Chapter 32: Dinner With Wolves

Theo

Theo dreamed of rain.

Not the soft kind.

This rain came down hard, silver and violent under streetlights, turning pavement slick and red.

He was twenty again.

Bleeding.

Angry that he couldn’t stand.

More angry that he was scared.

The world tilted above him—blurred faces, shouting, the sharp bite of pain in his ribs. Someone screamed for an ambulance. Someone else told him not to move.

Then a girl dropped to her knees beside him.

Curly hair damp against her cheeks.

Hazel-green eyes sharp with focus.

Small hands pressing down hard enough to make him gasp.

"Stay with me."

Theo laughed weakly in the dream, tasting blood.

"You boss everyone around like this?"

"Yes," she snapped. "Especially people bleeding on the pavement."

He remembered that part vividly.

Not because of the pain.

Because of her.

The way she didn’t ask who he was.

Didn’t care what his last name could do.

Didn’t look at him like a Calloway heir, a liability, or a headline waiting to happen.

She looked at him like a person who needed to live.

"Stay with me," she repeated.

So he did.

Theo woke with his hand pressed against his side where the scar still lived.

The room was dark, early morning light barely touching the edges of the curtains. For a second, he stayed still, breathing slowly, letting the dream recede.

Then he smiled faintly.

"Allison Croft," he murmured.

The name sat differently now.

Not distant.

Not filed away.

Not hidden behind quiet updates and harmless curiosity.

Now she was in the house.

In Lucian’s house.

And Lucian had kissed her.

Theo knew.

Of course he knew.

People thought he missed things because he smiled too easily. They believed the jokes. The loose posture. The charming, careless mask.

That was their mistake.

Theo noticed everything.

He noticed Allison’s glow at breakfast.

Lucian’s restraint.

The way Lucian’s attention moved to her first and last.

The way Allison softened when Lucian spoke low, then caught herself like softness was dangerous.

And it was.

Softness always gave someone a place to cut.

Theo sat up slowly and reached for his phone.

Three messages waited from contacts he never named properly.

One from a private investigator.

One from a security contact.

One from someone still inside the Morrison orbit.

He opened the last first.

Vivienne is moving. Family dinner tonight. Calloway-Laurent-Cassel. Lucian expected.

Theo’s smile faded.

A family dinner.

Of course.

Vivienne wasn’t going to storm the gates.

She was too polished for that.

She would use family.

Tradition.

Expectation.

Old alliances.

She would put Lucian in a room where rejecting her felt like rejecting history.

Smart.

Annoying, but smart.

Theo got out of bed and crossed to the window, looking out over the private grounds as morning spread over the city.

Lucian would go.

Not because he wanted Vivienne.

Because old families rarely ignored old invitations without consequence.

But if Lucian went alone, Vivienne would twist the room around him before dessert.

If he brought Allison—

Theo’s smile returned slowly.

Then the room became a battlefield.

Good.

He loved a battlefield when everyone else thought it was dinner.

Theo typed one message.

Make sure Lucian sees the invitation before noon.

Then another.

If Vivienne is funding Anthony, I want the route. Not rumors. Proof.

He paused.

Then typed a third.

And find out who at Morrison is still loyal to Sharon. Quietly.

Theo set the phone down.

His agenda was simple.

Not clean.

Not noble.

But simple.

Protect Allison.

Expose Vivienne.

And make sure Lucian understood that if he hesitated, even for a second, Theo would not.

⸻

Allison

Allison found out about the dinner because Simone nearly choked on a strawberry.

They were in the breakfast room, though breakfast had become closer to lunch because no one in that house seemed to operate on normal human schedules.

Simone wore a fitted black jumpsuit with gold hoops and a silk scarf tied around her ponytail, looking like she was one insult away from hosting a fashion trial.

Allison wore a soft sage blouse tucked into cream trousers, simple gold jewelry, and her curls pinned halfway back. She looked calm, fresh, almost gentle.

The kind of gentle that had teeth if necessary.

Lucian entered holding his phone.

That was the first warning.

His expression was composed, but there was a slight tension at his jaw.

Simone caught it instantly.

"Oh no," she said. "That’s rich-people bad news face."

