Unveiled Secret

CHAPTER 4

The chandeliers cast a golden glow across the polished floors of the De La Rouge mansion, illuminating the quiet grandeur of the dining hall. Henri stood at the threshold, clutching his hat as servants whisked past with trays of polished silver.

"It's been some time, Henri," Louis's voice reverberated gently, drawing Henri's attention to where he slouched against the shaggy rug, his gaze radiating a weary dignity. "To what do we owe this rare visit?"

Henri stepped forward, his eyes dancing over familiar tapestries, and settled on Louis's expectant face. "I just want to meet you old friend."

Louis's brow furrowed, the air thick with unspoken tension. "A social call? Or something more? About Vivienne, maybe?"

Henri shifted, "What makes you say that?" Louis crossed his arms, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "You wear your heart like a badge, Henri. It always has been your downfall."

Henri leaned in, "Perhaps," he conceded, lowering his voice. "But it's because of that heart that I need to know—how is she?"

Louis's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "Vivienne is learning, adapting to her new life. She's found purpose at the hospital, training under Dr. Bennet."

"Dr. Bennet," Henri muttered, his tone sharp as glass. "He's a good man," Louis remarked, watching Henri closely. "She needs that influence."

Henri clenched his fists, the name evoking unwelcome memories, whispers of betrayal mingling with his thoughts. "But does she really know him?" Henri challenged, his tone dropping to a whisper. "Isn't it easier to keep here where it's safe?" Louis shook his head, the gentle clink of cutlery momentarily pausing as a servant discreetly vanished from the room. "Safe? Life isn't meant to be safe, Henri. She is learning to navigate her own choices, and that includes discomfort."

Henri's gaze grew dark. "Her choice is to work with a man who she barely knows. " "She barely knows the man who saved her life," Louis countered, voice steady. "You should recognize the strength in that choice, Henri."

Henri's eyes flicked to the fireplace, where flames danced like ghosts. "You speak of strength, yet the past lingers like a shadow over her. Over us," he mumbled, bitterness seeping through each word.

"Our past is a lesson, not a chain," Louis replied, placing a firm hand on Henri's shoulder. "Vivienne understands this better than we do."

The reminder was a gentle rebuke. Henri's grip on his hat tightened before he set it aside, taking a seat across from Louis. The room, though steeped in opulent silks and gilded frames, felt like a confessional.

"I saw the fire in her when she was Isabelle," Henri continued, voice rough. "I need to know... Is it still there?"

Louis smiled, the warmth reaching his eyes. "More than ever. She challenges herself daily at the hospital, confronting fears she once ran from."

The words were a balm to Henri's troubled soul. She had changed, perhaps more than he had. "And do you trust Bennet?" Henri's voice was softer now, curling around the question like a hesitant embrace.

"I do," Louis affirmed without hesitation. "The hospital is her sanctuary, a place where she starts anew. Bennet respects that."

Henri leaned back, wrestling with his own apprehensions. He had expected anger, resentment even, but instead found solace in Louis's assurances. "We once spoke of her as if she were a storm, unpredictable yet captivating," Henri admitted, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

Louis chuckled, the sound rich and reminiscent of serenades of a bygone time. "And she still is, Henri, but a storm learning to harness her power. Give her the space to grow."

Henri nodded slowly, absorbing the implications of Louis's words. "Perhaps it's I who remains in the eye of it, unable to move on."

"Perhaps," Louis agreed. "But isn't it time to step out and see what lies ahead?"

Henri stood, feeling the weight of choices: the burdens of a shared past and the possibilities of a future. "Tell her I visited. No details, just that I was concerned."

Louis grasped Henri's hand as he prepared to leave, the brief contact encapsulating years of camaraderie. "I shall, Henri. We'll be waiting, should you wish to find your place in her new story."

With that, Henri departed, his steps echoing softly behind him, a man caught between lingering affections and the unfamiliar terrain of forgiveness.

As Henri exited into the night, stars blanketing the sky like forgotten dreams, he felt a flicker of hope beneath the weight of understanding. In his chest, the pang of unresolved feelings mixed with determination. He would seek out Vivienne, but not to resurrect what once was. This time, it was to support her, to stand alongside her in whatever choices lay ahead.