Chapter 10: The Velvet Cage（第十章：天鹅绒囚笼）

　　薇薇安·里德的公寓大堂需要刷卡才能进入。我耐心等待，直到一位穿着考究、提着公文包的男人走出，才像一缕烟般滑入门内。空气中弥漫着消毒水和昂贵香氛混合的味道，寂静得能听到自己的心跳——尽管那心跳是无声的。她的楼层更高，视野极佳。站在那扇厚重的双开大门前，我感受到一种与凯莉那里截然不同的氛围：不是充满生命力的混乱，而是一种精心维持的、近乎无菌的秩序。

　　Vivian Reed's apartment lobby required a key card for entry. I waited patiently until a well-dressed man carrying a briefcase exited, then slipped inside like a wisp of smoke. The air smelled of a mix of disinfectant and expensive perfume, so quiet I could almost hear my own heartbeat—even though it was silent. Her floor was higher, with an excellent view. Standing before the heavy double doors, I sensed an atmosphere entirely different from Kylie's: not a vibrant chaos, but a meticulously maintained, almost sterile order.

　　穿过门扉，内部景象印证了我的预感。劳伦的公寓是温馨的，凯莉的公寓是鲜活的，而薇薇安的公寓则像一套豪华样板间。极简主义的装修，色调是统一的米白、浅灰和金属银。每件家具都像经过精心测量般摆放，没有多余的杂物。一尘不染的光洁表面反射着窗外的城市灯光。这里缺乏生活气息，更像一个舞台。

　　Passing through the doorway, the interior confirmed my premonition. Lauren's apartment was cozy, Kylie's was alive, but Vivian's apartment resembled a luxury showroom. Minimalist decor, a unified palette of beige, light gray, and metallic silver. Every piece of furniture seemed precisely placed, with no unnecessary clutter. Spotless, glossy surfaces reflected the city lights outside. It lacked a sense of living, more like a stage.

　　我听到声音从里面传来。循着声音，我来到一间显然是家庭办公室的房间。薇薇安·里德正背对着门，站在一个巨大的显示屏前，进行视频会议。她穿着熨帖的白色丝绸衬衫和剪裁合身的西装裤，即使在家，也保持着无可挑剔的专业形象。她的声音清晰、冷静，带着一种不容置疑的权威感，分析与解读着屏幕上的复杂图表。

　　I heard sounds from within. Following the sound, I arrived at a room that was clearly a home office. Vivian Reed was standing with her back to the door, conducting a video conference on a large display. She wore a crisp white silk blouse and well-tailored suit pants, maintaining an impeccable professional image even at home. Her voice was clear, calm, carrying an air of unquestionable authority as she analyzed and interpreted complex charts on the screen.

　　这与她在财经节目上的形象完全一致，但多了一丝近距离观察才能察觉的紧绷。她的肩膀线条僵硬，偶尔会下意识地用手指按压太阳穴。会议结束后，她切断视频，长长地、几乎是无声地舒了一口气。她并没有立即离开，而是继续站在那里，凝视着屏幕上滚动的数据流，眉头微蹙。那一刻，她不像在电视上那个掌控一切的女神，更像一个被数字和预期困住的囚徒。

　　This was completely consistent with her image on financial programs, but with a tension only detectable through close observation. The line of her shoulders was stiff, and she occasionally pressed her temples subconsciously with her fingers. After the meeting ended, she cut the video and let out a long, almost silent sigh. She didn't leave immediately but remained standing there, staring at the scrolling data stream on the screen, a slight frown on her brow. In that moment, she didn't resemble the all-controling goddess on TV, but more like a prisoner trapped by numbers and expectations.

　　她终于转过身。卸下了面对镜头的职业微笑，她的脸上带着一丝难以掩饰的疲惫。她摘下手腕上精致的手表，小心翼翼地放在桌面的丝绒垫上。这个动作有一种仪式感。然后，她开始解开发髻，让深色的长发披散下来，用手指梳理着。仅仅是这个简单的动作，就让她整个人的气质柔和了许多。

　　She finally turned around. Without the professional smile for the camera, her face showed a hint of unconcealable weariness. She took off the exquisite watch from her wrist and carefully placed it on a velvet pad on the desk. The action had a sense of ritual. Then, she began to undo her bun, letting her dark hair fall loose, combing it through with her fingers. This simple action alone softened her demeanor significantly.

　　她走向开放式的厨房，没有像凯莉那样喝可乐或啤酒，而是从冰箱里取出一瓶冰镇的依云水，倒入一个精致的水晶杯中。她倚在中岛台旁喝水，目光放空地望着窗外璀璨的城市夜景。她的侧影在落地窗的映衬下，显得格外孤独。这里的一切都完美无瑕，却冷冰冰的，缺少一种真正的“家”的温度。她像一只被关在华丽笼子里的天鹅。

　　She walked towards the open-plan kitchen. Unlike Kylie, who would grab a Coke or beer, she took a chilled bottle of Evian from the refrigerator and poured it into an exquisite crystal glass. Leaning against the kitchen island, she drank, her gaze empty, staring out at the brilliant city nightscape. Her silhouette against the floor-to-ceiling window seemed particularly lonely. Everything here was flawless, but cold, lacking the true warmth of a "home." She resembled a swan trapped in a gilded cage.

　　我的目光扫过客厅。没有脏衣篮，没有随意丢弃的衣物。所有的东西都各归其位。这给我的“收藏”工作带来了难度。唯一的线索，是她回家后换下的一双高跟鞋，整齐地放在玄关的鞋柜旁。还有她刚才脱下的西装外套，此刻正搭在书桌后的椅背上。

　　My eyes scanned the living room. No laundry basket, no casually discarded clothes. Everything was in its place. This posed a challenge for my "collection" work. The only clues were a pair of high heels she had changed out of after returning home, neatly placed by the entrance shoe cabinet, and the suit jacket she had just taken off, now draped over the back of the desk chair.

　　薇薇安终于离开了办公区域，走向卧室。我紧随其后。她的卧室延续了整体的风格，宽敞、奢华，但同样缺乏个人痕迹。巨大的衣帽间门开着，里面挂满了按照颜色和类型分类的衣物，整齐得像高级 boutique 的陈列室。这让我有些无从下手——在这里，任何微小的移动都可能破坏这种脆弱的秩序。

　　Vivian finally left the work area and headed towards the bedroom. I followed closely. Her bedroom continued the overall style—spacious, luxurious, but equally lacking personal traces. The door to the large walk-in closet was open, filled with clothes organized by color and type, neat like a high-end boutique. This left me at a loss—here, any slight movement could disrupt this fragile order.

　　她走进浴室，关上了门。我听到隐约的水声。与凯莉不同，薇薇安的浴室门是实木的，没有任何缝隙可供窥视。我只能等待。但我知道，在这个看似无懈可击的堡垒里，总会找到裂痕。而我的乐趣，就在于发现这些裂痕，并从中获取我想要的“珍宝”。薇薇安·里德，这位财经女王，她的私密世界似乎被包裹在一层又一层的盔甲之下。而我的任务，就是悄无声息地，一层一层地，将它们剥开。

　　She entered the bathroom and closed the door. I heard the faint sound of water. Unlike Kylie's bathroom, Vivian's had a solid wood door, no gaps for peeking. I could only wait. But I knew that in this seemingly impregnable fortress, cracks would eventually appear. And my pleasure lay in finding these cracks and extracting the "treasures" I desired from them. Vivian Reed, the queen of finance, her private world seemed wrapped in layer upon layer of armor. And my task was to silently, layer by layer, peel them away.