Allison looked up. "What happened?"

Lucian glanced at her.

Then at Theo, who was already seated near the window, too relaxed to be innocent.

Theo smiled. "Something interesting?"

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. "Did you know about this?"

"About what?"

"You’re a terrible liar."

"I’m an excellent liar," Theo said. "You’re just emotionally invested today."

Simone gasped softly. "I knew I liked him."

Lucian ignored both of them and looked at Allison.

"My family received an invitation."

"To what?" Allison asked.

"A private dinner tonight."

Simone chewed slowly. "Private dinner where?"

Lucian’s voice was calm. "Laurent-Cassel residence."

The room quieted.

Allison’s face did not change, but her eyes sharpened.

"Vivienne."

"Yes."

Simone set her fork down. "Absolutely not."

Theo leaned back. "Absolutely yes."

Everyone looked at him.

Theo lifted one shoulder. "What? If a snake invites you to dinner, you don’t decline. You bring boots."

Simone pointed at him. "Okay, that was good."

Allison looked at Lucian. "Are you going?"

"I have to."

Her brows lifted.

Lucian corrected himself. "I don’t have to. But refusing would create unnecessary speculation."

"And going alone gives her room to control the story," Allison said.

Lucian studied her.

"Yes."

Allison nodded once, decision already forming. "Then I’m going with you."

Lucian’s expression shifted. "Allison—"

"No." She smiled slightly. "Don’t do the protective pause. I’m learning to hate it."

Theo laughed under his breath.

Lucian exhaled slowly. "This will not be pleasant."

"I’ve had dinner with the Morrisons. My standards are already in hell."

Simone raised her juice glass. "Respectfully, she has a point."

Lucian stepped closer to Allison. "Vivienne will try to provoke you."

"Good," Allison said. "I’m in the mood to disappoint her."

Theo’s smile widened.

There she was.

Lucian looked at her for a long moment.

Then nodded.

"Alright."

Simone sat up. "Wait, are we all going?"

Lucian said, "No."

Theo said, "I am."

Lucian turned. "You are not."

Theo looked offended. "I’m family."

"You are a problem."

"Family problem. Still counts."

Simone leaned toward Allison. "Can I come? I don’t have family eligibility, but I have commentary."

Allison almost smiled. "Not tonight."

Simone sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if she wears champagne again, text me. I need to know if she has other colors."

⸻

Vivienne

Vivienne Laurent-Cassel dressed for dinner like war had requested elegance.

A black silk gown tonight.

Not champagne.

Not soft.

Black, cut with architectural precision, one shoulder bare, diamonds at her ears, hair swept back in smooth waves. She looked like a woman prepared to mourn someone else’s confidence.

Her mother, Celeste Laurent-Cassel, stood by the fireplace in the receiving room, studying the floral arrangement like it had personally disappointed her.

"Lucian confirmed?" Celeste asked.

"Yes," Vivienne said.

"And the Croft girl?"

Vivienne’s hand stilled for only half a second.

"Likely."

Celeste looked over. "You invited him too directly. He would bring her just to make a point."

Vivienne smiled faintly. "Then we’ll hear the point."

Her father, Laurent Cassel, poured himself a drink. "Careful, Vivienne. The Crofts are not a decorative family."

"I’m aware."

"And Allison Croft is not a decorative daughter."

Vivienne’s jaw tightened subtly. "I’m aware of that too."

Celeste watched her with cold maternal amusement.

"Are you?"

Vivienne turned. "What does that mean?"

"It means you are behaving like a woman offended, not a strategist."

Vivienne’s smile was thin. "I can be both."

"Not successfully."

That stung.

Not visibly.

But enough.

Vivienne walked to the mirror and adjusted one diamond earring.

"I am not threatened by her."

Celeste’s reflection met hers.

"No," her mother said softly. "You’re threatened by the way he looks at her."

Vivienne said nothing.

Because some truths were beneath response.

And some were too accurate to survive one.

⸻

The Dinner

Lucian arrived with Allison on his arm.

The decision was elegant.

Devastating.

And unmistakable.

