Nobela ni Reinavee

The sun had barely dipped beneath the skyline when Olivia walked briskly into the parking lot, high heels clicking with purpose. Her mind spun from what she had just seen on Maddie’s phone.At first, the message had seemed like a desperate, almost romantic plea. But something nagged at her now.As she stood beside her car, Olivia unlocked her own phone and opened the screenshot again. Her eyes scanned the message again and again, and there it was. A small line of text beneath the main message that she’d completely overlooked in the heat of the moment.“Bei Interesse treffen wir uns um 19:30 Uhr auf dem Delancey Rooftop”She frowned.German?Her brows furrowed as she copied the text into a translator.Her blood ran cold. “If you are interested, we will meet at 7:30 pm on the Delancey Rooftop.”She quickly searched for The Delancey Rooftop, and within seconds, images of a stylish club-bar with dim lighting, loud music, and panoramic views of the city skyline filled her screen.“So that’

The message was still glowing on Maddie’s screen when Olivia stared down at it again.No. No way Lucas wrote this.She knew him. For all his charm, arrogance, and haunting mystery, Lucas wasn’t… this. He was calculated. Careful. Always five steps ahead. He would never be this direct. Not this sloppy. Not when he had so much to lose.Which could only mean one thing.She’s cheating on him.The thought made Olivia’s stomach twist with disbelief, and something darker.A whole Maddie, Lucas’s wife, sneaking around like some desperate side piece?“Oh, how the tables have turned,” Olivia whispered, eyes narrowing.She reached for her phone with lightning reflexes and snapped a quick picture of the screen. The moment the screenshot was saved, she locked Maddie’s phone and gently placed it back on the bench like nothing had happened.She exhaled through her nose and straightened her spine just as the studio door creaked open.Right on cue, the bathroom door creaked open.Olivia turned just in

The moment Maddie hit the floor, time froze.A sharp gasp cut through the studio like a blade. Her palms slapped against the polished wood, her knee grazing slightly as she caught herself, but the fall wasn’t what made everyone go still.It was Clara’s expression, her eyes widened and her lips parted, voice bubbling over with apologies.“Oh my God! Maddie, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to! Are you okay?” Clara rushed forward, hands fluttering near Maddie’s shoulders but not quite touching.Maddie scowled, brushing her off. “I’m fine.”“No, seriously, I didn’t even see you there,my turn was too fast…”“You pushed me,” Maddie snapped.Clara blinked, letting her voice crack just enough. “No! No, I, God, it must’ve looked like that, but I swear it wasn’t intentional!”Olivia stayed back, arms crossed. Her face was unreadable, but her eyes flicked toward Clara in secret amusement.Maddie pushed up to stand, her movements tense. “Just keep your hands to yourself next time.”“Of course,” Clara

The moment Maddie hit the floor, time froze. A sharp gasp cut through the studio like a blade. Her palms slapped against the polished wood, her knee grazing slightly as she caught herself, but the fall wasn’t what made everyone go still. It was Clara’s expression, her eyes widened and her lips parted, voice bubbling over with apologies. “Oh my God! Maddie, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to! Are you okay?” Clara rushed forward, hands fluttering near Maddie’s shoulders but not quite touching. Maddie scowled, brushing her off. “I’m fine.” “No, seriously, I didn’t even see you there,my turn was too fast…” “You pushed me,” Maddie snapped. Clara blinked, letting her voice crack just enough. “No! No, I, God, it must’ve looked like that, but I swear it wasn’t intentional!” Olivia stayed back, arms crossed. Her face was unreadable, but her eyes flicked toward Clara in secret amusement. Maddie pushed up to stand, her movements tense. “Just keep your hands to yourself next time.”

The apartment was quiet when Olivia and Matilda stepped through the door that night. Their heels clicked softly on the marble floor as they made their way inside. Olivia let her purse slide from her shoulder and land on the entryway table with a tired sigh.“You sure you’re okay?” Matilda asked, slipping off her shoes and walking toward the kitchen.“I’m fine,” Olivia murmured, tugging off her blazer.“You look like you’re carrying the sins of a small country on your back.”“I might be,” Olivia muttered, running her fingers through her hair. “Just… need a shower.”Matilda nodded. “I’ll make something light to eat. You better not come down and lie to me about being ‘too full from air.’”“I make no promises,” Olivia called over her shoulder.She walked upstairs to her room. She pulled her clothes, and straight to the bathroom. She turned on the light, and shut the door. A moment later, the gentle rush of water filled the space as steam curled against the glass.She stepped under the st

Olivia thought about the whole thing for a while before nodding. “I’ve already handled worse.”Matilda leaned against her desk. “You’re stone-cold when you want to be. But I know you, Olivia. You’re still made of heart under all that armor.”Olivia gave a wry smile. “Not anymore.”“That’s what you think,” Matilda muttered.A pause.Then Olivia stepped back. “Prep the files. Strip anything that could link me to internal audits.”“Got it. But if you are planning to do all that with Lucas, what about Julian?” “Julian is irrelevant.” Olivia said.“Is he?” Matilda leaned back, folding her arms. “Because every time his name pops up, your eyebrows pull together like you’re trying not to smile and frown in the same breath.”“I’m not falling in love with Lucas,” Olivia countered, ignoring the jab. “And neither will I ever sleep with him.”Matilda arched one brow. “But you just told me you were ready to, how did you put it? ‘Give him what he wants.’ Sounded pretty… physical.”“And you believed