Olivia’s POVLucas’s fist came down again. Ryan barely had time to react before Lucas grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up, his face battered and bloodied. I could see the fury burning in Lucas’s eyes, the way his body shook with pure, unfiltered rage.“Lucas, stop!” I ran forward, my pulse hammering as I grabbed his arm. “Please, don’t!”His breath was ragged, his knuckles bruised and bleeding. His grip on Ryan’s collar tightened as if he hadn’t heard me.“Lucas,” I whispered, stepping closer. “You’re better than this.”His chest heaved as he looked down at Ryan, who was barely conscious, then at me.For a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to listen.Then, slowly, his grip loosened.Ryan slumped to the ground, groaning weakly. Lucas stepped back, his hands clenched into fists as he exhaled sharply, trying to regain control.I reached for him, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “We need to go.”Lucas didn’t move at first. Then, with one last glare at Ryan’s crumpled form, he tu
Olivia’s POVThe cold night air bit at my skin as I walked away from Lucas’s house, my heels clicking against the pavement. My breath came in uneven puffs, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the chilly air or the frustration boiling inside me.I had come here to warn him, to tell him about the anonymous notes, but instead, I left feeling like a fool.Lucas had laughed at me.Mocked me.And worst of all, he had said Amelia’s name.The name that still felt like a dagger to my chest.I clenched my fists, willing myself to push away the emotions threatening to resurface. I had wasted enough energy on him tonight. I should have never come.I was halfway to my car when I heard hurried footsteps behind me.“Olivia, wait!”I stopped but didn’t turn around. My heart pounded at the sound of his voice, but I forced myself to stay still.The footsteps grew louder, and within seconds, Lucas was in front of me, slightly out of breath. His hair was a mess, his shirt wrinkled from sleep, but his
Lucas’s POVOlivia froze. Her eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite place—hesitation, frustration, maybe even fear. I wanted her answer, but I already knew I wasn’t going to like it.After a long pause, she finally spoke.“You don’t have to worry about Ethan,” she said quietly. “He’s not the problem.”I clenched my jaw. “And Ryan?”Her gaze dropped, and she shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t want to talk about it.”I scoffed, taking a step back. “Of course you don’t.”She looked up sharply. “Lucas—”“No,” I cut her off, shaking my head. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to shut me out every damn time something gets difficult.”Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “It’s not about shutting you out! It’s—”“It’s what, Olivia?” My voice was sharp, my patience hanging by a thread. “You stand here, telling me to be careful, to think things through, to not do anything reckless, but you won’t even give me the full picture. How the hell am I supposed to fight a batt
Lucas’s POVI stared at Amelia, watching for any flicker of dishonesty in her expression. She had just admitted that Ryan wanted Olivia to himself and had asked her to make sure I fell for her. The pieces were starting to connect, but I needed more.I didn’t trust her. Not even for a second.Her admission could be real, or it could be another carefully calculated move. Amelia had always been good at playing the game—too good. And until I had proof, I couldn’t believe a damn word she said.I leaned back, studying her. “That’s all he said? Make me fall for you?”She met my gaze, tilting her head slightly. “You sound disappointed.”I let out a dry chuckle. “Disappointed? No. Suspicious? Yeah.”She smirked, swirling the whiskey in her glass. “Lucas, I know you don’t trust me, but I have no reason to lie. Ryan just wanted Olivia. I didn’t ask why. It’s not like I care about his personal motives.”That was exactly what made me doubt her.Amelia never did anything without a reason.
Olivia’s POVI barely made it through the front door before Ethan’s voice hit me like a brick.“Are you kidding me, Olivia?”I sighed, already exhausted. “Ethan, not now.”“Oh, now you don’t want to talk?” He strode toward me, his face tight with frustration. “You left the hospital without telling me. Do you know how worried I was?”I placed my keys on the table and crossed my arms. “I’m fine.”“You drove off without your phone,” he emphasized, his voice sharp. “What if something happened to you again?”I knew he was referring to Ryan. The memory of being trapped, blindfolded, helpless—it still clung to me like a second skin. But right now, I didn’t have the energy to soothe Ethan’s worries.I exhaled slowly. “I needed to be alone for a while.”“Alone?” He scoffed. “You were with him, weren’t you?”I stiffened. Ethan didn’t need to specify who he meant. I avoided his gaze, walking past him into the living room, but he followed.“Olivia.” His voice was firm.I turned to him. “What do
Olivia’s POVThe silence in the boardroom was suffocating.Every pair of eyes at the table was locked on Ryan, some filled with shock, others with barely contained anger. The tension in the air was so thick it felt like it was pressing down on my chest, making it impossible to breathe.Lucas stood frozen across from me, his knuckles turning white from how tightly he clenched his fists. His entire body was rigid with barely restrained fury, his gaze drilling into me, waiting—hoping—that I wouldn’t say something that would shatter everything.I swallowed hard, my pulse hammering in my ears.Ryan, still on one knee, held the velvet box open, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. It wasn’t love. It wasn’t devotion. It was the look of a man who knew he had the upper hand.I wanted to scream.“This is… unexpected,” one of the board members muttered, exchanging uncertain glances with his colleagues.“Is this a joke?” another scoffed.“This is a board meeting, Mr. West,” one of the senior par
