OLIVIA I stepped onto the terrace, my heels clicking softly against the stone floor as I glanced around at the guests streaming toward the entrance. This was clearly another high-society event—elegant, extravagant, and carefully planned. “Olivia!” I turned at the sound of Liam’s voice and saw him standing by the doorway, a bright smile lighting up his face. Smiling back, I lifted the hem of my dress slightly and quickened my pace. He met me halfway, his grin widening as he took my hand. “I’m glad you made it,” he said, his gaze sweeping across my face. “Thank you for inviting me,” I replied, smiling. “So, shall we?” I nodded, my eyes drifting over his casual outfit. He looked effortlessly handsome, wearing a fitted blazer over a plain white shirt. His dark jeans added a laid-back touch, and the slicked-back hair gave him a sharper look I hadn’t noticed before. “You look so beautiful, Olivia,” he whispered as we stepped into the softly lit lobby. A faint blush touched my c
OLIVIA I felt Liam step up behind me as I kept watching Ivy. She stood a few feet away, awkwardly adjusting the strap of her dress and smoothing down her hair over and over again. Those little movements told me just how uncomfortable she felt, and how hard she was trying to hide it. It was almost sad. Strangely, I wasn’t angry about the way she had snapped at me. I should’ve been because she humiliated me when I was only trying to be kind. But instead, all I felt was a mix of sadness and curiosity. “So,” Liam said, nudging me gently, “How’s the party? Having fun?” I shrugged, still half-distracted, my focus on Ivy. “It’s… okay. I’m not really used to these kinds of events. Not much of a party person.” He glanced at me, waiting for more. I shifted my attention away from Ivy to him. “Honestly,” I added with a small smirk, “It’s kind of boring. Maybe it’s all the old people but I feel like I walked into a retirement gala.” He laughed, a low, amused sound. “That’s fair.”
OLIVIA I forced a smile before he could catch on that I’d missed about 99.98% of whatever childhood story he’d just told. “I think—” “Liam!” a deep voice called from across the hall. We both turned toward it to see his father, waving him over. “I’ll be right back,” He said with a quick, apologetic smile, his fingers brushing my arm gently. I nodded and gave him a little wave. “Go on,” I muttered, silently grateful for the rescue. Any longer and I might’ve choked on my own attempt to fake interest. As soon as he walked off, I exhaled. My mouth felt dry. I scanned the room for a server, but none were in sight, so I slipped away and headed for the kitchen, hoping to grab a bottle of water. The kitchen was quieter than the sitting room, almost peaceful…..until I saw her. Ivy stood beside the marble counter with her back to the door, one hand fussing with her hair while the other rubbed at her bare arm. She looked smaller here, less put together. Sad, even. A flicker of
OLIVIA Wiping her nose with the handkerchief I handed her, Ivy sniffled and stared off into space. Her shoulders slumped like she was carrying more than just her sadness. “When I was twelve,” She began after a long pause. “My mom would always tell me to only make friends with girls who were in the same… bracket.” She lifted her hands and air-quoted, “You know status-wise.” I stayed quiet, just listening. Something in her tone made me feel like this wasn’t something she shared often. “She even forbade me from being friends with a girl whose mom was a hair stylist. Can you believe that?” she asked with a bitter chuckle, not really waiting for an answer. “And then at seventeen,” She went on, her words quick and clipped now, “She started taking me to parties filled with powerful, much older men.” Her voice tightened. “She made me smile, laugh, and play nice with them. She told me I had to climb my way to the top using their backs.” A hollow smirk formed on her lips, but her eye
OLIVIA She gave me a knowing smirk anyway. “Seriously,” I added with a pointed finger, backing away from her, “No more crying, okay?” She nodded, still shooing me off. With a small smile, I turned and slipped my hand into Liam’s. As the door shut behind us, he glanced at me, raising a brow. “When did you two become friends?” he asked. “That’s the friendliest I’ve seen you two.” I shrugged, still smiling. “Life happens, I guess.” He led the way upstairs, and when we stepped into his room, I paused to look around. The walls were white, he had a shelf filled with neatly arranged books in one corner and a desk filled with vinyls. His room was surprisingly tidy. “Your room looks like my brother’s,” I murmured, amused. “On a good day, anyway.” He chuckled. “Quite the sense of humor you’ve got, Olivia. A great one, actually.” “Yeah, I know,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows. “Tons of people tell me that every single day. It’s practically carved into my brain now.” It was an out
