OLIVIA “You need to see my grandfather before you leave.” Christian said. “He’ll be disappointed if you leave without a word.” Numb, I nodded, following closely behind him as we returned to the hall. Staring at his back, my irritation rose. The nerve he had, putting his hand on my body after dancing so intimately with Lydia only minutes ago. The anger simmered inside me, but I kept it in check. As we walked to Mr. Blackwood, his gaze immediately fell on me, his eyes sparkling with warmth. “Olivia,” he said, his voice soft and affectionate. “I hope you enjoyed the ball.” “It was very remarkable, Mr. Blackwood,” I replied, forcing a smile. “I was glad to be part of such a phenomenal event.” He smiled back. “I’m very happy you honored the invitation,” he said before his eyes flicked to Christian, who stood silently behind me, and then back to me. “Are you leaving already?” I pressed my lips together, nodding slightly. “Yes, sir. I have a slight tummy ache, so I can’t
OLIVIAI exhaled shakily, trying to steady my breath. Why the hell was he looking at me like that? Like I was crazy? My heart sank. Would he have looked at me this way if I’d been stupid enough to confess my feelings tonight? If I had told him I was jealous of his ex-girlfriend, who he was still hooking up with, by the way? So, he would have scoffed and told me I was overreacting? That he didn’t understand what I was saying? I sighed heavily, silently grateful I hadn’t said a word about how I felt. “Listen,” he began, his voice showing some signs of worry now, “I know you’re still pissed about how I reacted the other day… and like I said, the baby is—” “I’m not pissed, Christian!” I snapped, my voice rising despite my best efforts to stay calm. “I’m not angry at all.” “Then what should I call this outburst?” he shot back quietly, and I scoffed. “You can call it whatever you want, but let me tell you this.” I locked eyes with him, fighting to hold back the tears. “From tonight,
OLIVIA I stepped out of the lecture hall, pulling my hoodie tighter around my stomach as I glanced around. No one was paying me any attention, but ever since I found out I was pregnant, I couldn’t shake the feeling that people could tell. Even though my body hadn’t changed much yet, I still felt exposed. Taking a deep breath, I headed toward Mr. Sylas’ office. I should’ve met him sooner about the 30% he gave me on my project—the one I’d poured hours into, only for him to accuse me of using AI. But with everything going on, I didn’t have the time or the energy. Now, I wasn’t in a hurry to go home. If I did, I’d start thinking about Christian. About everything. And right now, I just needed a distraction. So, today was as good a time as any. I knocked softly on his door, and his voice came almost immediately. “Come in!” Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. The moment he saw me, his face lit up with a wide smile. “Olivia Carter,” he said, setting down the paper he was r
CHRISTIAN “But after that, I’ll never speak to you again.” Those words kept echoing in my head, distracting, unsettling and confusing me. I ran a hand through my hair, sighing. My head throbbed faintly, probably from staying up all night, replaying Olivia’s unexpected outburst, trying to make sense of the mess she’d left behind. What the hell was that supposed to mean? I leaned forward at my desk, my fist pressing into my jaw, frustration bubbling inside me. “I’ll live my life?” Hasn’t she always lived hers? I scoffed, knocking my knuckles against the desk in irritation, still seething. And what was that crap about never speaking to me again once the contract ended? Did she honestly think it would be that simple to walk away? After everything we’ve been through? What about the baby on the way? Was she implying that one of us wouldn’t have custody? Where the hell did she think she could go on this earth without me finding her? The agitation was shooting straight to my head
OLIVIA “So,” Liam leaned further into the table, his eyes bright, “I can tell you hate parties, but there’s this…” He paused, twisting his lips, “This dinner.” I raised a brow in response, curiosity piqued despite myself. He smiled in return, clearly pleased with my reaction. “My father’s birthday is tomorrow,” he continued, “And he loves to throw these big, elaborate parties. I was wondering if you’d like to attend.” I chuckled softly, momentarily at a loss for words. This was unexpected, and besides, we’d only just started talking. Showing up at his father’s birthday party felt strange, didn’t it? “I don’t know,” I muttered, shrugging. “I just don’t think—” “Before you say no,” he quickly interrupted, leaning in slightly. “I think you should know that a lot of people from our school will be there, so…” He lifted one shoulder casually, his smile a little more hopeful. Was that supposed to convince me? The idea that people from school would be there didn’t exactly make it more
MICHAEL The door to my office swung open. I looked up to see Lydia walk in like she owned the place, shoulders high and head held even higher. Slowly, I stood, my eyes locked on her as she crossed the room and sank into the couch without a word. “I know what you did,” I said, skipping any kind of greeting. She raised one perfectly shaped brow, pretending she had no idea what I was talking about. “What are you going on about?” “You went to my grandfather,” I said, my voice tight. “You asked him to bring you into Blackwood Hotel by promising an investment from your family, didn’t you?” She held my gaze in silence, like she was waiting for something. For a second, I wondered if I had it wrong. Then she let out a quiet breath, the corner of her mouth twitching like she found it all slightly amusing. “Oh,” she said quietly. “That.” My anger flared fast and I slammed my hand on the desk. “Why?” I yelled. “Why would you do that?” “Why would I do what?” she replied, her tone calm—t
