The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 88

Aveline

Vivian looked confused. "Even me? I can't have any either?"

Dwayne's smile faltered for just a moment, but he recovered quickly. "Of course, of course! How thoughtful of you, Aveline. You're absolutely right—we're here to get to know each other properly, not to get intoxicated. The conversation should be the main course, not the alcohol."

He snapped his fingers, and immediately several staff members appeared to remove every single bottle from the table. Within minutes, they'd been replaced with elegant pitchers of fresh fruit juice, sparkling water with cucumber and mint, and what appeared to be some kind of artisanal lemonade.

I felt my shoulders relax slightly. Maybe I'd been paranoid. Maybe Dwayne really did just want to have a civilized dinner and smooth things over.

"Much better," I said, allowing myself a small smile. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"Anything for our guests," Dwayne replied smoothly, taking his seat at the head of the table. "Now then, shall we begin with some conversation while we wait for the first course?"

What followed was an increasingly uncomfortable interrogation disguised as polite dinner conversation. Dwayne asked about everything from my salary to my family background to my relationship status, punctuating each question with that same practiced charm that felt more calculated than genuine.

"So tell me," he said, leaning forward with apparent fascination, "what's it like working with children? It must be so rewarding to shape young minds."

"It is," I replied carefully, taking a sip of the cucumber water. "Though I imagine it's quite different from your line of work."

"Oh, absolutely. I'm in investments—much more cutthroat than education." His smile turned sharper. "Speaking of which, I have to ask—what's it like working so closely with my cousin Orion? He can be quite... intense."

I gave him a pointed look and gestured toward Vivian. "I'm really just here to support Vivian tonight. Maybe you two should focus on getting to know each other better?"

Vivian immediately perked up, though I caught a flash of something—disappointment? anger?—across her face before she covered it with a bright smile.

"You're so thoughtful, Aveline," she said, reaching for the fruit juice pitcher with what seemed like genuine emotion in her voice. "I can't thank you enough for coming with me tonight. I was so nervous about coming alone." She poured juice into both our glasses, her hands trembling slightly. "I know we haven't always gotten along, and I know I haven't been... the best sister to you. But having you here tonight means more to me than you'll ever know."

She raised her glass, and I could see what looked like actual tears gathering in her eyes. "To second chances," she said softly. "And to maybe finally becoming the family we should have been all along."

The vulnerability in her voice caught me completely off guard. This wasn't the calculating, self-centered Vivian I'd grown up with. This felt real—raw and honest in a way I'd never seen from her before.

I felt guilty for being suspicious of her motives.

I clinked my glass against hers and took a healthy drink of the fruity mixture, genuinely moved by her words.

"Of course I'm here," I said warmly, my voice softer than before. "Whatever our past, you're still family."

Vivian's smile wavered for just a moment—so briefly I almost missed it—before returning full force. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that," she whispered.

A few minutes later, the first course arrived: an elegant lobster bisque served in delicate porcelain bowls.

"This is one of my chef's specialties," Dwayne explained with obvious pride. "The lobster is flown in fresh from Maine, and the cream base includes a hint of cognac—though not enough to be intoxicating, of course. The secret ingredient is a touch of saffron and white truffle oil."

Vivian immediately began praising the soup's rich, complex flavor, and I had to admit it was exceptional. The bisque was perfectly balanced, with the sweetness of the lobster complementing the aromatic spices in a way that made each spoonful feel like a luxury.

"This is incredible," I said honestly, taking another spoonful. "Your chef is very talented."

"I'll be sure to pass along the compliment," Dwayne replied, looking pleased.

As we continued eating and talking, I found myself relaxing despite my earlier reservations. The conversation flowed more naturally, Dwayne seemed genuinely interested in making Vivian feel special, and the food was legitimately delicious.

But as the evening progressed, something began to feel... off.

The lighting in the room seemed to be getting dimmer, more amber, casting everything in a soft, dreamlike glow. My limbs felt heavier than they should, and there was a strange buzzing sensation starting at the base of my skull.

It felt uncomfortably familiar. Like being drunk, but wrong somehow.

"I..." I started to say, then realized my tongue felt thick and clumsy. "Something's not right. The juice... the soup..."

The words came out slurred, and I gripped the edge of the table as the room began to tilt sideways.

Vivian, who had been sitting across from me looking concerned just moments before, suddenly smiled. It wasn't the nervous, grateful expression she'd been wearing all evening—it was cold, calculating, and completely satisfied.

She stood gracefully and walked around the table to stand beside Dwayne, placing her hand possessively on his shoulder.

"I did exactly what you asked for," she said to him, her voice completely different from the anxious gratitude she'd been displaying all night. "Don't forget what you promised me in return."

I tried to push myself up from the table, horror and understanding crashing over me in equal waves, but my body wouldn't obey. My arms felt like they were made of lead, and my vision was starting to blur around the edges.

"You..." I managed to gasp, staring at Vivian in shock. "You drugged... the juice..."

The last thing I saw before everything went black was Vivian's triumphant smile as she leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"You always thought you were so much smarter than me, didn't you? Let's see how smart you feel when you wake up."

Then the darkness swallowed me whole.