant pushing her further into this dark world.

I pulled out my phone and hesitated, my thumb hovering over Scarlett’s name in my contacts. I needed to hear her voice, to remind myself that she was still safe, still untouched by the horrors that had shaped my life. But what could I say? That everything I had told her was a lie? That the man she thought she knew was just a mask I wore to hide the truth? I couldn’t do that to her. Not yet.

Instead, I sent a brief text: Are you okay? Let me know when you get this.

I stared at the screen for a moment, willing a response to appear, but nothing came. She was probably asleep, blissfully unaware of the storm that was brewing. Part of me envied her, wished I could go back to a time when I could sleep through the night without being haunted by the ghosts of my past.

But there was no going back. Not now. Not ever.

I tossed the phone onto the coffee table and headed to the bar. The bottle of whiskey glinted in the low light, a tempting escape, but I knew better. Alcohol would only dull my senses, cloud my judgment, and I needed to be sharper than ever. I poured a glass anyway, letting the amber liquid catch the light, swirling it around as if it held the answers to all the questions gnawing at me.