Deadly Silence (complete) Chapter 6

Samuel was almost surprised Vivian had decided to come home; not that he’d been expecting a different outcome, but when he’d finally met her in person his confidence in how it would play out had dropped.

He’d read the file Charles had dropped off, unsure what to think of most of it.

From the reports, Vivian was generally closed off with people, opening up rarely and even then it was only a surface level connection. There were notes that hinted something might have happened in her unknown past that destroyed her ability to trust in others, or it was possible this was just who she was as a person; an introvert through and through.

This was why Samuel had kept the conversation centered on light topics that wouldn’t make her feel like he was pushing to know things she’d refused to talk about with others.

It would take a long time to cultivate her trust in him, but Samuel was a patient man; he always took his time when planning things out, carefully covering every possible angle and outcome so things would work out exactly how he envisioned. It was what made him a ruthless business man and an even worse enemy.

Those on his bad side always came to regret it.

Vivian had seemed fragile — like a good gust of wind would blow her away — but she looked healthy. The way she held herself told him she wasn’t as confident as the facade she put up wanted him to believe.

It was eery, seeing how empty her eyes were when they’d first met; only after she had gotten comfortable enough in his presence to curl up in the chair did something in her expression change, giving him a glimpse at the girl beneath the surface.

It was like looking in a mirror; he hid his emptiness with countless smiling masks while she hid her true feelings being a blank face.

He wondered if anyone else had noticed this, or if he only had because he knew what to look for, being someone who was proficient in hiding his true self.

Once she was settled at home he would need to have another one on one conversation in order to start the process of gaining her trust. Firstly he would need to rethink the rules he’d planned on imposing on her when under his roof.

It was obvious from meeting her, and the reports, that she wasn’t one to be constrained by rules that had no merit.

In one of her foster homes the parents had a rule that she wasn’t allowed to be friends with boys. Within a month Vivian had befriended a boy in her class and hung out with him during school hours. There was nothing the family could do about it, as they weren’t able to get the teacher to agree on separating the two because both were good students who never got in trouble.

She never did bring him home, nor did she see him outside of school hours so far as the reports noted, but it had gotten a chuckle out of Samuel when he’d read it. Had she purposefully befriended the boy just to prove a point to the family or was it a coincidence?

There were a few other instances of rules she would purposefully break without impunity no matter how often she was punished for it. Another home was strict vegans and there were numerous complaints in Vivian’s file of her bringing home burgers and the like to eat, using her allowance until they put a stop to it. She had then done odd jobs for neighbours to fund her fast food habit if only to antagonize the people who refused to let her eat animal products.

These homes were ones she only lasted a few months before the families inevitably ended the placement, citing her purposefully disobeying the rules without care for the consequences.

Samuel wondered how much of it was defiance and how much was just being tired of idiots making rules just to prove a point. His sons had been difficult to force rules upon, so he had imposed broad ranging rules with the stipulation that if they broke any they would be forced to endure the consequences of their actions.

Sebastian hadn’t enjoyed his overnight stay in the drunk tank at fifteen, nor did Gabriel enjoy doing community service when he was caught drag racing on the highway late one night with his friends; Samuel had even forced the boy to pay the fine himself, too, which had been a hefty amount.

After only a few of those instances they learned he would keep to his word and they straightened themselves out on their own, turning into good people.

Laurent was currently going through his rebellious phase, which meant he would learn to deal with the consequences soon enough and straighten himself out.

Or so Samuel hoped. It had been going on for a couple years now, longer than the other two had needed to figure things out.

At least with Laurent it stayed within his time at school. Detentions, in school suspensions, actual suspensions… They weren’t the worse thing in the world, but Samuel knew if his son pushed things too far during his final year they would kick him out regardless of the Devreaux’s scholarship fund he’d created in his wife’s name. 

Laurent’s attitude at home had begun to shift into petulance lately, but Samuel figured that was only due to him wanting to dictate his life now that he was so close to being an adult in the eyes of the law. Once he graduated and started university or entered the family business things would even out; it had done wonders with his older sons.

Glancing at the rear view mirror, he noted Vivian looked bored as she stared out the window. He’d offered her the front seat but instead she slid into the back without a word, fastening her seatbelt as he watched.

It didn’t matter where she sat in the car, Samuel reminded himself as he merged onto the highway, it mattered that she was in the car at all. She was coming home.

“Your brothers are eager to meet you,” he offered after a handful of silent minutes had passed.

Another glance in the rear view mirror showed a pursing of her lips as she let out a hum in response.

It was obvious she had little interest in conversing. With some effort, Samuel managed to stop himself from keeping up a one sided conversation about whatever topics came to mind in order to fill the silence.

Feeling nervous like this was a new experience for him and not one he especially enjoyed. Confidence had been what brought success to his pursuits; to lose that feeling was like forgetting how to walk — disconcerting.

Luckily, home was only a twenty minute drive and soon enough he turned into the gated driveway.