"Don't you think this is a little cruel? Making him live like a monk for the rest of his life, growing old with no children of his own? It's just... it's a lot."
Vivienne's scoff cut through the air.
"That's the price he pays for hurting Caleb."
"So what if he's some blue-blooded heir? Does that give him the right to bully a boy with no family, no connections? I'm making him taste the kind of suffering other people swallow every day. Maybe it'll teach him not to look down on everyone else."
Gwendolen Walker sighed.
"Vivienne, aren't you afraid Adrian will find out and drag you through a divorce?"
Vivienne's gaze turned sharp as a blade.
"Gwendolen. You didn't go soft and tell him, did you?"
Gwendolen shook her head and stared down at her teacup.
Vivienne's voice dropped, cold and deliberate.
"Don't ruin this for me. I've spent six months planning every detail."
"I promised Caleb I'd never let anyone else touch me. That his child would be my only heir. I won't let Caleb down."
Every word dripped with warning. She was terrified that even the smallest leak would collapse her scheme and break her precious Caleb's heart.