Chapter Forty

Olivia continued to stare at the phone well after the call was over.

The past had somehow found a way to return to her for the first time in many years.

She looked out the window at the city.

She said quietly, "Something that Damian's father left behind."

She attempted to bury those words in her memory.

Before Damian's name acquired the significance it has now, Olivia had encountered him when they were both younger. Their households were familiar with one other.

At first, Damian had hardly given her any notice. Olivia was the one who pursued the relationship. She learned what he liked. She found out what upset him.

She figured out when to be silent and when to speak.

Damian began to notice her after a while.

Slowly, their relationship grew.

Olivia believed she had finally achieved the life she had always wanted when he asked her to marry him.

However, she made a mistake. She believed love was enough. But obviously, it wasn't.

Damian's father's firm was starting to gain his attention.

His dad had been struggling with problems in Knight Global, and Damian became increasingly involved.

Olivia remembered the nights when Damian came back weary.

She remembered asking questions and how he declined to respond was remembered by her.

"Something is not right," Olivia had told him one evening. "I have been occupied with my father's company," Damian replied.

"You just keep saying that," Olivia said. "But I know you are changing."

"I have obligations," Damian said.

"What about us, then?" "Olivia asked.

He looked at her for a while and finally said, "I don't know anymore."

That was the beginning of the conclusion.

Two years later, Damian cancelled their engagement. Olivia never forgot how ashamed she was even though it was cancelled privately.

But she also discovered something important. Damian didn't leave her because he didn't love her anymore, he left her because he doesn't trust her anymore. At least, that was what she believed. But the truth was complicated.

Damian was also kept in the dark about things by Olivia. Prior to the dissolution of her relationship, she had found out information regarding her father's financial transactions. Details she had never previously shared with Damian.

She told herself she was protecting him at the time. However, a part of her realized she was just defending herself.

She unlocked the drawer and entered the living room once more.

The little black box was still there. She carefully removed it.

There was a folded piece of paper, copies of old documents, and several photos inside. She opened it up.

It had just one name scrawled across it.

Reed Thomas.

She looked at it for a while. Damian's father was a friend of Thomas.

The Carter family was also connected to him.

While attempting to figure out what happened around the time Damian's father died, Olivia had stumbled upon his name.

The full story was never revealed by her.

It had always remained with her.

Before her engagement came to an end, she learned something else.

Damian's had been investigating the financial operations of several businesses.

One of those businesses had ties to people who were near to Carter Holdings.

She kept copies of whatever she found and didn't give it to Damian.

She made herself believe that she must first understand the whole scenario.

However, when Damian later cancelled the engagement, she put the documents away in a secure location. After two years, Emily Carter appeared.

Olivia had noticed the change in Damian around her. She was terrified by that part.

She wasn't terrified of Emily herself but Damian.

Her phone rang again. It was Claire.

Olivia picked up.

"Did you discover anything else?" Olivia inquired. Claire replied, "No." "I did, however, learn something about the man who called you."

"Who is that?" Asked Olivia.

Claire stated, "I couldn't verify his identity."

Olivia's brows furrowed.

"You've had the whole day."

Claire said, "I know." "However, the number he used is not his own."

Olivia stopped moving.

"What do you mean?" Olivia questioned.

Claire stated, "The number is from an ancient firm that has been out of business for years." "What business?" Olivia asked.

"Services for Knight Security," Claire said.

Olivia's eyes became larger.

"That is impossible," Olivia stated.

"That's what I believed," Claire answered.

Olivia stood up.

"Find out who has that number right now," Olivia said.

"I'll give it my all," Claire said.

"One more thing Claire," Olivia said

"Avoid contacting anyone associated with Damian."

"Why?" asked Claire.

"Because I don't want someone to know we're looking into them if they're utilizing a previous Knight number," Olivia responded and ended the call.

Olivia returned to the drawer.

She reopened the black box.

She brought out an antique picture this time. Outside an office building, Damian's father stood.

He was accompanied by Thomas Reed.

And behind them was another man.

She had seen him before but his name was unknown to her.

She turned the back of the picture. It had a writing at the back of it but the writing was not legible.

She put the picture back into the box.

After that, there was a knock at her apartment door. Olivia remained still.

It was almost midnight. No one knew that she was at home. She heard another knock.

"Who is there?" Olivia inquired. There was no response.

She approached the door stealthily.

Through the peephole, she glanced. She saw a strange man standing outside. 

She drew her hand away from the entryway. "Who are you?" Olivia asked.

The man looked directly into the peephole.

He told her, "I'm sure you have the picture." Olivia's heart froze.

She had never shared the picture with anyone. "Which image?" Olivia wondered.

"The one you took from Damian's father's office," the man replied.

"How did you know that?" Olivia inquired.

There was no response from the man.

Rather, he uttered words that made Olivia's face pale.

"You were not supposed to discover it."

Olivia focused on the entrance.

The strange guy walked out and turned around.

She remained there until the noise of his footsteps vanished.

Then she raced to the table and unlocked the black container.

The picture was still intact but something else wasn't. A piece of paper. Olivia looked at the box one more time but couldn't find the paper. She decided to check the drawer but it wasn't there either.

She then stared out the window.

Her breathing accelerated. Her flat had been broken into. Someone had broken into her apartment and stolen something. And that person knew what she had been hiding.

___

Emily was asleep in Sophia's apartment on the other side of town. Her bedside table had her phone, which was still in its original position. Damian's last message has never been answered by her.

She had not told him she was pregnant.

And right now, she liked it better that way.

Emily let herself think that a regular life was possible for the first time in weeks.

She was unaware, though, that Olivia's history was reemerging.

Olivia got one last message on her phone that midnight.

You should have told Damian the truth while you had the chance.