Chapter 40 Team work.
Vivienne's POV
I wanted to stay angry at him, but I couldn't. He was right. We did need proof.
"Okay," I said softly. "So what do we do?"
"First thing tomorrow, we're going to the police about these messages," he said.
"They're threats and they need to be reported. Then I'm going to have a conversation with Claudine. And I want you to write down everything she said to you this evening, everything you can remember, while it's still fresh in your mind."
I turned over to face him. "You really believe something is going on?"
"I believe that someone is threatening you," he said firmly. "And I'm not going to let anyone hurt you or scare you out of my life. Not crazy Steph mother Margot, not Claudine, not anyone."
Relief flooded through me and I buried my face in his chest. He held me tight, one hand stroking my hair gently.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"You don't have to thank me for protecting you," he said. "That's what I'm here for."
We laid there in silence for a while, just holding each other. I felt safe again, wrapped up in his arms. But I also knew that this was far from over.
"Raphael," I said after a while. "I'm scared."
"I know," he said. "But we're going to figure this out. Together."
I wanted to believe him. I really did. But something in my gut told me that Margot and Claudine were just getting started, and whatever they had planned next was going to be bigger and worse than threatening text messages.
My phone buzzed again and we both froze. Raphael reached for it before I could.
"You have a problem, Raphael," he read out loud. "That problem is Ivy. Get rid of her or we'll do it for you. This is your only warning."
His face went pale and then red with anger. "That's it. We're going to the police right now."
"It's three in the morning," I said.
"I don't care," he said, already getting out of bed. "This has gone too far. They're threatening you directly now."
I grabbed his arm. "Please, can we just wait until morning? I don't want to go out there in the dark. What if they're watching? What if they follow us?"
He looked at me and I could see the internal struggle on his face. He wanted to act now, to do something, but he also didn't want to put me in more danger.
"Okay," he finally agreed, getting back into bed. "But first thing in the morning, we're going. No arguments."
"No arguments," I agreed.
He pulled me close again and I tried to relax in his arms. But every little sound made me jump. Every shadow seemed threatening. I kept my eyes on the window, watching for any movement outside.
"Try to get some sleep," Raphael said, but I could tell from his voice that he wasn't going to sleep either.
"You too," I said.
But neither of us slept. We just laid there in the dark, holding each other, waiting for morning to come. And wondering what Margot and Claudine would do next.
Because one thing was clear now.
This wasn't just about getting me to leave anymore. This was personal. This was war. And I had no idea if I was strong enough to fight it.
Morning came slowly, the sun creeping through the curtains and filling the room with pale light. I hadn't slept at all. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept seeing Claudine's cruel smile and hearing her threatening words.
Raphael was already up, sitting on the edge of the bed with his phone in his hand. He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes that hadn't been there yesterday.
"I've been looking up the non-emergency police number," he said when he noticed I was awake. "We can go file a report as soon as you're ready."
I sat up slowly, my body still feeling weak from yesterday. "Okay. Let me just take a shower first."
He nodded and stood up. "I'll just inform the cook to make us some coffee and toast. Nothing heavy, just enough to get something in your stomach."
After he left, I dragged myself to the bathroom. My reflection in the mirror shocked me. I looked terrible. My face was pale, my eyes had dark circles that matched Raphael's, and my hair was a mess. I looked exactly like someone who'd been threatened and hadn't slept all night.
The shower helped a little, the hot water washing away some of the fear and exhaustion. But as I stood there under the spray, I couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened.
What did Margot want so badly that she would go this far? Was it really just about getting me away from Raphael? Or was there something more to it?
I got dressed in simple jeans and a sweater, not caring much about how I looked. My hands were shaking as I tried to button my jeans, and I had to stop and take several deep breaths to calm myself down.
When I came downstairs, Raphael was already sitting at the dining table. The smell of coffee filled the air and there were two plates of toast on the counter.
"Feeling any better?" he asked, handing me a mug of coffee.
"A little," I lied, taking the mug gratefully.
The warmth felt good in my hands.
We ate in silence, neither of us really having much appetite. I managed to finish one piece of toast and half my coffee before my stomach started protesting.
"Ready?" Raphael asked, taking our plates to the sink.
I nodded, even though I wasn't ready at all. But we had to do this. We had to start fighting back.