Chapter 35 Chapter 35
Chapter 35 Chapter 35
Emma
The moment I closed the door behind me, I knew.
Something was changing.
And I hated it.
I stood perfectly still outside Alaric’s office, my fingernails digging into my palms.
Vanessa.
Again.
Everything was about Vanessa.
Every conversation.
Every argument.
Every shift in the atmosphere of this house.
It was her.
Before she arrived, things had been simple.
Predictable.
Alaric focused on business.
On me.
On the future we were supposed to have.
Then she appeared.
And now the entire house revolved around her existence.
The grandmother had noticed.
I had noticed.
Worst of all—
Alaric had noticed.
Even if he refused to admit it.
I turned sharply and walked toward the grandmother’s private sitting room.
My heels clicked against the marble floors.
Fast.
Angry.
Purposeful.
The servant outside immediately opened the door.
The grandmother sat inside with a cup of tea.
Waiting.
Almost as if she already knew why I had come.
Those sharp eyes landed on me instantly.
“You look upset.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Upset?”
The older woman raised an eyebrow.
I crossed the room.
“She is becoming a problem.”
The grandmother didn’t ask who.
She already knew.
Vanessa.
Of course Vanessa.
The grandmother calmly placed her cup down.
“She is becoming bold.”
I stopped.
Exactly.
That was the problem.
Vanessa wasn’t behaving like a frightened girl anymore.
She was fighting back.
And people were noticing.
The servants.
The guards.
Even Alaric.
Especially Alaric.
The grandmother studied me carefully.
“You are afraid.”
The words struck like a slap.
“I am not afraid.”
“You are.”
Her voice remained calm.
Cruel.
Certain.
I looked away.
Because the worst part?
She was right.
I was afraid.
Not of Vanessa herself.
But of what she represented.
Change.
Disruption.
Threat.
The grandmother sighed.
“When a woman enters a powerful man’s life, there are only two outcomes.”
I looked back at her.
“Either she becomes useful…”
A pause.
“Or she becomes dangerous.”
My stomach tightened.
“And Vanessa?”
The grandmother smiled coldly.
“Dangerous.”
Relief washed through me.
At least I wasn’t the only one who saw it.
The older woman leaned back in her chair.
“She is beginning to believe she belongs here.”
My jaw clenched.
That was exactly it.
Vanessa had started speaking back.
Questioning people.
Standing her ground.
The shy little human girl was disappearing.
And I hated it.
Because confidence was attractive.
And confidence got attention.
The grandmother folded her hands.
“We must remind her of her place.”
A slow smile spread across my face.
Finally.
Now we were talking.
“How?”
The grandmother looked toward the window.
Thoughtful.
Calculating.
Then she smiled.
A terrible smile.
The kind that promised suffering.
“Not by attacking her directly.”
I frowned.
“Then how?”
“Because if you attack openly, Alaric will notice.”
That made me pause.
She wasn’t wrong.
The old woman continued.
“We make her feel unwanted.”
A chill ran through me.
I liked where this was going.
“Isolate her.”
She stood slowly.
“Humiliate her.”
Another step.
“Turn the house against her.”
I felt excitement bloom in my chest.
Finally.
A strategy.
Not emotion.
Not jealousy.
A plan.
The grandmother stopped beside me.
“You don’t remove an enemy by force.”
Her eyes glittered.
“You remove them by making them leave willingly.”
I stared at her.
Brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant.
If Vanessa left on her own…
Alaric couldn’t blame anyone.
The grandmother smiled.
“She is human.”
The word dripped with contempt.
“Humans break.”
I nodded slowly.
“And if she doesn’t?”
The grandmother’s expression darkened.
Then we make sure everyone around her does.
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Perfect.
For the first time all week, I felt hopeful.
Because finally—
I wasn’t fighting alone.
The grandmother walked back to her chair.
“Tomorrow there will be guests.”
My attention sharpened immediately.
“What kind of guests?”
“Family.”
A smile touched her lips.
“Cousins. Uncles. Business associates.”
I understood instantly.
A gathering.
An audience.
A stage.
The grandmother’s eyes sparkled.
“And our dear Vanessa will attend.”
A slow grin spread across my face.
“Of course she will.”
The older woman picked up her tea again.
Calm.
Patient.
Like a queen moving pieces across a chessboard.
“We will show everyone exactly where she belongs.”
I laughed softly.
The image alone was satisfying.
Vanessa standing in a room full of powerful people.
Completely out of place.
Completely alone.
The grandmother raised her cup slightly.
“A girl can survive one enemy.”
I smiled.
“But not an entire family.”
We looked at each other.
Understanding passing silently between us.
No more pretending.
No more patience.
The war had begun.
And Vanessa didn’t even know she was walking into it.
Later that night, I stood on my balcony overlooking the gardens.
The mansion glowed beneath the moonlight.
Beautiful.
Cold.
Mine.
Or at least it was supposed to be.
I thought about the way Alaric had looked at Vanessa recently.
The moments he didn’t realize anyone was watching.
The moments he noticed her.
Not with love.
Not yet.
But with awareness.
And awareness was dangerous.
Because attention became curiosity.
Curiosity became attachment.
And attachment?
Attachment destroyed everything.
I wouldn’t allow it.
I couldn’t.
I gripped the railing tighter.
No matter what happened…
Vanessa would never take my place.
Never.
She could fight me.
Challenge me.
Defy me.
But in the end—
I would be the one left standing.
Because unlike Vanessa…
I understood something very important.
In this house, love wasn’t power. I grew up knowing that ,my family had taught me that . My father had taught me that . Power was everything,money and influence.Everything else was a dream ,love - that was all wishes and fairytales
Control was.
And I was prepared to do whatever it took to keep it. He was mine , this house was mine , I was here first . I was his first love and I would make damn sure I would be his last. No one was going to stop me especially that Vanessa woman. She was a debt owed ,nothing else and I was going to remind her of her place -outside of my home.