Chapter 2

The table fell silent for a moment. Everyone turned to Damon with questioning looks.

He cleared his throat. "I've heard shellfish allergies are pretty common. Just thought I'd mention it."

Vivian looked at Olivia. "Liv, can you eat that?"

Olivia was silent for a beat, then shook her head calmly. "I happen to be allergic too."

The corner of Damon's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. He looked faintly pleased.

Vivian thoughtfully served Olivia some pot roast instead. Olivia thanked her politely and ignored the way Damon's gaze kept drifting toward her throughout dinner.

After dinner, the older adults settled in for a game of bridge. Seeing Olivia sitting there with nothing to do, they asked Damon, who had just finished a phone call, to take her along to set off fireworks.

Olivia was about to decline when Damon grabbed his jacket and walked over.

"Come along for the fun. I'll take you home afterward."

The easy familiarity in his tone made Vivian glance over.

Olivia didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea, so she followed him to the car.

"Just drop me off at the nearest subway station," she said, her tone polite but distant.

Damon acted as if he hadn't heard her and kept driving.

Olivia repeated herself.

This time, he finally glanced at her.

"Why are you so nervous? You don't actually think I'm trying to get back together with you, do you?"

Olivia looked at him calmly. "No. I just have a video call with my daughter later. I can't get back too late."

Damon gave a careless laugh. "You're making up a daughter just to make sure I know you're over me?"

He turned to look at her, his smile deepening. "Don't you think you're trying a little too hard?"

He went on, "Relax. Even if you wanted me back, I don't go back to exes. So you don't need to go to all this trouble making up excuses to avoid me. I'm only taking you along because my grandfather insisted. The Holloways know how to treat a guest."

Olivia saw no point in arguing any further. If she kept defending herself, she would only make herself look bitter and petty.

So she simply texted her daughter and told her to go to bed early that night.

Some time later, the car pulled up outside a private estate on the outskirts of Calverton.

The moment Olivia stepped inside, everyone looked up, surprise flashing across their faces.

"Olivia," someone said mockingly. "Back then, you didn't get into the PhD program, and Damon offered to help you for old times' sake. Instead, you left Calverton without a word. We all thought you had some backbone."

He looked at her with open contempt.

"Guess things didn't work out after you left, huh? So now you've come crawling back to Damon?"

The room erupted in laughter.

"Crawling back to Damon still beats working odd jobs somewhere else. Even a little pocket change from Damon would set her up for life."

"Too bad she's out of luck. Ever since Damon left medicine and took over Holloway Holdings, the company has become worth several times what it used to be.

"And Fiona is one of the star doctors at Calverton Medical Center now. They're a real power couple. Olivia, stop dreaming. You weren't in his league before, and you definitely aren't now."

"Don't say that." Fiona finally spoke.

"If it hadn't been for Damon and me back then, Olivia wouldn't have left Calverton in a fit of anger. If she's struggling this much now, we're partly responsible."

She stood and walked over to Olivia, speaking as if she were doing her a favor.

"Tell you what. Our hospital is hiring cleaning staff right now. Jobs are hard to come by these days.

"If you can't find anything, I can talk to the hospital administrator and get you hired. The pay isn't great, but it's still 1,200 dollars a month. At least it'll help with the bills."

Olivia looked at her calmly and declined.

Someone immediately shouted from the crowd.

"Olivia, you come back to Calverton and start hanging around Damon again, and we're supposed to believe you don't want something from him? Who are you trying to fool?

"Fiona's nice enough to offer you a job, and you're still being picky. What, is it too embarrassing for you? Or does the money not come fast enough?"

The man who'd spoken walked over with a drink in his hand and grabbed Olivia by the wrist, giving her a sleazy, leering look.

"Things must be pretty rough for you. Have a drink, and I'll send you two hundred bucks.

"If you want to make real money fast, come see me. I can introduce you to the right people."

The group burst into laughter.

Fiona stood off to the side, looking down at Olivia with the same haughty expression as before.

But this time, Olivia didn't run.

She took the glass and was about to throw the drink in the man's face when Damon suddenly stubbed out his cigarette and grabbed the man's arm.

"Knock it off."

His expression hardened with anger, his gaze icy.