Vivienne's lips pressed into a thin line, but her voice never rose. It didn't have to.
"There are enemies," she said quietly. "Too many. Old ones. Powerful ones. Families who would never allow the Elford name to rise any higher."
Her gaze flicked toward Dominic, then back to Damien. "You think they'd stay silent if they learned another monster was being born in this house?"
She shook her head, her voice taut.
"No. They'd move. Quietly, quickly. Before your blood could settle. Before your bones could hold the weight of what you're becoming. They'd cut you down before you became a threat."
Damien stood still, watching her, his silence a confirmation.
Vivienne's eyes glistened.
"And that's why you kept it hidden."
He nodded once. "Yes."
A breath passed between them—tense, charged, but without confrontation now.
Vivienne looked down, her hands folded in her lap. And for a moment, she looked smaller. Not weak. Just tired.
"You really thought far ahead with this…" she murmured.
