HIS OBSESSION

CHAPTER 004

THEODORE’s POV:

Two days.

Two days since my last visit to the auction and two whole days since I last saw that intriguing beauty. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Olivia Carter.

That captivating girl has somehow managed to grasp every shred of sanity I had left, occupying every corner of my mind with just one meeting.

I stared at the documents scattered before me, massaging my temples as if the small action could help clear the fog that clouded my mind. They seemed nothing more than a blur, the digits almost invisible, and when I blinked, all I saw was her face across the paper.

“Ugh. What’s wrong with you, Theodore? Focus.” I growled, my voice harsh as I chastised myself.

Black coffee sat by my office desk, untouched. I ordered my secretary for it, hoping the bitterness would help me focus as it always had done before, but to no avail.

“What spell have you over me, little feisty heiress?”

My eyes concentrated on the company’s files scattered across my office desk, and I tried to focus; I really did. But once again, and for the millionth time, her face appeared, covering the whole page. Those piercing ocean blue orbs for eyes and that strawberry blonde hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. That quiet confidence and resilience that made even my powerful mother quim. That hourglass figure and large ass—

“Ugh,” I groaned. Just how could I be so totally obsessed with someone I barely know? Someone I only spoke to for, like, what, two minutes!

This feeling was foreign to me, and no one had ever made me feel this way.

Why was she in every corner I turned to? Why is it that whenever I close my eyes, she is there? Why do I find myself craving the sound of her sweet voice mixed with soft defiance and authority laced in her tone? Why did I miss the way she stared at me, her gaze never flinching even for a second, as if she could see right through me.

It’s maddening.

Yet strangely, I liked it.

Just who are you, Olivia Carter?

She wasn’t like others girls.

There was something different about Olivia Carter. Something raw. Something secretive that I wanted to unravel.

I slammed the folder shut, turning away from my office desk and to the full glass overlooking Los Angeles, sick of my mind and thoughts. This wasn’t me. I was acting like a freaking love-struck 16-year-old pubertal male.

Damn.

The sound of knocking interrupted my thoughts. Thankfully. I might just go mad thinking of that girl.

“Come in.”

The sound of the door opening and closing resounded in the rather quiet office. Footsteps approached, but I didn’t turn to acknowledge the person. I recognised them in their footsteps.

“Tell me you have what I need,” I said sharply, my voice cutting through the room like a blade.

There was a long pause, a hesitation that I didn’t want at this moment.

“I’ll take your silence as incompetence and a total failure.” I turned, my eyes meeting his. I stared at him, dressed in a pristine, perfectly tailored black suit that clung to his rather lanky old frame. Though confident as he stood, his hand fidgeted slightly at his sides.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Duncan, my family’s private investigator, said, his voice careful and calculated. “I’ve been searching everywhere, but it seems her information is kept… rather locked and private, as are many elites. It’s as if she doesn’t want to be found.”

“Of course, no one wants to be found by just anyone.” I slammed my hands on the desk, growling. “Of course, her information would be private, only the ones she wants everyone to see. That’s why you’re here. That’s why my family hired you. You’re not just anyone but a private investigator. Do whatever you can to find her. Unprivate everything if that’s what it takes. I’m not paying for your incompetence, Duncan. Don’t test me.”

“Yes, sir. Clearly understood.”

“This level of incompetence should happen no more; do I make myself clear?” I warned, my tone icy.

“Crystal, Sir.”

I relaxed on my seat, the soft cushion holding me in just the right places. “You have only three days, and if you don’t deliver by then, don’t bother coming back or thinking of working for another company again.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll do everything I can to find her.”

The sound of the door opening caught both of our attention. I turned to the door to see a commanding figure standing there.

My mother, Lucinda Devereaux.

“Good afternoon, Mrs Devereaux,” Duncan turned and greeted politely, but she didn’t so much as glance his way.

“Leave us, Duncan,” she said dismissively, Inviting herself in and lowering into the chair opposite me.

Duncan hesitated for a moment, staring at me until I gave a nod before bowing his head and leaving the room.

I focused on her. “So, to what do I owe the honour of a visit from Lucinda Devereaux herself?” I asked dryly, leaning back into my chair, giving a lazy swirl of it.

She smiled, “Oh, stop with the formalities, son. Can’t I visit my own company again?

Her emphasis on ‘My’ signified she still had control over the company even as I was the current CEO.

I decided to test the waters. I arched a brow. “Your company?”

“Yes, my company. Need I remind you that this company becomes fully yours only if you find yourself a suitable woman! A well-respected, influential figure who can bring stability and more power to our name, not those cheap sluts of yours. I inherited this company from your father and built it to where it stands, and I want it to go higher. I want this company to be the top in the world, and you’re not going to accomplish that alone.”

I sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I thought we’d finished with this conversation, Mother.”

“Don’t ‘mother’ me, young man.” She snapped, leaning forward and lowering her voice. “You and I know this company is slowly sinking deep into the ground. Bankruptcy is breathing down our necks. If we don’t secure a merger or an alliance through marriage, everything I’ve dedicated my entire life to building will be gone.”

And there she was buying more jewelries. I do know it’s kinda her way of showing others she held power. I sighed. “I need no woman to save this company. It’s something I’ll have to figure out myself. I am the CEO after all.”

Her lips curled into a condescending smile. “Oh, really? Because from where I’m sitting, I am still the senior CEO, and I have the power to put any of your brothers in charge. You are on thin ice, son.”

I gritted my teeth, knowing she got me. “So, what do you want me to do, huh? Marry just anyone—“

“Not just anyone,” she interrupted me, standing up and picking up the luxury bag she cherished. “Olivia Carter”.

The mention of her name sent a jolt through me.

Mother’s smile widened as if she’d read my thoughts. “God knows you have the wrong taste in women. I don’t want you bringing such a woman as your ex-fiancé.

I frowned. “I had our private investigator search for her, but nothing. It’s like she’s off the face of the planet, leaving only her family’s influential name.”

She rolled her eyes. “Duncan couldn’t find his own manhood even if he tried. I wonder why you still keep him as our family’s investigator. Anyway, I have my ways and maybe speak to Mr Carter myself. Just make sure to be at your best game because once we have this family’s influence, our company shall be on top once more.” With that, she turned and strolled away from my office, leaving me nearly speechless.

I finished with work rather late. I closed off for the day, leaving the office and heading to the parking lot. I pulled out my keys, but before I could press the button to open my car, someone slammed into me.

“Ah,” a soft female voice exclaimed, stumbling back.

Instinctively, I reached out and caught the falling figure, feeling her warm body against mine as I steadied her. The sweet scent of lavender mixed with jasmine infiltrated my nostrils.

“My apologies, my lad—“ I paused, staring at the girl I was holding.

She was… beautiful.

Her raven-black hair was folded into a rough bun, and she wore only a hoodie, its hood falling off her head. Her black eyes stared at me in shock.

We remained in that position for what felt like an eternity before she stumbled back, leaving my grip as she tugged back her hair into the hood, moving an escaped fallen strand behind her ears.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, her eyes quickly flickering away from mine.

I didn’t move. I couldn’t.

I continued to stare at the pale girl, her skin white as snow. It wasn’t just her appearance that stunned me, though; she was dressed in common clothes, but her beauty was undeniable. But her eyes. They seemed familiar, and it was like I could recognize them from anywhere.

The eyes were different, darker, and of different shades now. The hair wasn’t the luscious strawberry blonde. She didn’t carry the confidence or resilience. She wasn’t dressed in exquisite fittings. But there was no mistaking the slight curve of her lips, the structure of her jaw, and the masked innocence and naivety in her eyes.

“Olivia?”