OLIVIA I leaned back against the headrest, my eyes drifting past the tall buildings as we sped by. I tried not to think about Christian but the memories kept pushing their way in. Seeing him again yesterday had almost pulled me under. Those feelings I thought I’d buried came rushing back. For a second, I even questioned my decision about the party, until her name popped up again. This morning, I’d woken up with a clear head and a stronger sense of resolve. That part of my life, him, would not affect me anymore. Now, I was on my way to Blackwood Fashion with Greg and Grace to pick out a dress for the dinner party tonight. I sighed, letting my thoughts drift to what I might wear. It wasn’t like I didn’t already have options—I just needed an excuse to get out of my room because I was extremely bored. The car came to a stop in front of Blackwood Fashion. I stepped out, adjusting the flannel shirt I’d thrown on without thinking. As I walked toward the glass doors, I noticed a fain
CHRISTIAN “How do these damn binoculars work?” I muttered under my breath, frustration creeping in. Cursing again, I smacked it, trying to make sense of the device. Sighing deeply, I focused intently, eventually figuring out how to work the damn thing. What was I even doing here? Sitting in this car, staked out opposite this restaurant. What was I expecting to find? Lifting the binoculars to my eyes, I positioned them toward the glass fronts of Joe’s Bistro fast food restaurant across the street, leaning slightly back in the seat to avoid being spotted. And as I adjusted the focus, I froze, a jolt of shock running through me. So, Olivia was seriously here? And who was she with? That hair… Nicholas? I adjusted the binoculars again, unease spreading through me, which quickly turned into rage when I confirmed it was really Nicholas Sterling sitting there. I glared through the lens, my jaw tightening as I saw Olivia’s smile, my chest burning with jealousy. I yanked the binoculars aw
Christian’s POVMy cock throbbed even harder as I stared down at the green-eyed beauty that sucked the living daylights out of me, with half-lidded eyes, her pink tongue swirling around the tip.God, she would be the death of me.Groaning in pleasure, and unable to hold back anymore, I gently pushed her back on the bed, my cock jutting out like a sword as I straddled her.“How much do you want me, Olivia?” I demanded, my eyes running down her face, lingering on her nipples, as I stroked her clit with the tip of my cock.Slowly, I pushed in the tip, my jaw clenching with suppressed hunger and desire. “This much?”“No, a little more,” she breathed, her fingers gliding over my back.Taut veins bulging on the side of my neck, I pushed in a little bit further, her clit hugging my pulsating cock, and we both gasped as a tingling sensation washed down my skin.“This much?” I whispered in her ear, my arm snaking around her waist and positioning her perfectly underneath me.She nodded slowly,
Olivia’s POVI shifted gently on the bed, half asleep, as I reached for Christian on the other side of the bed.When my fingers don’t connect with his skin in the next few minutes, my eyes fluttered open, only to find he wasn’t there.Where was he?I ran my eyes over the room slowly, groaning, and eventually, they landed on him in the corner, a wine glass between his fingers, staring down at me intently.Fear zapped through me for a split second as I stared at him, and I fully opened my eyes and sat up gently in the bed.I pushed my fingers through my hair and rubbed my eyes. “Are you okay?”“Yeah,” he replied, nodding. “I just couldn’t sleep,” he continued, “so I decided to just watch you sleep, instead.”I swallowed, sticking out my tongue to lick my lower lip. His hot gaze followed the movement, darkening, and he immediately pushed himself off the wall, moving towards the bedside table to pour me a glass of water from the carafe.Still keeping his eyes on me, he inched forward and
Olivia’s POVI remained very rigid as Christian carried me into the car, gently placing me on the seat and leaning forward to strap on my seatbelt.I felt like a toddler, with the way he was carrying me, but I couldn’t even argue with him, because he was probably annoyed with me too.But how could I have refused his grandfather’s orders to appear at the hospital? It wasn’t like I could do that and not expect to face his wrath…Sighing heavily, I watched through the rearview mirror as Christian took the car key from the driver and dismissed him, walking over to the driver’s side.As he got in, I kept my gaze transfixed on him. More out of disbelief and curiosity.He jammed the key into the ignition, and the engine rumbled to life.“Why are you taking me home yourself?” I demanded in a loud voice, trying to get myself heard over the engine noise. “What about the driver?”Christian waited until the noise had died down, the engine still running, before he turned his gaze to me. “I sent hi
