Chapter 12
“Grandmother of the house” had once meant something.
Before my father centralized power.
Before wives and mothers were pushed away from command.
The title belonged to the woman who controlled household loyalty, marriages, children, private access.
Vivian wanted it back.
I laughed when Victor explained.
She hated that.
“You think history is funny?”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“I think cosplay is.”
Ryan almost smiled.
Vivian saw.
Her face hardened.
“You pathetic boy.”
Ryan’s smile vanished.
There.
She could still wound him with one sentence.
“You would have nothing without me.”
He looked at her.
“You told me I was ready.”
“You were useful.”
Same word.
Again.
Ryan stood slowly.
“What was supposed to happen after I became temporary head?”
Vivian said nothing.
I answered.
“She takes the house.”
His eyes moved to me.
Then her.
Victor nodded.
“Old structure.”
Vivian finally spoke.
“The house needs a center.”
I laughed.
“You?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
She believed it.
“And my children?”
Her expression softened falsely.
“They would learn.”
Oliver immediately stepped behind Margaret.
Vivian smiled at him.
“See?”
She crouched slightly.
“You know Grandma Vivian only gets angry when you make bad choices.”
Oliver whispered:
“You get angry when we eat.”
Her face sharpened.
“Because you steal.”
“I took bread.”
“You took before permission.”
I stepped between.
“No one in this house asks you for permission to eat again.”
She looked at me.
“You’ll raise animals.”
“No.”
“Entitled little—”
“Enough.”
My voice changed.
Everyone heard it.
Emma woke and started crying.
Vivian rolled her eyes.
I looked at Ryan.
“Did you agree to this title?”
He hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Mother said the old capos respected it.”
Victor laughed.
“Old capos respect strength.”
Vivian snapped:
“They respected me.”
“Past tense.”
That landed.
She stood.
Then looked at me with pure hatred.
“You took everything.”
“No.”
“What?”
“You lost it.”
Silence.
Then one of my guards entered.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“We found someone in the east guest wing.”
Ryan’s face changed.
Vivian’s too.
“Who?”
My guard looked at Victor.
“Harold Bennett’s old driver.”
Ryan’s dead father’s driver.
Alive.
May you like
Hidden inside my house.
And suddenly the past Vivian had been invoking was no longer a story she controlled.
