The Impact of Victor

That night, I hardly slept at all. I could still hear the message, each syllable squeezing like a rope around my throat. *You looked stunning tonight. It's almost too lovely. If Cole knew someone else was keeping such a close eye on you, I wonder what he would do.

I ought to have informed Cole.

However, I didn't.

In my heart, I wasn't sure whether I was more afraid of the danger or Cole's reaction if he found out.

I pushed my breakfast around my plate as I sat in the early sunlight streaming into the big dining hall, trying to get rid of the knot in my gut. I was relieved that Cole had already left for the day. I required room.

Or at least I believed I did—until a presence much colder than Cole's entered the room, and the sound of heavy footfall reverberated through the corridor.

Montgomery, Victor.

Before I even looked up, I tensed up. Without saying a word, Cole's father was a force that commanded attention. He was tall, his crisp suit perfectly tailored, his salt-and-pepper hair perfectly styled. There was no denying the resemblance between him and Cole, with the exception that Victor's intensity was pure ice whilst Cole's burned hot.

He sat into the seat across from me as if he owned the place and said, "Aria," with ease. Perhaps he did.

"Victor," I answered, trying to keep my voice steady.

His expression was unreadable as he looked at my untouched plate and then back at me. "Are you not hungry? That's regrettable. A woman in your role ought to look after herself. Looks count.

I straighten my back and put down my fork. "I didn’t realize my appetite was a business concern."

There was no warmth in the sneer that tugged at the corner of his lips. "My love, everything is a business matter. Include you.

This was a conversation I should have anticipated. Victor Montgomery has never concealed his disapproval of me. Unlike his son, Victor didn't attempt to pretend that I wasn't just a pawn in whatever game he and Cole were playing.

Nevertheless, I didn't think he would be so direct about it.

He tilted his head slightly as though he was observing me, thinking, "You’re enjoying all of this, aren’t you?" "The attention, the luxury, the power that comes with being Montgomery’s wife."

Without hesitation, I looked him in the eye. "You assume a lot."

He laughed, but there was no genuine amusement in the sound. "You believe I don't know any women that are like you? You are in the arms of one of the most powerful men in the nation after your family has lost everything. What precisely is your endgame, Aria? Tell me.

I tucked my fingers into my lap. "I didn’t ask for this marriage."

"No," he said, his eyes shining dangerously. "But you didn’t say no, either."

My ribs were hammered by my heart. "Because I didn’t have a choice."

Victor put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "An option is always available. And I'm giving you one right now."

A shiver went through my body. "What are you talking about?"

He grinned more broadly. "Cole is preoccupied. I see it. He was brought up to be ruthless and to establish this empire as an untouchable entity. However, he has been losing concentration ever since you entered his life. Additionally, I cannot permit that.

Refusing to reveal my dread, I swallowed hard. "What are you asking me to do now? Leave?"

He answered, "That would be ideal," with ease. However, I don't think my son would consent to that—at least not yet. I'm asking you to remember your place instead. Even if you are his wife, he does not value you. And you won't be."

I didn't want to acknowledge how deeply the remarks wounded me.

I wasn't simply being warned by Victor Montgomery. I had been trying so hard to deny the reality, and he was reminding me of it.

The only thing Cole and I did was perform. A power and control game.

Nevertheless, last night felt genuine. Too authentic.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked in a stern but hushed voice.

With a sharper tone, he stated, "Because I need you to understand something very clearly." "Cole's destiny extends beyond this union. My legacy is him. And I will take you out of the picture if you start to cause trouble."

I felt a chill go through me. His voice was devoid of any elevated tone, menace, or overt hatred.

But for some reason, that only increased the terror of what he was saying.

Despite the knots in my gut, I made myself look into his eyes. "If you think you can control Cole, you don’t know your son as well as you think."

Victor never faltered in his grin. "And if you think you can change him, then you don’t know him at all."

It wasn't until I was alone myself again that I realized I was trembling.

I tried to stabilize myself by gripping the edge of the table with trembling fingers. Victor's comments kept repeating in my mind, eroding the shaky foundation I had established for myself in this marriage with each sentence.

Cole was different, or so I wanted to think. That what transpired between us last night was more than a performance. That there was something genuine beneath his icy veneer.

However, what if I was mistaken?

Could it be that I was just another distraction?

I was startled out of my reverie by my phone buzzing.

I briefly believed it to be another message from the unidentified caller. However, my gut wrenched for a completely different reason as I looked at the television.

The article was in the news.

It was a headline that chilled my blood.

** "Cole Montgomery Spotted Leaving Exclusive Hotel—With Another Woman."**

Though blurry, the image underneath it was sufficiently clear.

Cole. Standing outside a lodging establishment. Shadows partially obscured his face. A female next to him.

Not me, but a woman.

My throat tightened with each breath.

No.

It was a ruse. An arrangement. The media enjoyed playing this game.

However, something unpleasant and sharp twisted inside me as I glanced at the picture.

Because despite all I had told myself, despite all the barriers I had attempted to erect,

It was painful.

I wasn't ready for the way it hurt.

What's the worst?

I wasn't sure if I was upset with the media for distorting the facts—

Or at Cole for initially causing me to question it.