The Laurent-Cassel mansion was older than Lucian’s Boston residence, all carved stone, sweeping stairs, antique chandeliers, and rooms that smelled faintly of roses, polished wood, and inherited arrogance.

Allison stepped inside in deep sapphire satin.

Lucian had gone still when he first saw the dress.

Not because it was revealing.

Because it was hers.

The color made her skin glow, brought out the hazel-green of her eyes, and fell over her curves in a way that looked expensive without trying to seduce the room.

She wore her curls swept to one side, gold pins hidden among them like quiet stars.

Lucian wore black.

Of course.

Tailored perfectly, severe and handsome enough that the butler nearly forgot his greeting.

Theo came behind them in dark gray, hands in his pockets, wearing his usual easy smile like an innocent man.

No one believed him.

Vivienne stood at the far end of the receiving room.

When she saw Allison on Lucian’s arm, her smile did not move.

But her eyes did.

Just slightly.

Allison caught it.

Good.

Vivienne approached.

"Lucian."

"Vivienne."

No warmth.

No chill.

Just history.

Then Vivienne looked at Allison.

"Miss Croft. I didn’t realize you’d be joining us."

Allison smiled. "That makes two of us."

Theo coughed softly.

Lucian’s hand rested lightly at Allison’s back—not possessive, not showy, but present.

Vivienne saw it.

Of course she did.

"So gracious of you to come," Vivienne said.

Allison’s smile stayed smooth. "I try not to ignore invitations delivered through family pressure."

Silence flickered.

Theo looked down like he was hiding a smile.

Vivienne’s lips curved. "Honest."

"When appropriate."

Celeste stepped forward then, saving the room with a practiced social grace that felt sharper than kindness.

"Allison Croft," she said. "You look very much like your mother."

Allison turned toward her. "That depends on whether it’s a compliment."

Celeste smiled.

A real one, small but interested.

"It is."

"Then thank you."

Laurent Cassel greeted Lucian next, then Theo, then Allison with careful respect.

"Your father and I have crossed paths."

Allison smiled faintly. "Most people remember when they do."

Laurent chuckled. "Yes. He has that effect."

Dinner began with civility.

Which meant the knives were hidden.

The dining room was candlelit and severe, the table long enough to seat a treaty negotiation. Vivienne sat opposite Allison. Lucian beside Allison. Theo beside Lucian, where he could observe every expression without pretending too hard.

The first course was served.

White wine poured.

Soft conversation began.

It took exactly seven minutes for Vivienne to strike.

"I imagine the last few days have been exhausting," she said to Allison.

Allison lifted her glass but didn’t drink. "A little."

"You’ve handled it publicly with impressive control."

"Privately too," Theo added.

Lucian glanced at him.

Theo smiled into his wine.

Vivienne looked at Theo briefly, then back to Allison. "Still, I imagine this level of scrutiny is new."

Allison’s fork paused.

Only for half a second.

"No," she said. "Scrutiny is familiar. People simply know my name now."

Vivienne’s eyes sharpened.

"Names change things."

"They clarify them."

A beat.

Vivienne smiled. "And Lucian has been helpful with that clarification?"

The table stilled by a degree.

Lucian’s jaw tightened.

Allison set her fork down gently.

"Lucian has been helpful because he chooses to be," she said. "Not because I need clarification."

Vivienne’s smile remained. "Of course."

Theo leaned back slightly. "This soup is excellent."

No one responded.

He took a sip anyway.

Vivienne turned her attention to Lucian.

"You’ve been difficult to reach."

"I’ve been occupied."

"With Allison’s situation?"

"With Allison," Lucian said.

Plain.

Direct.

The room sharpened.

Vivienne blinked once.

Allison’s heart gave one hard beat.

Theo’s smile vanished for just a second before returning lighter than before.

Vivienne recovered. "That’s a strong statement."

Lucian looked at her calmly. "It was meant to be."

Celeste took a sip of wine.

Very slowly.

Allison, despite herself, felt warmth rise under her skin.

Not embarrassment.

Something worse.

Feeling.

Vivienne saw that too.

Her voice softened, dangerous. "Then I hope you understand the complications."

Allison answered before Lucian could.

"Everyone keeps warning me about complications like I’m supposed to be impressed by the word."

