A Mother's Armor

Forced into submission by the visible, terrifying irritation radiating from Gideon, Monica gnashed her teeth. The sheer force of holding back her rage made her jaw throb with a dull ache. The air surrounding the towering billionaire felt suffocating, practically vibrating with a lethal energy. She knew pushing back against a man of his immense stature would only spell disaster for her and her daughter.

Stiffly, she bowed her head in front of the gathered crowd of curious onlookers and stunned waitstaff. "I’m sorry, kids," she muttered through clenched teeth, the words tasting like bitter ash on her tongue. "It’s aunty’s fault, so please forgive me."

Beneath her lowered gaze, her eyes burned with malice. She secretly swore with a burning rage to uncover the truth. If those brats truly belonged to that wretched Vivienne, she would make sure they never found peace in Valoria again. There was a resemblance, a nagging familiarity in their features that made her stomach churn.

Gideon watched Monica step back, the glacial fury in his chest softening only when he looked down at the children. He focused on the little girl’s red, swollen cheek, feeling an unexplainable urge to protect her.

"I'll give you a safe ride home," Gideon offered. His voice dropped to a gentle, comforting timbre he rarely used around anyone. He reached out, hoping to offer some reassurance.

Chloe did not look at him with the same wide-eyed awe as she had moments before. Instead, she took a deliberate step back. Her small face hardened into a cold, distant mask. She reached out and grabbed Jaxon’s hand tightly.

"Sorry, mister. We don’t want to eat anymore," Chloe said. Her tone carried a chilling detachment that pierced through the tense hallway. "We want to go home."

Gideon froze, flustered by the sudden, freezing rejection. "Let me send you back. It's late and it's not safe—"

"Never mind. We’ll go back by ourselves," Chloe interrupted without a backward glance. She pulled Jaxon away, marching out of the luxury restaurant.

Wyatt stood by the sidelines, dumbfounded by the sight. "Mr. Rothwell, these kids do have quite a temper, huh?"

Gideon did not respond to his assistant. He stood rooted in the opulent hallway, staring thoughtfully at their small, retreating figures. A heavy, hollow ache settled in his chest, a feeling of loss he could not comprehend.

Once safely outside on the pavement, the cool evening breeze washed over their faces. The bustling city streets of Valoria felt worlds away from the tense drama inside the restaurant. Jaxon wiped the remaining moisture from his eyes and flashed a proud grin, trying to lighten the mood.

"How was it?" Jaxon bragged, puffing out his little chest. "Aren’t my acting skills top-notch? Those fake tears were perfect, right? I had them all fooled."

Despite her brother's attempt at humor, Chloe could not bring herself to smile. The physical sting on her swollen cheek meant nothing compared to the deep, emotional ache settling heavily in her heart.

"Is it true Daddy won’t want to recognize us?" Chloe asked. Her large eyes turned bloodshot with crushing disappointment.

Jaxon stopped walking. The playful bragging instantly drained from his face. He stepped closer and gently rubbed her uninjured cheek, his young eyes darkening with a maturity far beyond his years.

"He let her go," Chloe whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her realization. "That aunty is Camilla's mother. He just made her say sorry. He didn't punish her for hitting me. He protected her because of Camilla."

Jaxon’s expression firmed into unyielding resolve. "Don't cry, Chloe. That vicious woman has only blinded Daddy with her lies. He doesn't know the truth about us yet."

"But he didn't care!" Chloe sniffled, a tear finally escaping her eye.

"We cannot reveal our true identities to him yet," Jaxon reminded her solemnly. He grabbed her shoulders, making sure she understood the dangerous reality they faced. "Think about it. He is a billionaire. He is powerful in Valoria. He has all the money and all the best lawyers in the country. If he thinks he loves Camilla, he will side with her family. If he finds out who we are now, he will take us away from Mommy. She would lose a brutal custody battle. Her heart would break into a million pieces."

Chloe wiped away her tear, the harsh reality sinking in. If Daddy fought Mommy in court, Mommy would lose everything. They were all Mommy had in this world.

"He’s not the daddy that we want if he keeps on protecting Camilla," Jaxon declared fiercely, his tiny fists clenching at his sides. "We don't need him right now. We can protect Mommy anyway! And we can afford to support Mommy through all this too!"

Reassured by her brother's unwavering logic and deep loyalty, Chloe took a deep breath. She nodded firmly, the sadness in her eyes replaced by quiet determination. "Yeah. We will protect Mommy."

Meanwhile, across the city, the sleek headquarters of Lumina Jewelry remained brightly lit against the night sky.

Seething heavily from her public humiliation at the hotel, Monica stormed directly into the building. The more she thought about Gideon forcing her to bow her head, the more her blood boiled. She directed all that unchecked fury straight toward the executive floor. She ignored the startled late-night assistants and marched straight for the CEO’s office.

*Bang!*

Monica kicked open the door to Vivienne's office.

Vivienne sat behind her modern desk, a solitary figure illuminated by the soft glow of her desk lamp. She was calmly reviewing a stack of acquisition files for rough diamonds. She did not even flinch at the loud, forceful intrusion.

