Page 39 of Cup of Lies

Vivienne nods. “You two look exactly alike. You both share that wicked man’s smile.”

My heart races. Slowly, like a dripping of a faucet, memories are being fed to me. I remember “meeting” Doc Junior and Seth for the first time at the president’s event. Back then, I’d had no clue Huxley was my biological father.

Everything in my life has been a huge lie from the get-go.

Dad was never really my dad. Bastian wasn’t my brother. I’ve been a captive in this world of pretend since I was yanked out of this monster’s womb.

Will I ever be free?

You felt the most free with Caius…

My eyes burn with the threat of tears, but I quickly blink back the emotion. Now’s not the time to let pain into the driver’s seat. Anger is in charge and needs to stay that way if I have any intention of getting through this.

“You don’t seem surprised by any of this,” Vivienne states, a flare of disappointment in her words. “It’s a lot of shocking news to take in.”

Knowing she’s unhappy by the fact I’m not crying and losing my shit has satisfaction racing through me.

“Honestly, I don’t care about any of this,” I bite out, the truth a harsh blow to the monster from my past.

She flinches and opens her mouth like she wants to argue why I should care. I don’t give her the chance.

“All I care about is finding out specifically what you know about the lab, the people who work there, and getting Kaitlyn back.”

Her eyes narrow. “What do I get in return?”

Eva stiffens, a flash of anger passing over her sweet features. “You said you wanted to help her because she was your daughter.”

“I do,” Vivienne says, flicking her wicked fingers in Eva’s direction. “But I need help with something too.”

“Unbelievable,” Eva hisses. “You have a lot of nerve—”

“It’s fine,” I assure her. “I know what we’re dealing with here. A selfish, vile monster. We can hear her out. Kaitlyn is worth it.”

Eva purses her lips and nods. I turn and look at Vivienne again, arching a brow to let her know I’m waiting.

“I wanther,” Vivienne snarls, spittle leaving her mouth and spraying the air in front of her.

Protective fury swells up inside me like a massive tidal wave. “You will never lay another finger on Kaitlyn.”

Vivienne shakes her head, eyes gleaming with unmasked hatred. “Not the girl. The woman who stole your real father from me. She ruined everything.”

I exchange a confused look with Eva.

“Ava Herring,” Vivienne says, venom dripping from her words. “She’s slippery. I’ve been hunting her for over a decade.”

“Red hair? That Ava?”

She nods, lip curling up in disgust. “The media spins her as some sort of harmless philanthropist. But I know the truth. She’s a homewrecker.”

Memories of Ava on the yacht come flooding in. She’s nothing more than a wicked witch who finds young women and serves them up to the evil men of this world.

“I don’t know a lot about her or even where she lives,” I admit with defeat.

“You’re connected with the Crownes, though. I’ve done my research. Caius would know these things. You can ask him. It’s why I embedded myself with them in the first place.”

Kaitlyn was another casualty in Vivienne’s war.

I’m not sure how I’ll get this information for her from a man whom I still have to find, but I give her the answer she wants to hear.

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