Vivienne’s gaze returned to her.

Allison continued, voice calm. "Anthony was a complication. Morrison was a complication. Your boutique speech was a complication. I’m still here."

Theo murmured, "Very much here."

Lucian’s mouth almost moved.

Vivienne’s fingers tightened lightly around her glass.

"You’re confident," she said.

"I’m accurate."

That landed.

Across the table, Laurent Cassel watched Allison with growing interest.

Celeste looked mildly entertained.

Vivienne did not.

"So what do you want, Allison?" Vivienne asked.

It sounded casual.

It wasn’t.

Allison looked at her.

"I want the people who used me to face consequences."

"And after that?"

Allison smiled faintly.

"Peace."

Vivienne tilted her head. "With Lucian?"

The question was too sharp.

Too personal.

Lucian’s hand shifted slightly under the table, but Allison didn’t need saving.

She leaned back.

"That depends."

Vivienne’s smile returned. "On?"

"Whether people stop inserting themselves into something that doesn’t concern them."

Theo coughed again.

This time, it was definitely laughter.

Vivienne’s mask held.

Barely.

Dinner continued.

But the room had changed.

Vivienne tried three more times.

A question about Allison’s plans.

A comment about Lucian’s obligations.

A careful mention of how old families survived by choosing wisely.

Each time, Allison answered without raising her voice.

Each time, Vivienne lost a little ground.

By dessert, Lucian looked openly pleased.

Which made Vivienne angrier than any insult could have.

⸻

After Dinner

The men drifted toward the study with Laurent, tradition wrapping itself around the moment like something old and suffocating.

Lucian’s hand brushed Allison’s elbow before he left.

A quiet check.

She nodded once.

I’m fine.

Theo lingered a second longer than necessary.

His eyes flicked to the wineglass Allison had barely touched.

Then to Vivienne.

Then back to Allison.

"You’re enjoying this," he murmured.

"A little," Allison said.

His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes this time.

"Stay sharp."

Then he followed the others.

⸻

The room softened after they left.

Or at least—

It pretended to.

Celeste remained near the fireplace, composed as ever, while a maid stepped forward to refresh Allison’s glass.

"Allison," Vivienne said smoothly, approaching. "Walk with me."

Allison didn’t hesitate.

She set her glass down—

Then paused.

Just for a second.

Because something felt—

Off.

Not obvious.

Not dramatic.

Just... wrong.

She ignored it.

That was her first mistake.

⸻

The corridor leading toward the terrace was dimmer, quieter. The noise of the house faded behind them, replaced with the soft hum of distant conversation and the faint rustle of trees outside.

Vivienne walked slightly ahead.

Controlled.

Elegant.

Calculated.

"You handled yourself well," Vivienne said.

"I didn’t come to lose," Allison replied.

Vivienne’s lips curved faintly. "No. I can see that."

They reached the open terrace doors.

Cool night air slipped in.

Allison stepped outside—

And the world tilted.

⸻

It wasn’t dramatic.

No instant collapse.

Just—

A slow, heavy pull behind her eyes.

Her limbs felt... delayed.

Her breath shallow.

Allison’s fingers tightened slightly at her side.

No.

Her mind sharpened instantly.

That drink.

She hadn’t finished it.

But she’d had enough.

⸻

Behind her—

Movement.

Two men stepped from the shadows near the garden path.

Not staff.

Not family.

Their posture gave them away immediately.

Controlled.

Purposeful.

Wrong.

Allison turned slightly, forcing her vision to steady.

Vivienne didn’t move.

Didn’t react.

Just watched.

Cold.

⸻

"You should have stayed in your place," Vivienne said quietly.

The words weren’t raised.

Didn’t need to be.

Allison’s pulse slowed instead of racing.

Interesting.

So this is what we’re doing.

⸻

One of the men stepped forward.

"All set," he muttered.

Allison took a step back.

Her balance faltered—

Just slightly.

But enough.

⸻

Then—

A voice cut through the night.

"Wow."

Lazy.

Amused.

Dangerously aware.

Theo.

⸻

Everyone froze.

Theo leaned against the terrace doorway like he’d been there the whole time.