Monica marched forward, slapped her hands flat onto the polished desk, and leaned in close. "You’re really quite a schemer, huh?" she hissed venomously, her face twisting with rage. "You actually returned to Valoria with two bastards after six years?"

Vivienne’s hand paused over a document. Her heart executed a terrifying leap in her chest. *She saw them. She saw my babies at the restaurant.*

Instantly realizing her precious children could be used as dangerous leverage by the Kensington family, Vivienne locked her panic behind an iron vault in her mind. She could not afford a single slip-up. She maintained a mask of cool, unbothered indifference.

Slowly, she looked up, her expression a perfect mask of pristine confusion. "What children? I don’t understand what you’re talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me!" Monica sneered, pointing an accusing finger. "I met two brats in a restaurant today. Now give it to me straight. Are those two children yours?"

Vivienne picked up her pen, casually tapping it against a folder. "Why are you so worried that the children are mine? I don't know any children. You barge in here, throwing baseless accusations just because you saw some random kids at a restaurant. It sounds like you are losing your mind."

Monica hesitated. The lack of panic in Vivienne’s eyes made her second-guess herself. *Is it true? Was I wrong? Do those kids really not belong to this b*tch?*

Seeing the doubt flicker across Monica's face, Vivienne struck back with lethal precision. She knew exactly how to shift the power dynamic in the room.

"Instead of bothering yourself with my fictional life, I advise you to care more about your daughter," Vivienne said smoothly. She leaned back in her leather chair, her gaze turning sharp and unforgiving. "I’ve found a batch of adulterated rough diamonds hidden in the recent inventory records."

Monica’s face paled, the accusation about the children instantly forgotten. "What adulterated rough diamonds? Don't give me that crap."

"Do you think my father would still give your daughter the management of the company if he knew she was passing off fake stones?" Vivienne challenged, her voice cold and commanding. "If you don't have the brain for the game, tell Camilla to actually build up her knowledge base. Stop dressing up like a tasteless nouveau riche and actually pay attention to the business that feeds you."

Furious at the threat and backed tightly into a corner, Monica resorted to cruel, desperate taunts. The only weapon she felt she had left was Vivienne’s past.

"You always thought you were so special," Monica boasted, a smug, ugly smile twisting her lips. "Born with a silver spoon. But let me tell you the reality. If your father hadn't needed Isabella Espinoza's money and career support, he never would have married her. I would have been the missus of the Kensingtons from the very start."

Vivienne’s eyes iced over at the mention of her late mother, but she remained seated, exuding dangerous calm.

Monica felt she had struck a nerve and pushed harder, her voice dripping with toxic misogyny. "Your mother was a pitiful woman. She was the official wife, but he cheated on her anyway. Do you know why? Men despise capable women. They prefer weaker women who know exactly how to please them. I knew his preferences, while your mother only knew how to nag him about his career. Men get tired of women like that."

Monica leaned over the desk, spitting her words out with undisguised venom. "Some people are destined to be bestowed with a good life, but run out of luck rather quickly. You and your mother are classic examples."

For a long moment, silence stretched across the room.

Then, Vivienne burst into a bout of genuine, freezing cold laughter. The sheer audacity of the woman standing before her was breathtaking.

"You’re right," Vivienne mocked with flawless precision. Her laughter died, leaving a chilling void in its wake. "A person will become invincible when they achieve a certain extent of shamelessness. If my mother could be as thick-skinned as you were, how could you have the chance to involve yourself in her marriage?"

Monica gasped, her face flushing a deep, mottled red. "You...!"

Losing her patience with the toxic conversation, Vivienne waved a dismissive hand toward the door.

"If you have nothing else to bring to my attention, please excuse my lack of hospitality," Vivienne said brutally, her eyes filled with disdain. "After all, Camilla has driven Lumina Jewelry into the ground. It is a sheer miracle the business is still running under her disastrous, incompetent management. I have actual work to do to fix the mess your family created."

Defeated but desperate to land a final, agonizing blow, Monica stood up straight. She folded her arms, adopting a look of desperate superiority.

"Don't act so arrogant just because you are some famous jewelry designer now," Monica sneered, her voice dropping into a dark warning. "You are nothing compared to Mr. Rothwell. Let me make this clear right now. You better stay far away from Gideon. Cami is his true girlfriend, and you are in no place to compete with her."

Having delivered her final threat, Monica turned on her heel and stalked out of the office, the sound of her heels clicking furiously against the floorboards.

The door slammed shut, leaving the office in heavy silence.

The mocking smile at the corners of Vivienne’s lips gradually disappeared. In the quiet of her office, her eyes turned dark and calculating.

She had zero romantic interest in Camilla’s billionaire boyfriend. Gideon Rothwell meant nothing to her. But when it came to the legacy of Lumina Jewelry, her mother's life's work and true passion, she knew the truth. It was something she would never let go of, no matter what obstacles Monica and Camilla tried to throw in her way.