Chapter Forty Two

Olivia had pretended for two years that she could live without Damian, but that act was getting harder to keep up.

That morning, she was sitting in her apartment and looking at the small box that contained the engagement ring.

She had persuaded herself that she would avoid Damian. At least for the present.

But leaving someone alone and letting them forget you are not the same thing.

Olivia was not ready for anyone to forget her. She closed the box and placed it in her purse.

Her phone started to ring immediately.

Claire was the one calling.

"Do you still intend to meet Damian?" Claire inquired.

Olivia cast her eyes at the window and replied, "I haven't made up my mind."

"You said you were going to stop bothering him," Claire stated.

Olivia said, "I told myself I wouldn't go after him." "But that doesn't mean that I won't talk to him again."

Claire sighed and said "Damian has moved on, Olivia."

Olivia grinned.

"Has he?"

"Do you understand what I'm talking about?" Claire asked.

Olivia replied, "I understand just what you mean."

"I know Damian better than Emily does as well,” she added.

"Don't misunderstand me," Olivia stated. "I'm not going to hurt Emily,” Olivia said.

"What do you plan to do, then?" " Claire said. Olivia cracked a grin. "I wish to meet Damian."

"Why?" Claire asked.

Olivia responded, "Because there are some things we never got to finish saying to each other."

"Be careful," Claire said.

"I'm always cautious,” Olivia said as she grabbed her handbag and ended the call.

Olivia was not reckless.

What made her so dangerous was that no one was ever threatened by her.

She never made a spectacle of herself.

Never did she lose her composure.

She had dirt on everyone and had a clear understanding of when to use it.

___

Damian's assistant informed him of Olivia’s arrival as he sat in his office.

He stated, "Mr. Knight, Olivia is here."

Damian peered at his desk.

"Olivia?" Damian asked.

His assistant said, "Yes." "According to her, she wants to talk to you."

Damian reclined.

He considered rejecting for a moment.

At that point, he remembered the talk he had recently had with Emily.

He still couldn't comprehend why Emily appeared to be so aloof.

And he hadn't forgotten that she had declined to explain what was bothering her.

"Let her in," Damian ordered. 

The door sprang open and Olivia entered.

Just as he remembered, she arrived.

Calm. Sure and completely composed.

"Damian, how are you doing?" Olivia said.

Damian said, "Hi, Olivia."

She sat down without waiting for an invitation. Damian was behind his desk.

"Why have you arrived here?" Damian questioned. Olivia grinned.

"Let's get right to the point," Olivia said.

"You came here to talk." "No," Olivia responded.

Her purse was opened. He carefully watched her.

She took out a little box and placed it on his desk. It was gazed at by Damian.

He recognized it immediately.

His expression altered.

"Are you still holding on to that?" "Damian asked. Olivia nodded.

"You gave it to me," she answered.

"That was a long time ago,” he replied.

Olivia stated, "Two years."

Damian averted his eyes.

"You should not have brought it here," he said.

"Why?" Olivia inquired.

Damian answered, "because that part of my life is over." She looked at him.

"Is it?" she questioned. "Yes," he said.

She gave a little grin.

"You were always excellent at making judgments seem final."

Damian's voice grew harsher. "Olivia."

"I came here to settle this, not to argue with you," Olivia stated.

"So why did you come?" He asked.

She leaned forward. "I wished to see you."

Damian didn't speak.

Olivia moved on.

"I wanted to see whether you were content." He gave her a mean look and said, "I am."

Olivia's smile momentarily vanished.

"Is it Emily?"

Damian replied, "Yes."

The response hurt but she prevented him from noticing.

She nodded instead.

"Why are you really here?" He asked again.

Olivia stood up.

"Maybe I wanted to say goodbye correctly."

Damian frowned.

"You've already accomplished that."

"No," Olivia replied. "I just ran away. It is not the same thing."

She raised the box.

He paid careful attention to her and said,

"No matter what happened between us, Olivia, I don't want you messing with Emily."

"I'm not going to, I mean it," Olivia replied.

"Do you really adore her?" Olivia asked as  she proceeded toward the door.

Without hesitation, Damian responded.

"Yes.”

"In that case, keep her safe,” Olivia said.

Damian's eyebrows crinkled.

"What does that mean?"

Olivia whirled around.

"It means exactly what I said,” and she left the office.

Damian remained in a place.

He was disturbed by that last statement.

Olivia had never been an easy reader.

However, she appeared to him differently today. As though she was aware of something he was not.

___

Olivia returned home that afternoon.

She put the engagement ring box down on her table. She never gave it back to Damian. It hadn't been necessary.

It was enough to just see him. She walked toward the window.

Her own reflection stared back at her.

Her life no longer included Damian.

However, she still had control.

Her phone started ringing. It was Claire.

"How was it?" Claire questioned.

Olivia cracked a grin.

"He still loves her," she said.

Claire remained silent.

"So what are you going to do now?" Claire enquired. Olivia said, "Nothing."

"Nothing at all?" Claire asked.

"Not right now."

Olivia examined the engagement ring again.

"I discovered something significant today."

"What?" Claire inquired.

"Damian feels that his life is easy at the moment," Olivia said.

Claire waited as Olivia's grin returned.

"This makes things easier," she said.

"Easier for what?" Claire asked.

Olivia raised the container.

"To choose when to remind him that the past does not simply disappear because he wants it to," she replied and ended the conversation.

She opened a drawer, then placed the engagement ring there and closed it.

Olivia had no intention of pursuing Damian. He would be allowed to enjoy his new existence.

She wouldn't let Emily believe that the past was over. And she would wait.

____

Meanwhile, Emily sat peacefully in Sophia's apartment, with one hand on her tummy. She still hadn't informed anyone else.

She wanted additional time.

Her phone vibrated all of a sudden.

Emily looked at the display.

It was a message from Sophia.

When I get back, we must speak with you.

Emily's brow was wrinkled.

She sat and wondered what Sophia wanted to talk about.