Lucas’s POVRyan left the boardroom with a smugness that made my blood boil. I didn’t think—I just moved. My feet carried me after him, barely registering the shocked murmurs and stunned faces we left behind.I couldn’t believe what had just happened.She said yes.Olivia said yes.My Olivia.The woman who once stood by my side, the woman who once promised me forever, had just agreed to marry him.And I knew—God, I knew—she didn’t want this.The way her hands trembled, the way her voice shook ever so slightly, the way she couldn’t meet my eyes after that single word left her lips—everything about her screamed that she was trapped.So what the hell had Ryan done?I caught up with him just as he stepped into the hallway. Without thinking, without warning, I threw a punch.My fist connected with his jaw, the sickening crunch of bone against bone filling the empty corridor. Ryan staggered back, catching himself against the wall, his head snapping to the side.He groaned, rubbing his jaw a
Lucas’s POVThe moment I stormed out of the building, my head was a mess. Anger coursed through me, hot and unchecked, but beneath it was something worse—helplessness. I knew Olivia didn’t want this engagement. I knew Ryan had something on her. But she had still gone through with it.I gripped my phone tighter, my knuckles turning white as I dialed Amelia’s number. The line barely rang twice before she picked up.“Lucas?” Her voice was laced with curiosity, maybe even a little amusement.“Where are you?” I asked sharply, skipping any pleasantries.There was a slight pause before she answered, “At my apartment. Why?”I didn’t reply. I ended the call and slammed my phone down onto the passenger seat before stepping on the gas.The city blurred past me as I drove, my mind racing just as fast. I wasn’t sure what I expected from Amelia, but I needed to hear her say it—needed to know if she was involved in whatever twisted game Ryan was playing.By the time I reached her apartment complex,
Olivia's POV A week had passed since I’d seen Lucas’s text, its words—“Please visit again. I have something for you”—etched into my heart, a constant ache I fought to ignore. Each day was a battle to keep my resolve, to stay away from him, to honor the promise I’d made to Austin and myself to let Lucas go. The decision to cut personal ties, to limit our interactions to business, was a wound that hadn’t healed, a choice driven by the reality of Amelia’s pregnancy and his mother’s hatred, but it tore at me, a longing for his voice, his touch, that lingered like a ghost. My chest ached with the effort to move forward, my heart torn between love and duty, and I threw myself into distractions to keep the pain at bay. Austin, bless him, was my anchor, filling our days with outings and adventures—hiking trails, art galleries, quiet dinners—that brought a fleeting joy, his laughter a balm to my fractured spirit.That morning, I woke to the scent of coffee and pancakes, my eyes fluttering
Lucas's POV The hospital walls of the hospital room wall a prison, its sterile walls and incessant beeping a constant reminder of my fragility, my confinement. Over a week had passed since I texted Olivia—“Please visit again. I have something for you”—and the silence that followed was a weight crushing my chest. Each day without her reply deepened the ache, a mix of worry, longing, and confusion that gnawed at me. What was going through her mind? Had she given up on us, pushed away by Amelia’s pregnancy, my mother’s venom, or the chaos that seemed to follow me? My heart clung to the memory of our reunion—her tears, her hands steadying me, the warmth of her presence—but the lack of response felt like a door slamming shut, leaving me to wonder if I’d lost her for good. My body was healing, the fractures in my spine and shoulder less agonizing, the concussion’s fog lifting, but my spirit was battered, trapped in this room with the two women who made every moment a trial: my mother
Olivia's POV The kitchen was a quiet haven after Dad’s departure, the clink of dishes was a gentle rhythm as Austin and I stood side by side at the sink. My hands moved mechanically, scrubbing plates, rinsing mugs, but my heart was a storm of emotions—gratitude for Austin’s steady presence, guilt for the unanswered question about our marriage, and the raw ache of letting Lucas go. Dad’s directive to cut ties with Lucas echoed in my mind, a confirmation of my own resolve, but it didn’t ease the pain, the longing for a love now out of reach. Austin’s stunned reaction to Dad’s mention of meeting his father lingered, a puzzle I couldn’t solve, stirring an unease that gnawed at me. My chest tightened, my breath shallow as I focused on the dishes, hoping the task would anchor me against the turmoil threatening to spill over.Austin’s voice broke the silence, soft but piercing, catching me off guard. “Olivia,” he said, his tone cautious, his hands pausing in the soapy water, “why do yo
Olivia's POV The morning light filtered through the kitchen windows, casting a soft glow over the counter where I stood, the scent of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee filling the air. My hands moved with purpose, cracking eggs, flipping pancakes, arranging fruit on a plate, but my heart was a tangle of resolve and lingering pain. Last night’s decision to let go of Lucas weighed heavy, a choice that felt both necessary and devastating, like severing a piece of my soul. His face—his desperate hug, his whispered relief in the hospital—haunted me, but so did the reality of Amelia’s pregnancy, his mother’s hatred, the family he was building without me. I couldn’t be the mistress, the shadow in his child’s story, and that truth had solidified my resolve to step back, to protect my heart, to honor the marriage I’d made with Austin, even if it was born of convenience. My throat tightened, my chest aching as I stirred the eggs, the clatter of the spatula a distraction from the tears threa
Olivia's POV The car was a pressure cooker, the air thick with tension, Austin’s words—“You’ll end up a mistress, a second woman”—still burning in my ears, fueling a rage that pulsed through me like wildfire. My hands shook, my chest heaving with a mix of anger and hurt, my tears streaming down my cheeks as I glared at him, his profile rigid against the city lights blurring past. His accusation had struck a nerve, igniting a fury I hadn’t expected, a defiance against the idea that my love for Lucas could be reduced to something so degrading, so small. But beneath the anger was a gnawing fear, a whisper that he might be right, that my place in Lucas’s life was precarious, shadowed by Amelia’s pregnancy and his mother’s hatred. My throat tightened, my heart aching.The guilt of hurting Austin, and the stubborn love for Lucas that refused to let go.Austin’s hands gripped the steering wheel, his jaw clenched, but his voice broke the silence, low and sharp, pushing the tension higher.