Like he’d been waiting.

His gaze flicked once over Allison—

Assessing.

Calculating.

Then settled on Vivienne.

"You really went with this?" he asked lightly. "Kidnapping? That’s... bold."

Vivienne’s expression didn’t change.

"You’re mistaken."

Theo laughed under his breath.

"No, I’m not."

⸻

Another voice followed.

Slower.

Colder.

"Neither is he."

Anthony stepped into the light from the far side of the terrace.

Allison’s vision flickered again—

But she saw him clearly.

And the way his expression wasn’t smug.

Wasn’t confident.

It was tight.

Controlled.

Uneasy.

⸻

Vivienne turned sharply. "What are you doing here?"

Anthony exhaled.

Then looked at Theo.

Then at Allison.

Then back at Vivienne.

And something in him shifted.

"I told you," he said, voice low. "This was too far."

Vivienne’s tone sharpened. "You don’t get to decide that."

"No," Anthony said. "But I do get to decide when I’m not taking the fall for it."

Silence snapped tight.

⸻

Theo straightened slowly.

Now he looked interested.

"Oh, this just got fun."

⸻

Anthony ran a hand through his hair.

Then said it.

Flat.

Clear.

Damning.

"You drug her," he said. "You planned to move her off-site. Make it look like she disappeared under pressure. Then bring her back controlled."

Allison’s stomach dropped—

Not from fear.

From confirmation.

⸻

Vivienne’s voice turned lethal. "Careful."

Anthony didn’t stop.

"You said Lucian would break if she destabilized," he continued. "That the Crofts would pull back if she became a liability."

Theo let out a low whistle.

"That’s not messy," he said. "That’s ambitious."

⸻

Allison swayed slightly.

Theo noticed immediately.

He moved—

Fast.

One step.

Two.

And suddenly he was there, steadying her before she hit the ground.

"Easy," he murmured, voice softer now. "Stay with me."

The words hit something deep.

Familiar.

Grounding.

⸻

Footsteps thundered behind them.

Lucian.

He didn’t walk.

He moved like violence given direction.

His gaze went straight to Allison—

Then to Theo holding her—

Then to Vivienne.

⸻

The air changed.

Completely.

⸻

Lucian’s voice was quiet.

Too quiet.

"What. Did you do?"

Vivienne held his gaze.

Unflinching.

"Be careful what you assume."

Theo snorted. "Oh, we’re way past assuming."

Anthony stepped back.

"I’m done," he said. "I’m not part of this."

No one believed that saved him.

⸻

Lucian reached Allison.

His hands came up to her face, steady, grounding.

"Allison."

Her vision struggled—

But she focused on him.

"I’m fine," she said softly.

A lie.

But a controlled one.

⸻

Lucian turned.

And whatever restraint he’d brought into that house—

Was gone.

⸻

"Everyone stays exactly where they are," he said.

Not loud.

Not shouted.

But final.

⸻

From inside, Laurent’s voice echoed sharply as more movement approached—security, staff, the illusion of order scrambling to recover.

Too late.

The damage was already done.

⸻

Theo shifted slightly, keeping Allison steady.

His expression had lost all humor now.

"You really should’ve picked a smaller move," he said to Vivienne. "This one?"

A pause.

Cold.

Final.

"Ends people."

⸻

Vivienne said nothing.

But for the first time that night—

She didn’t look in control.

⸻

Allison exhaled slowly.

Forcing clarity.

Forcing strength.

And as Lucian’s hand remained steady against her, and Theo stood solid at her side, and Anthony’s words still hung in the air like a detonated truth—

She understood something clearly.

This wasn’t social warfare anymore.

This was power.

And tonight—

Vivienne had overplayed hers.

——————

Lucian didn’t let go of her hand when they left.

Not for a second.

Theo followed behind them—

No smile now.

Just calculation.

Vivienne stood where they left her.

Silent.

Controlled.

But no longer untouchable.

⸻

Because now—

Everyone knew.

⸻

And as Allison stepped into the night air, steadier with every breath, one truth settled in her chest with absolute clarity:

Vivienne Laurent-Cassel hadn’t just made a move.

She had declared war.