The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 197

Aveline

Standing at the entrance of the sprawling estate, I took a deep breath and tried to center myself. The adrenaline from the auditorium confrontation was still coursing through my veins, made worse by the intimate encounter in Orion's car. My entire body felt electric, my mind racing between triumph and something dangerously close to euphoria. I needed to get control of myself before facing Grandmother.

"Good evening, Miss Aveline," Mrs. Patterson, our housekeeper, greeted me with a warm smile. "We weren't expecting you home tonight."

"Change of plans," I said, forcing my voice to sound casual as I handed her my blazer. "How has everything been?"

"Wonderful. Your grandmother has been in excellent spirits all day."

I nodded and walked through the marble foyer, my heels clicking against the polished floors. The familiar scent of jasmine from Grandmother's prized garden drifted through the open windows, usually calming but tonight doing little to settle my restless energy.

"Aveline?" Grandmother's voice carried from the sitting room, surprise evident in her tone. "I thought you said you wouldn't be home for dinner. Let me have cook prepare something for you immediately!"

I found her in her favorite armchair, reading glasses perched on her nose, a biography of some long-dead European monarch in her lap. She looked so peaceful, so removed from the corporate warfare I'd just navigated.

"No need, Grandmother," I said, settling onto the velvet sofa across from her. "I'm not hungry right now. I just needed to come home and decompress for a bit. I'll grab something later when I go out."

Her eyebrows rose with gentle concern. "Go out again? Darling, you have a perfectly good kitchen here. Why would you want to eat somewhere else?"

I laughed, but even to my own ears it sounded slightly manic. "The house feels a bit confining tonight. I need to be somewhere with more... space. More energy."

Grandmother set down her book and leaned forward, studying my face with the sharp attention that had made her such a formidable businesswoman in her youth. "You seem agitated, dear. Do you need to talk about something? And this morning—did I really hear you say something about borrowing one billion dollars?"

Before I could answer, the French doors leading to the garden opened, and Vivian stepped inside. She was carrying a collection of gardening tools—pruning shears, a small watering can, and what looked like specialized soil testing equipment. Her clothes were practical work attire, and perspiration dotted her forehead despite the evening's cool temperature. She looked more purposeful and grounded than I'd seen her in years.

"Grandmother," Vivian said with a knowing smile as she carefully arranged her tools on the side table, "I'm afraid you heard correctly. She really did go out and secure one billion dollars today. You know how ambitious our dear Aveline can be—and how much she enjoys taking spectacular risks. Of course, people who live dangerously tend to fall hard when things go wrong." She glanced at me with mock innocence. "Not that I'm talking about anyone specifically. No need to take it personally."

"It's true," I said simply, nodding to Grandmother. "But it's just business, nothing to worry about. A strategic investment that will benefit everyone involved." I paused, then looked at the gardening equipment Vivian had brought in. "Speaking of investments—Vivian, didn't I tell you just last week that you don't know the first thing about plant care? That you had no clue about proper watering schedules or pruning techniques?"

The words came out sharper than I'd intended. Grandmother shot me a warning look that clearly said 'be more diplomatic,' but I couldn't seem to modulate my tone. Everything felt amplified tonight.

Vivian grabbed a small towel from her shoulder and wiped the sweat from her face, completely unbothered by my bluntness. "You're absolutely right—I was completely ignorant about gardening until recently. But once I learned the basics, your assessment became outdated." She gestured toward the garden with obvious pride. "The white roses need deep watering twice weekly and should be pruned just above the first five-leaflet leaf to encourage new growth. The lavender requires minimal water and should only be trimmed after flowering to prevent woody stems. The jasmine needs regular deadheading but should never be heavily pruned in late fall."

Grandmother clapped her hands together with delight. "My goodness, Vivian! How did you learn so much in such a short time?"

I had to admit I was impressed despite myself. Vivian had always been intelligent, even when that intelligence was focused on undermining others. Seeing her apply herself to something constructive was unexpectedly... pleasant.

"I spoke too hastily," I said, genuinely contrite. "I apologize for being so direct. It's just that those plants are Grandmother's pride and joy, and I—"

"Stop." Vivian held up her hand with a dismissive wave. "We know each other too well for elaborate apologies. Besides, I'll be leaving here in a few weeks anyway. I'm not used to you being polite to me, and frankly, I prefer it when you're honest—even when you're being insulting. I don't want my memories of you to include some sanitized version where you pretend to be nice. That would be boring."

Her candor was startling, but also oddly liberating. I found myself smiling for the first time since entering the house.

"Well, since you're leaving soon, I realized I never properly offered to take you out for a meal. I'm planning to go to dinner shortly—would you like to join me?"

Vivian's laugh was genuinely amused. "How progressive of you! Are you sure you want to risk dining with me? Unless you've forgotten about the last time I had access to your food and drinks, I could always spike your meal again."

"Vivian!" Grandmother scolded, though there was relief in her voice. "These past few days have been the first time I've seen you two interact like actual sisters. Can't you let me enjoy the peace for just a little while longer?"

I considered Vivian's words carefully. The old version of our relationship had been built on suspicion, resentment, and careful navigation around each other's hostilities. But this new directness, this brutal honesty—it was something I could work with.

"You know what?" I said, surprising myself with my certainty. "This version of you is someone I can actually spend time with. We don't have to be friends, but at least I won't have to spend the entire evening wondering what you're really thinking."

Vivian tossed her towel onto the coffee table with a sigh. "Well, I suppose Grandmother would expect me to go eat with you, so fine." She headed toward the stairs, clearly doing this out of obligation rather than desire. "Twenty minutes. And we're back by nine—I actually have something important to do with Grandmother tonight."

She stopped and turned back, her tone becoming even more blunt.

"And just so we're clear—whatever's got you all hyped up tonight, don't think I'm going to sit there nodding sympathetically while you vent. I'm not your therapist or your cheerleader."