Inside the ultra-exclusive VIP lounge.
Mina Blackthorne’s brows furrowed, her gaze locked onto Vivienne Lexton as she scrutinized her from top to bottom, left to right, and front to back.
Damn it. They were both wealthy heiresses, so why did Vivienne get to eat so well?
The moment Vivienne had stepped out of the elevator, Mina felt completely outclassed.
Vivienne was amused by Mina’s visibly defeated expression. To smooth things over for their upcoming business, she offered an olive branch by handing over the iPad. "Here, order whatever you want. My treat."
She was so familiar with this routine—a true regular customer.
Mina turned her head away in refusal. "I'm not ordering anything. I already have someone I like. I absolutely refuse to sink to your level."
Vivienne gave her a look and tapped the iPad screen. "Fine. I'll get an avocado milkshake frappe, and you can stick to tap water."
Mina’s expression shifted instantly. She snatched the iPad back, scrolling through the menu with a sheepish look. "Why is it all fruit drinks?"
Vivienne leaned back against the sofa, crossing her arms as she watched her. "What else did you expect?"
Mina pretended not to hear her and casually ordered a high-sugar strawberry milkshake.
After ordering, she clicked her tongue, giving Vivienne another appraising look. "I didn't expect you to play so fast and loose."
Vivienne couldn't be bothered to explain.
Her relationship with Mina was delicate right now—somewhere near friendship, yet far from actual trust. It wasn't the right time to share certain secrets.
Mina took Vivienne's silence as an admission, glanced around the room, and finally remembered why she was there.
"You asked me to meet you here. Is there something you wanted to say?"
"I assumed you had something you wanted to say to me," Vivienne replied.
After all, in Mina's mind, Vivienne was the only person other than Rowena Blackthorne who knew the truth about her identity and posed a threat. If Mina wanted to keep her secret safe, she didn't just need to stall Rowena; she had to find a way to keep Vivienne quiet too.
Mina fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "Can you pretend you don't know anything about this? As long as you agree, I'll do whatever you want."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the green label hovering above her head expanded slightly.
Nothing Mina said right now would surprise Vivienne. After all, Mina wasn't Aurelia Ravenshire. She didn't even realize how out of character she was acting; at most, she just felt pathetic and ashamed.
"I know you probably look down on me right now. But I really don't want to lose everything I have. I'm scared. I'm terrified I wouldn't survive going back to that miserable life. If you just promise to keep my secret, I'll do whatever you ask."
One wrong step, and there was no turning back.
Vivienne already knew the cause and effect. As far as she was concerned, she was currently standing at the finish line of Mina's life. If she intervened now, Mina's trajectory would change entirely.
Likewise, if she chose to ignore it, Mina would be trapped in a lifetime of manipulation.
The power of the Drama Plot gave her authority bordering on a creator god.

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