Chapter 5: Secrets Beneath the Surface

The following days felt like a blur of calculation and observation. Vivienne spent hours in the Rothsford estate’s vast library, pouring over old records, corporate documents, and family history. She searched for patterns, connections, anything that might hint at who was truly behind Ivy’s sudden rise. She knew the game had changed—no longer was it just about winning her father’s approval. No, now it was about taking control of everything. The Rothsford empire, the fortune, the influence. Everything she had been denied in her past life, and everything she would take back in this one.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing, a sharp, insistent tone that broke through the silence of the library. She glanced at the screen, her fingers hesitating for a moment before she answered. It was Liam.

"Vivienne," his voice came through the speaker, low and urgent. "I have something you need to see."

A chill ran through her. "What is it?"

"I've uncovered something," he said. "A connection between your father and someone on the board. Someone you wouldn’t expect. Someone with a lot of influence. You need to come to my office. Now."

Her heart raced. This was it. This could be the breakthrough she had been waiting for. "I’ll be there in twenty minutes."

When Vivienne arrived at Liam’s office, she found him seated at his desk, his hands folded in front of him, a look of intense concentration on his face. The office was sleek, modern—nothing like the ancient, towering rooms of Rothsford’s mansion. It had the air of someone who preferred function over sentiment, a reflection of Liam himself.

He didn’t look up as she entered, but gestured toward the chair across from him. "Sit," he said quietly.

Vivienne sat, her gaze scanning the desk for any signs of what he might have uncovered. A file lay open in front of him, its contents partially obscured by his hand. She leaned forward, eager for answers.

"I’ve been digging into the board members, your father’s associates," Liam said, his voice steady but with an undercurrent of tension. "I found something disturbing."

Vivienne’s eyes locked onto the file. "What is it?"

Liam pushed the file toward her, allowing her to look. Inside, there were photographs, corporate memos, and documents detailing meetings between Arthur Rothsford and several key players on the board. But there was one name that stood out—one name that sent a shiver through Vivienne’s spine.

Gregory Holloway.

Vivienne blinked. Gregory Holloway was one of the Rothsford board members, a man known for his quiet, calculated demeanor. He had always been a fixture in the background, not someone who stood out but whose influence was felt deeply throughout the company. Vivienne had always thought of him as a reliable ally of her father’s.

But seeing his name here, alongside some questionable deals and coded language in the memos, made Vivienne’s stomach twist.

"What’s going on?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Liam leaned forward, his eyes serious. "Holloway has been pushing for certain deals, ones that benefit him more than the company. He’s been using his connections with Ivy to manipulate Arthur’s decisions, steering the company toward ventures that align with his own interests. And now, with Ivy in the fold, he has the perfect opportunity to seize control."

Vivienne’s mind raced as she processed the information. Gregory Holloway. He was the puppet master behind Ivy’s rise, using her to gain more power within the Rothsford empire. But why? What did he want with the company?

"Why would he want to control Rothsford?" Vivienne asked, leaning back in her chair. "What’s his endgame?"

Liam hesitated, his brow furrowing. "I’m not sure yet. But one thing is clear—Holloway is playing a much larger game than any of us realized. He’s been positioning himself to take over key aspects of the business. And Ivy is just a means to an end."

Vivienne clenched her jaw. Holloway wasn’t just after money. He wanted control. And that made him far more dangerous than she had initially thought.

"How do we stop him?" Vivienne’s voice was cold, determined.

Liam’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, and he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "It won’t be easy. Holloway has deep connections, and his influence stretches far beyond the boardroom. He’s been pulling strings for years. If we want to take him down, we’ll need leverage—something that exposes his true intentions."

Vivienne nodded. Leverage. She had been using that concept herself, ever since she decided to take back what was hers. But Holloway was a different breed of enemy. He was a shadow—every move calculated, every step hidden behind layers of deception.

"Do you have anything concrete?" she asked, her voice low. "Anything we can use to make him vulnerable?"

Liam opened another folder on his desk, revealing a series of confidential documents. As he flipped through the pages, Vivienne could see the outline of a plan forming—Holloway’s dealings, financial discrepancies, even secret investments he had made in companies that seemed entirely unrelated to Rothsford.

But it was a name on one of the papers that caught Vivienne’s eye. It was a name she had never seen before. And it sent a cold shiver down her spine.

Jared Sutherland.

Jared Sutherland was not just any businessman. He was one of the most powerful and ruthless men in the industry, a man who had a reputation for destroying anyone who got in his way. And now, somehow, his name was tied to Gregory Holloway’s.

"What’s this?" Vivienne asked, her voice tight with disbelief.

Liam’s gaze darkened. "Sutherland is the key to all of this. Holloway has been working with him on several high-stakes ventures. And I believe they’ve been using Ivy as a pawn to manipulate your father’s decisions."

Vivienne stared at the papers in front of her, her mind reeling. Sutherland was no mere businessman. He was a shark—a predator. And if he was working with Holloway, things were even more dangerous than she had anticipated.

She looked up at Liam, her expression resolute. "We need to confront them. Now."

Liam shook his head. "Not yet. We need to play this carefully. If we move too quickly, they’ll catch on. We need to get close to Holloway and Sutherland. Gather more evidence. Then, and only then, can we strike."

Vivienne took a deep breath. Patience. It wasn’t a virtue she was accustomed to, but she knew that Liam was right. A hasty move now could ruin everything.

"Alright," she said, her voice steady. "Let’s play this smart. I want everything you’ve got on Holloway and Sutherland. I’ll need to know their every move."

Liam nodded, his face grim. "You’ll have it. But be careful, Vivienne. We’re not just dealing with business rivals. We’re dealing with men who will do anything to protect their power."

Vivienne rose from her chair, her resolve hardening like steel. "Then it’s time to take theirs."

As she walked out of Liam’s office, a new determination burned within her. She was no longer fighting just for the Rothsford empire. She was fighting for her future, for her legacy, and for the truth that had been buried beneath layers of lies and deceit.

And this time, she would stop at nothing to expose the shadows and take control.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***