The rival?

Sebastian suddenly slammed his fists on the table with a deadly look in his eyes, the raging look in his eyes was far more worse than the calm he exuded when the old man had pointed the gun to his head, "You wouldn't dare!" He glared at his grandfather murderously.

Vivian could see the old man stiffen, she wanted no part of their family drama, all she wanted was to get her job here over with, but unexpectedly, an old man was here pulling a stunt. Her heart was beating fast as the man cracked the gun, she was surprised by the fact that even though she had been claiming she'd rather be dead, she was still quite scared while faced with a threat to her life.

"Dad, I said enough!" Raymond grabbed the gun out of his father's hands.

The old man seemed calmer as he'd sensed the serious danger in his grandson's eyes, did his grandson value this woman that much? he thought.

With a sigh he sat back down in his chair and Sebastian followed suit.

"Dad, let him be, he married the woman he loves, don't try to ruin it for him." Raymond said.

The old man didn't reply, but he looked visibly calmer, it didn't seem as if he'd act up violently again.

After a few seconds of silence Raymond saw that the tension had completely eased down so he called a waiter over to place the orders for their food.

"What's your name again dear?" Raymond asked Vivian as the dishes were being served.

Vivian glanced up at Sebastian seeing him nod slightly she said, "Vivian... My name is Vivian Hayes." Her voice was low but audible enough for all in the room to hear.

The old man stiffened for a second at the sound of her last name, but later just dismissed it and snorted derisively, "The girl is just some ordinary bitch that has nothing to offer."

"Dad!" Raymond glared at the old man who didn't seem regretful of his words at all.

Raymond turned back to Vivian with an apologetic smile.

She somewhat marveled at the man's kind personality. The old man's attitude seemed a bit more acceptable for a mafia family. The kings were known all over the country, they literally ruled the underworld, it was also a well known fact that they had great connections in the justice sector as well, lives are lost when you mess with the Kings and it was not a surprise the old man had wanted to kill Vivian. But Raymond seemed a bit too nice for a deadly person.

"So, how did you two meet?" Raymond asked again while taking a bite of his meal.

Vivian thought the question was something that would come out of a normal family meeting their daughter in law for the first time.

The old man snorted again before Vivian could seek Sebastian's permission to speak, "Probably at some fancy club."

Sebastian casually spoke, "We met at a mall."

The old man laughed, "Who do you think you're fooling, you never go shopping. Ha! at a mall." He shook his head clearly not believing Sebastian's words.

His father on the other hand was quite a sport, "At a mall huh? That's quite romantic in a wierd way. Was it love at first sight or..."

"Dad, enough with the questions, I'm married already, there's no need for you to hear the backstory." Sebastian suddenly snapped.

"Well I just want to know if you two are happy together. You're aware that you can't just drag a woman into this sort of life right?" His father stated.

"I don't think that's any of your business, we got married in full mutual consent, she knows what she's walking into." Sebastian replied.

With a sigh Raymond turned to Vivian, "Am aware you know what kind of family we are, can you tell me why you chose to marry my son?"

Vivian glanced at Sebastian, receiving his permission to speak she gritted her teeth and spat out the lie he'd already fed her before they arrived, "I got married to him because... He's the man I want to be with, am willing to do anything to spend the rest of my life with him... Even if I have to give my life for it." Vivian never considered herself an avid liar, but with Brian's life at stake, she was surprised how the lie came flawlessly out of her mouth, especially when she said he's the man she wanted to be with.

Sebastian fixed his calm gaze on her with an unfathomable look in his eyes. Raymond on the other hand looked touched, his eyes visibly glazed with sadness and silence descended upon the room after her proclamation.

"You're always going to be a disgrace to me Raymond for your pathetic softness. Till today I still regret letting you marry that woman, before you met her you were never this soft. Just look at yourself now, after her death you've become some weakling. I will not let the same thing happen to my grandson." The old man suddenly broke the silence as he yelled at his son with disappointment in his eyes.

The words Vivian said had clearly reminded Raymond of something. The old man turned to Sebastian, "Do you think you've won in this? Fine, I'll let you keep this woman at your side if you are willing to make a wager with me."

"Aren't you too old for games like that?" Sebastian replied sarcastically.

"Oh we'll see if I am, do you accept or not?"

"What wager?" Sebastian asked.

"If you can win the challenge I place for you, then I'll let this woman be your wife and I won't interfere between you or even try to force you to marry Davina, but if you fail, you have to tie the knot with Davina immediately." The old man proposed as he strode around the room with his cane in hand.

"Get to the point old man, what is the challenge." Sebastian sounded impatient.

With an evil smirk the old man said, "It's simple, keep her alive for six months, if she lives past six months, you can have her, but if not, of course that means she died and you'll have no choice but to marry the woman of my choice."

Raymond looked shocked, "Dad, what kind of wager is that? Have you forgotten our code? We can go against the world, but we don't go against each other."

"Am just after the woman, of course I won't harm my own grandson." The old man clarified.

