Chapter 39 Another Text Message.
Vivienne's POV
I woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat. My heart was racing and I couldn't remember what I'd been dreaming about, but I knew it wasn't good.
The room was dark except for the moonlight coming through the curtains.
Raphael was still beside me, sleeping peacefully. His arm was still around me and I could hear his steady breathing. I didn't want to wake him, so I stayed very still, trying to calm myself down.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I reached for it carefully, trying not to disturb Raphael. Another text message. My stomach dropped before I even looked at the screen.
It was from a different number this time.
"Can't sleep? We can't either. We're thinking about all the ways to make your life miserable. Sweet dreams, Ivy."
My blood ran cold. They knew I was awake. Were they watching the house? Were they watching my room right now?
I looked towards the window, suddenly terrified. The curtains were drawn but not completely closed. There was a small gap where someone could see in if they were standing in the right spot outside.
I wanted to get up and close them properly, but I was too scared to move. What if someone was really out there? What if they saw me looking?
Raphael stirred beside me and I held my breath. His eyes opened slowly and he looked at me in the darkness.
"Can't sleep?" he asked, his voice rough with sleep.
I shook my head, not trusting my voice.
He sat up, more alert now. "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick again?"
"No, I just..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say.
He reached over and turned on the small lamp on his side of the bed. The warm light filled the room and I felt a little bit better, a little bit safer.
"Talk to me," he said gently, taking my hand.
I looked down at our joined hands, then at my phone still clutched in my other hand. This was it. I had to tell him. I couldn't keep this to myself anymore, not when they were escalating things like this.
"I've been getting threatening text messages," I said quietly.
His whole body went rigid. "What? When? From who?"
I handed him my phone with shaking hands. "Since this evening, after Claudine left."
He took the phone and I watched his face as he read through the messages. His expression got darker and darker with each one.
"This is serious, Ivy," he said, his voice tight with anger. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I didn't know if I should," I admitted. "I wasn't sure if you would believe me."
He looked at me like I'd slapped him. "Don't you believe me?” Why would you think that?"
I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. "Because of what else I need to tell you. About Claudine."
"What about Claudine?" he asked, but I could hear the wariness in his voice now.
I took a deep breath and just said it all at once. "After I drank that herbal remedy and woke up, Claudine told me that she didn't really come here to make amends. She said Margot sent her.
She said Margot wants me gone and that they're willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Then she left and that's when the text messages started."
Raphael was quiet for a long time. Too long. I couldn't read his expression and that scared me more than anything.
"Are you sure that's what she said?" he finally asked. "You were very sick, your fever was high. Could you have misunderstood?"
And there it was. The doubt I'd been afraid of.
"I know what I heard, Raphael," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I was weak but I wasn't delirious. She made it very clear. She even suggested I should go to the doctor to check for lasting effects from whatever was in that drink."
He stood up and started pacing again, running both hands through his hair this time.
"This doesn't make sense. I've known Claudine for years. I believed her when she said she wants to make amends.”
"And you've known me for how long?" I asked, unable to keep the hurt out of my voice. "A few weeks? A couple months? So of course you're going to believe her over me."
"That's not fair," he said, turning to face me. "I'm not saying I don't believe you. I'm just trying to understand what's happening here."
"What's happening is that Margot is trying to run me out of your life and she's using your step mother to do it," I said, my voice rising. "And now they're sending me threatening messages in the middle of the night."
Raphael came back to the bed and sat down, taking my face in his hands gently.
"Okay, listen to me. I believe that you're getting these messages. I believe that you're scared. And I believe that someone is trying to threaten you."
"But you don't believe it's Claudine," I finished for him.
He sighed heavily. "I just need to talk to her. I need to hear her side of this before I can make any judgments."
I pulled away from him, feeling betrayed even though I knew he was trying to be fair. "Fine. Talk to her. But don't be surprised when she denies everything and makes me look like the crazy one."
"Ivy—"
"No, it's fine," I said, lying back down and turning away from him. "I understand. You need proof. I get it."
The bed shifted as he laid down behind me. His arm came around my waist, pulling me back against his chest.
"I'm on your side," he said into my ear. "Always. But I also need to be smart about this. If Margot and Claudine really are working together, we need to prove it. We need evidence."