Olivia’s POVDespite my leg, when Mr. Blackwood demanded to see the entire family, including me, I had to be present.Although I’d been shocked I was even included in the list…But there was no time for questions because Michael was lying on a hospital bed right now.I scratched my arm, glancing across the hallways as I wondered where Christian was.Why wasn’t he here yet?Sighing, I turned towards Michael’s ward, staring a bit longingly as I wondered if his injuries were severe or extreme.We haven’t even seen him yet. It was just Mr. Blackwood with him in there, ever since we arrived, plus he had just come out of surgery an hour ago.I didn’t even care about Lydia, if she was alive. Or not.Was I being too harsh?I let out another huge sigh, throwing my head backwards and closing my eyes. I felt Ophelia sink in next to me then, and she threw an arm around my shoulders.I peeled my eyes open to see she looked as scared as I was feeling, despite trying to act strong.“He’ll be okay,”
Olivia’s POVI picked out the lettuce in my burger, staring at it with a scrunched up nose and twisted lips.I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t enjoying this very delicious-looking snack.What was it?Because I’d been in bed, alone, all day? Or it just wasn’t good, maybe only aesthetically pleasing?The constant ache in my heart was a sharp reminder that my mother and James weren’t around me. I missed them so badly, and I never even thought that would happen, and soon.And there was Christian, who was probably at work, snooping around and trying to find whoever had tried to kill me.I knew he was really into finding that out, because I’d overheard some series of calls he’d made earlier.I sighed, gently placing the burger down on the plate.I wanted him home with me, cuddling me, his presence reassuring me that I was safe. I was tired of being alone.Just then, my phone rang on the bedside table, and I sat up straighter, and excitedly leaned forward to grab it off the table.But the s
Christian’s POVMartha and the staff were already waiting downstairs, like I’d instructed, and as I pushed down the stairs, I sighed heavily, threading my fingers through my hair.I sunk into one of the couches as I got to the ground floor, gesturing towards Martha who stood to the side. “Please, sit.”She nodded and dropped into the couch opposite me, and I turned my attention to the other maids that stood to the side.“I’m sure you’re all aware I have a guest,” I started in a clear voice, linking my fingers between my knees and leaning forward, sweeping my gaze from one face to the other, and they nodded quietly.“As you know,” I continued, “I rarely bring anyone here, so she’s no ordinary guest.” I paused, my gaze straying to Martha. “She’s special.”“She’s my future,” I continued without missing a beat, “my home. So you must make sure she feels at home all the time.”I nodded as I spoke, pulling out my phone from my pocket. “Also, she’s pregnant,” I announced, “so you have to be c
OLIVIAIt was as if he sensed my shift in mood, and he moved closer. “You should think bad thoughts more often,” he said, his tone teasing. “Keeps your mind occupied.” Yeah, just like the doctor advised. He’d mentioned how common it was for accident victims to suffer from PTSD or depression, how they often spiraled by reliving the trauma. He’d encouraged me to focus on the present, to appreciate the people around me, and to learn to accept what had happened, no matter how difficult. It was complicated. But I knew Christian was trying to help me avoid those darker thoughts. Truth be told, I didn’t want them either, especially after the nightmares that had been haunting me for the past few days. “What bad thoughts?” I asked, focusing on him. “Remember our texts?” My face flushed instantly, the heat spreading like wildfire. “If you’re planning on staying in this room with me,” I muttered, “that’s… a really bad idea.” “Why?” he asked, as he casually began unbuttoning his shirt.
OLIVIA The car came to a stop in front of Christian’s penthouse, and I winced at the thought of getting out. My wheelchair sat beside me, its cold frame a reminder of just how much I’d have to rely on it for the next few weeks. My arms didn’t ache so much, but walking was out of the question. A large shard of glass had embedded itself in my thighs, the injury so close to making me fear the worst, that I’d lost the baby. My ribs were fractured, too, but the pain was muted, likely drowned out by the painkillers they’d pumped into me. I took a deep breath, mentally preparing for the struggle of getting out of the car. But before I could even reach for the handles, Christian was already at my side, opening the door. He moved without hesitation, setting up the wheelchair and lifting me into it with careful hands. “I told you not to bother with that,” he muttered, crouching in front of me and adjusting the footrest before standing to push me toward the building. I narrow
MICHAEL“So,” he said, drawing me out of my spiraling thoughts, “Are you ready to listen?”I bit back the urge to tell him to go fuck himself. My fists curled at my sides, my whole body burning with humiliation and rage.Still, I gave a stiff nod, betraying the violent thoughts in my head.“Listen,” Lydia cut in, as she stepped closer, “If you have a solution, then we need to hear it. Because Christian will start his investigations soon.” Cain shifted his stance, turning fully toward her. “It’s simple,” he said. “I’ll stage a similar accident. For you… and for Michael.”I blinked at him, stunned.What?“How the fuck is that supposed to fix anything?” I asked, barely keeping my voice level.Cain’s mouth twitched, like he was amused by how little we understood.“Another accident will make you both look like victims too,” he explained calmly, as if he was talking about staging a fucking birthday party. “This plan will shift suspicion. It’ll look like someone’s after your family and Oli