CHRISTIAN I reached for my phone on the bedside table, hesitating before unlocking it. Just one more text. That’s all. What’s the worst that could happen? My thumb hovered over the keyboard longer than it should as I thought of what to send to Olivia. What do I even say? “Are you sleeping yet?” I typed it out. Read it, re-read it again. Then I hit send. The second I did, I dropped the phone on the bed like it had burned me, and turned my face to the wall, jaw clenched. I wasn’t going to stare at the screen like some lovesick idiot. I wasn’t. I tried to distract myself by thinking about other things but my mind eventually drifted back to her. It was almost ten p.m. Would she still be awake? Was she one of those early sleepers? And if she wasn’t sleeping… what was she doing? Was she curled under a blanket, scrolling through her phone with that tiny crease between her brows? Was someone else texting her, making her laugh? The thought made my fingers curl. Slowly,
CHRISTIAN Despite myself, a corner of my mouth tilted upward. “Fine,” I muttered, passing her a knife. “But you’re doing the tomatoes.” She snorted, picking up the bowl. “Just try not to cry all over the onions, okay?” I let out a laugh, and continued chopping the onions quietly. For a while, we said nothing to each other. Until the questions at the back of my mind began to yell. I exhaled, stealing a glance at her. “Can I ask you something?” I said, pressing my lips together. She glanced up from the bowl of tomatoes. “Sure.” I exhaled again. “How can you tell when you…” I trailed off, wiping my suddenly clammy hands on a kitchen towel. “How can you tell when you care for someone?” She didn’t answer right away. Maybe she knew I needed a second. “The heart usually finds a way to tell you,” she answered softly. “Even if your head hasn’t caught up yet.” “But I—” I stopped myself. A memory flashed in my mind, of her, years ago, holding a picture frame close to her
OLIVIA My eyes snapped open, a bitter taste already rising in my throat. Sheets tangled around my legs as I threw them off and ran to the bathroom, barely able to think past the roiling in my gut. I pushed the door open as I dashed in and hit the floor hard, my knees scraping tile just as the sickness surged up. I gripped the toilet seat and retched violently, my body folding in on itself with each heave. There was no control, no time to breathe, just wave after wave until there was nothing left but the sour burn in my mouth and trembling muscles. When it finally stopped, I stayed there, resting my forehead against the cool porcelain, the world tilting sickly around me and each breath I dragged in felt like it scraped raw through my chest. After several minutes, I forced my body to move. My arms shook as I pushed myself upright, and when I stood, my legs buckled slightly under my weight. I staggered toward the shower, twisting the knob until warm water rushed down on me
Olivia’s POVI felt a tingling warmth against my skin, and I peeled my eyes open, squinting them against the streak of sunlight that rested on my face.Deeply satiated, and feeling energized, I stretched against the sheets and yawned with my mouth wide open, the rich sound of Christian’s snores reaching my ears.I giggled softly, turning to his side to watch his peaceful expression as he slept.This was the first time I was hearing him snore, and interestingly enough, it still sounded topnotch sexy.Did he always snore?Smiling, I reached up and picked at his dark curls, and he shifted gently just then, his eyes flickering open just a wink.“Hey,” he croaked in a husky voice, turning fully towards me and pulling me in, burying his face into my chest.“Hey,” I returned in a soft voice, threading my fingers into his hair and massaging gently. “It’s past 9am. Time for work, right?”He shook his head slowly, his breath fanning my naked skin.“Coffee?” I asked, my tone suggestive, and he s
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