Chapter 20 Written Note.
Raphael's POV
How was I supposed to tell her the truth? How could I explain to Vivienne that the people who actually want me to step down from my position are my own family? She would think my family is completely dysfunctional.
She would think we're broken and messed up. After all, what kind of family forces their own heir, the rightful leader of The Moreau clan, to step down from his position? What kind of family does that to their own blood?
They think I'm weak. That's what this is really about. They think I'm not strong enough, not capable enough. They think their plans of having me eliminated, of getting rid of me permanently, was going to work out perfectly. They probably celebrated when they put those plans in motion.
And now that their plans didn't go the way they wanted, now that their schemes fell apart and failed, their new excuse is that I'm too weak to continue being the CEO. Too weak to run the company that I built with my own two hands. The company I poured my sweat into. The company I sacrificed everything for.
For now, I'll let it be. I'll keep this information to myself. It's better not to tell Vivienne the real reason behind everything that's happening. It's better if she doesn't know the truth about my family and what they're trying to do to me.
I woke up this morning feeling absolutely cranky and irritable. My whole body felt tired and exhausted, like I'd been hit by a truck. My brain feels foggy and unclear, like there's a thick cloud sitting inside my head. But I guess that's the price you pay when you take multiple shots of tequila one after another without taking any breaks in between. That's what happens when you drink to forget.
"Where am I?" I muttered to myself, confused and disoriented.
This room feels strange and unfamiliar. It feels feminine and warm, completely different from my own space. I slowly opened my tired, heavy eyes, blinking against the morning light. I found myself lying in an empty bed. As my vision cleared, I realized I was in Vivienne's room. But she's not here with me. The bed beside me is empty and cold.
I was still lying there in the bed, my body sinking into the soft mattress, my mind still foggy and confused. I was still in the process of wondering and trying to piece together what exactly happened last night.
The memories were scattered and unclear, like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands. I kept trying to remember how I ended up here, in this unfamiliar room, in this comfortable bed that wasn't mine.
That's when something caught my attention.
I spotted it sitting there comfortably on her vanity mirror, propped up against the glass, just waiting for me to notice it. It was a small piece of paper, folded neatly, standing out against the clutter of makeup bottles and perfume containers.
Everything in me screamed not to open it. My conscience told me that it might be for her sight only, something private that I had no business reading. But the man in me, the curious part of me that always needed answers, refused to listen to that warning voice. The temptation was too strong. I needed to know what it said.
After a lot of contemplation, after going back and forth in my mind about whether this was right or wrong, I finally made my decision. I got down from the bed, my bare feet touching the cool floor. I walked slowly across the room to where it was sitting comfortably on the vanity and carefully picked it up. My fingers trembled slightly as I held it.
It was a written note, handwritten in elegant letters. I unfolded it slowly and read the words written there.
It says, "Last night with you was special and fun. Let's do it again."
Below the message, signed in the same flowing handwriting, was a single name.
Vivienne.
I smiled, a warm feeling spreading through my chest as I read those simple words again. I folded the written note carefully, making sure not to crease it too much, and slipped it into my pocket, wanting to keep this small treasure safe.