Olivia's POV My heart pounded, my breath shallow, my eyes fixed on Amelia, crumpled on the floor, her hands curled around her belly, her sharp cry echoing in the sterile corridor. Lucas was on his knees beside her, his face pale with guilt and panic, his trembling hands reaching to lift her despite his own weakness, the IV line swaying precariously. My chest ached, torn between the love that had surged during our brief, stolen moment—his arms around me, his lips on my forehead—and the crushing guilt of witnessing this fallout, the chaos my presence seemed to ignite. My throat tightened, tears stinging my eyes as I stepped forward, instinct driving me to help Lucas, to steady him as he struggled.“Lucas,” I said, my voice trembling, my hands gripping his arm, supporting his weight as he tried again to lift Amelia, his breath ragged, his eyes wild with fear. But Victoria’s hand shot out, shoving me back with a force that made me stumble, her glare venomous. “Stay away!” she spat,
Lucas's POV “She’s a married woman, she doesn’t belong to you”His statement hung in the air, a cold reminder of the boundaries I’d crossed. My chest tightened, a mix of embarrassment and defiance flooding me as I realized the scene we’d made, my arms around Olivia, my lips on her forehead, all under the hospital’s fluorescent glare. Faces turned our way—nurses, visitors, their eyes curious, judgmental—and I felt heat rise to my cheeks, a flicker of shame for letting my emotions override caution. My body ached, the IV line tugging at my hand, the pain in my spine and shoulder a constant throb, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my heart, the desperate need to hold onto Olivia, to keep her close after nearly losing her.I pulled back, my hands dropping from her face, my voice low, apologetic. “I’m sorry,” I said, my eyes flicking to Austin, then back to Olivia, my throat tight with regret. “I didn’t mean to… I just—I thought you were gone, and I couldn’t—” My words falter
Lucas's POVThe hospital room felt like a cage, its sterile walls closing in, the incessant beep of the heart monitor a mocking reminder of my fragility. My body ached—my spine and shoulder throbbed with every breath, my head pounded with the lingering fog of the concussion—but the real pain was in my chest, a raw, searing ache that came from Amelia’s words: “Olivia’s dead. She died in the explosion.” The memory of her venomous lie, the way it had shattered me before I lost consciousness, haunted me, a wound that refused to heal. I lay propped against the pillows, my hands clenched, my heart a battlefield of grief, doubt, and a stubborn flicker of hope that Olivia was still out there, alive, despite Amelia’s cruelty. The room was a prison, and the two people in it—Amelia and my mother—were the most unbearable company I could imagine, their presence a suffocating weight that made me dread every moment.Amelia sat in a chair by the window, her arms crossed, her face a mask of sullen
Olivia's POV The hospital lobby was a crucible of judgment, every pair of eyes boring into me like a spotlight, their stares heavy with suspicion and curiosity. Victoria stood before me, her face twisted with grief and rage, her voice still ringing in my ears—“Murderer!”—a word that branded me, searing into my heart. My chest heaved, my breath shallow, my legs trembling as I stood frozen. My throat tightened, tears stinging my eyes as guilt and fear churned within me, a relentless storm that whispered I was to blame, that my presence was a curse, dragging death and destruction to everyone I loved. The whispers of onlookers—nurses, visitors, staff—grew louder, a chorus of judgment that made my skin crawl, my heart pounding with a panic I couldn’t quell.Austin’s hand was on my arm, his presence a steady anchor, but before he could speak, a commotion broke through the crowd. Two police officers pushed their way toward us, their faces stern, their steps purposeful, led by an older