Chapter 14
445words
"Everyone," Felix said, "this is Lyra Winters, our new authentication specialist."
I shook hands with elderly trustees and art world luminaries, playing the part of the eager young professional. All the while, I was acutely aware of Alexander and Vivienne seated two tables away, their heads bent close in conversation.
"Item seventeen," the auctioneer announced, "a recently discovered Degas sketch, starting bid fifty thousand dollars."
The bidding war that followed was fierce. I watched, fascinated, as millions of dollars changed hands with the casual lift of auction paddles. Felix bid occasionally, winning a small Renoir sketch and a set of Japanese woodblock prints.
During a brief intermission, I excused myself to the ladies' room. As I reapplied my lipstick in the mirror, the door swung open. Vivienne Sinclair stepped in, her white dress gleaming under the chandelier light.
Our eyes met in the mirror. For a moment, neither of us spoke.
"Felix seems quite taken with you," she said finally, opening her clutch to retrieve a gold compact.
I capped my lipstick. "We have a professional relationship."
"Of course." Her smile was razor-sharp. "Though the Blackwood men have a history of blurring professional lines."
She powdered her nose with practiced precision, watching me from the corner of her eye.
"You know," she continued, "Alexander mentioned you seemed familiar. Have you two met before?"
My pulse quickened. "I don't believe so."
"Hmm." She snapped her compact shut. "He usually remembers beautiful women. And you are... striking."
The compliment dripped with venom. I turned to face her directly.
"How long have you known Alexander?" I asked, as if merely curious.
"We grew up together," she said. "Our families have been connected for generations. We understand each other in ways outsiders never could."
The threat was thinly veiled. I smiled, channeling all the knowledge of her true nature into my response.
"How fortunate for you both. Though I've found that sometimes the people closest to us are the ones we understand least of all."
Something dangerous flashed in her eyes—the same look I'd seen just before she pushed me into the Atlantic. But this time, I wasn't caught off guard.
"Enjoy the auction, Ms. Winters," she said, moving toward the door. "And a word of advice? The Blackwood family has... complicated dynamics. Be careful where you step."
The door swung shut behind her. I exhaled slowly, my hands gripping the marble countertop. Round one to Vivienne, but the game had only just begun.
