Unveiled Secret

CHAPTER 14

The moon hung low in the night sky, its pale light casting eerie shadows across the dimly lit room. Henri paced back and forth, his boots thudding against the worn floorboards. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

Steven sat hunched forward in a chair, his elbows resting on his knees. "We've searched everywhere, Henri. There's no sign of her."

Henri whirled to face him, his eyes blazing. "That cannot be. She has to be out there somewhere."

The door burst open, and two burly men dragged in a disheveled figure, forcing him to his knees before them. Phillipe Beaumont lifted his head, his eyes narrowed defiantly.

"Well, well," he sneered. "If it isn't the gallant knight and his loyal squire."

Henri crossed the room in two strides, grabbing a fistful of Phillipe's shirt. "Where is she?" he snarled. "What have you done with Vivienne?"

Phillipe's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Ah, the lovely Vivienne. Such a pity."

"Stop playing games," Henri growled. "Tell me where she is, or so help me—"

"She's dead." Phillipe's words cut through the air like a knife.

A heavy silence fell over the room. Henri's grip slackened, his face draining of color.

Steven shot to his feet. "What did you say?"

"You heard me." Phillipe's gaze flickered between them, his smile widening. "Your precious Vivienne is no more."

"You lie!" Henri roared, his fist connecting with Phillipe's jaw.

Phillipe spat blood, his laughter echoing through the room. "Believe what you will, but the truth remains. I took her to the mountains of Alph, far from prying eyes. A tragic accident, you see. She fell from a great height."

Henri's hands shook as he seized Phillipe by the collar, hauling him to his feet. "Where? Show me where!"

"It matters not." Phillipe shrugged, infuriatingly calm. "Her body lies broken and frozen, buried beneath the snow."

A strangled cry tore from Henri's throat as he slammed Phillipe against the wall. "You bastard! I'll kill you for this!"

Steven gripped Henri's arm, his voice strained. "Henri, stop! This won't bring her back."

Henri wrenched away from him, his chest heaving. "He has to pay," he growled, his gaze locked on Phillipe. "For what he's done to her..."

Phillipe met his stare unflinchingly. "Kill me, if you wish. It changes nothing. Vivienne is gone, and you'll never see her again."

With a roar of anguish, Henri's fist connected with Phillipe's face again and again, until Steven finally pulled him back, restraining him with all his might.

"Enough!" Steven shouted. "This isn't what she would want."

Henri sagged in his grip, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "She can't be dead," he whispered brokenly. "Not Vivienne..."

Steven's expression softened, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I know. It's hard to accept. But we have to hold onto hope, no matter how small."

Henri lifted his head, his gaze hardening. "Then we keep searching. Every mountain, every valley, every inch of those cursed peaks. I won't rest until I find her."

He turned back to Phillipe, who hung limply in the guards' grasp, his face a bloody mess. "And you," Henri growled. "You're going to tell us everything. Every detail, every location, until we find her."