Gerald king was the man of power behind the king family's dealings, even though Sebastian had created his own power and influence with time, it would be like a battle against equal opponents for Sebastian to go against him.

"Fine, I want to get your ceaseless nagging and annoying insistence to pair me off with Davina off my back anyway, so deal." Sebastian agreed to the terms the old man placed calmly.

Vivian's eyes widened, had she suddenly been used as a chess piece in a game between the most dangerous men alive? She wondered.

Sebastian got on his feet extending his hands to Vivian, "Time to leave."

"Son, bring her back home for a visit someday." Raymond called.

"That's not gonna happen Dad, the family house is the old man's den, that's like bringing fresh meat right into the lion's den." Sebastian said, he pulled Vivian's hands and strode out of the room.

His grandfather Gerald had a deviously triumphant look on his face.

"Dad, you're really not going to kill your grandson's wife are you?" Raymond asked doubtfully.

The man gave him a side glance, "Have I ever made a fake threat before? Till this day, not a single person whom I desire dead has been left alive. She's just some woman, I'll get her out of the way and get my grandson married to the woman I chose for him, simple." Gerald stated in satisfaction.

***

A couple more days passed by after their meeting with the king family. Sebastian had been quiet throughout the ride back to his mansion, as for Vivian, she was more than happy to return back to hiding behind the locked doors of the room.

Though she hadn't understood much of the conflict between Sebastian and his grandfather but she got to understand a few things, one, Sebastian had probably married her in order to escape some arranged marriage from his family, but that didn't give him the justification to kidnap her, rape her, and threaten her with the life of the man she loves. Two, she had become a wager and a target of the patriarch of the king family, Gerald king, with the man's reputation, she was certain almost everyone in the city will be after her head.

But she didn't care about Sebastian, his family affairs, or the fact that her life had been put on a line now as long as Brian remained safe.

It was another day just like any other and Vivian was still locked up in her room, she sat on a couch by the window gazing out at the garden when the door to the room was suddenly pushed open followed by an angry female voice.

"Get out of my way!" The woman yelled at the guard that had followed her in to stop her.

Vivian raised her head and saw a beautiful woman standing inside her room, she was wearing a body hugging red top paired with tight black pants, her hair packed up in a ponytail, she had flawlessly fair skin her pouty lips a deep red.

"So, she's even allowed inside his room?" The woman asked clearly enraged, "How dare you sit in his room as if you own it?" She yelled directly at Vivian.

"Me?" Vivian asked uncertain if she knew the woman for her to seem mad at her.

"Yes am talking to you pathetic slut, how dare you sit in his room?" The woman bellowed.

Vivian wasn't certain what she was talking about or why she was mad at her, she didn't even know the woman, Vivian glanced questioningly at the guard in black uniform with innocent eyes as if he could answer her questions about this woman.

"Am sorry ma'am," the guard looked apologetically at Vivian then turned to the angry woman, he seemed to be afraid of the woman for some reason, but he still spoke up, "Am sorry miss, but you have to leave."

The woman shot the guard a glare then turned her attention back to Vivian, "Can't you hear me? Get out of this room!"

Vivian wasn't interested on picking any trouble with anyone, but she only had to obey Sebastian's orders not anyone elses, she didn't know why the woman was angry at her so she decided to ignore her.

"You dare look away when am talking to you?" The woman yelled.

Before Vivian could realize a thing, the woman was right beside her, she grabbed Vivian's arms roughly and began dragging her out of the room.

"Hey, what are you doing, let me go!" Vivian tried to wriggle her arm free from the woman's grip but the woman seemed to have manly strength, Vivian was unable to free herself from the woman's hold.

She dragged Vivian right outside the huge Gates of the mansion, Sebastian's men were all alarmed and followed her but neither of them seemed to have the guts to stop the woman.

"Here, this is where you belong. So stay out, and stay out of Sebastian's life otherwise I swear I will kill you!" The woman bellowed loudly after throwing Vivian outside.

Vivian fell on her side due to the force of how the woman pushed her. She really disliked how violent these people were. It wasn't like she wanted any part of all this in the first place, but to preserve Brian's life she had to stick to the deal in the contract.

"Who are you to chase me out." Getting up on her feet, Vivian questioned the still seething woman.

"Who am I? Who am I? I am Sebastian's fiancee, and you're asking who I am? Alright I'll show you who I am and what I can do to a slut like you!" The woman seemed angrier at Vivian's sudden courageous retort which made it seem to the woman as if Vivian wanted to cling to Sebastian more.

In one swift and skillful move the woman grabbed a gun out of a guard's waist and pointed it straight at Vivian. Vivian suddenly felt a wave of deja Vu coming up. Having a gun to her head had become an often reoccurrence these days.

"Grandpa was right, only by eliminating you will Sebastian be free to be mine again, that will teach a nasty slut like you to never fool around with my man!" The woman cracked the gun, her hands just seconds from pulling the trigger.

"Go ahead, shoot her." Came Sebastian's magnetically deep voice from behind Vivian.