OLIVIA I lay on my back in my room, twirling my phone between my fingers, debating whether or not to follow through with the thought that was stuck in my head. Ever since the car ride with Christian, my mind hadn’t settled. His vague answer about Lydia only made things worse instead of calming me. Who was she to him really? And why wouldn’t he just tell me the truth? He clearly had no problem sharing my secrets with her—about me, about my brother, while lying in bed with her, no less. So why did he suddenly go vague when the topic was about her? I tapped my screen, then let it go dark again. I couldn’t decide. My fingers itched to act, while my brain warned me to stop. I even considered throwing the phone across the room and going to sleep. But curiosity is a dangerous thing, and today, it won. I pulled up my browser and typed in the name I swore I’d never search: Christian Blackwood and Lydia. The moment the results loaded, my heart dropped and I forgot all about self-control.
OLIVIA As the car pulled into the parking lot of Blackwood Hotel, I took in the sight before me, excitement bubbling lightly inside. The building stood tall, decorated beautifully, its windows glowing warmly. The engine quieted, and before I could move, Christian stepped out and opened my door. He held out his hand, his expression calm. “Here,” he said softly. Even though I had promised myself not to let my guard down, I found myself smiling. He had made an effort tonight—the dress, the sweet note. And while my heart still twisted at the thought of his so-called favorite ex, I had agreed to come with him. If not for Christian, then at least for Ophelia. She’d worked too hard on this event, and she would have been disappointed if I hadn’t shown up. Placing my hand in his, I lifted my dress slightly and stepped out. We walked toward the entrance, my gaze drifting over the decorations. If the exterior looked this enchanting, the interior had to be even more spectacular. At the doo
OLIVIA The night carried on, and I watched as people waltzed across the dance floor, moving to the music with bright smiles and laughter. To my surprise, even Mr. Blackwood was dancing, with a woman around his age, no less. A small smile rested on his face as he led her across the floor. So he did things like this? I assumed the Blackwoods were all too serious for fun. I glanced away and spotted Michael dancing with his wife a little farther away. They didn’t look happy together, moving stiffly to the soft music. Meanwhile, Christian and Ophelia were deep in conversation with a group of guests at a table far from ours, caught up in whatever they were discussing. That left just me and Lydia at this table. She kept staring at me, not even bothering to hide it. I ignored her, but the longer it went on, the more annoyed I felt. What gave her this sort of confidence to harass me constantly? Was it the fact that she once dated Christian? If you asked me, she was clinging to the past
OLIVIA I turned to Christian, meeting his gaze after Ophelia’s announcement. “I’ll see you after the exhibit,” he said. “We have a lot to talk about.” My heart skipped. I nodded, slowly letting my hand slip from his shoulder. I should have walked away, but curiosity held me in place. “What do we need to talk about?” I asked, hoping it was about the truth and not something that would break my heart. “Everything,” he said, standing a little taller. “I think I know why you’re unhappy, why you feel alone. And I want to talk about it. I want to make sure you never feel that way again. I want to do better to understand how you feel at this time.” For a moment, I wanted to forget the exhibit entirely, to stay and hear every word. My heart pounded, but I forced myself to nod, smoothing a hand over my dress. “I’ll see you soon,” I murmured before turning and following the other women to the game room. I tried to blend in with the sophisticated women in the game room, holding my he
CHRISTIAN A FEW MOMENTS AGO I scanned the hall, searching for Olivia. Where was she? Most of the women had already left the game room, while a few were still trickling out in pairs. But she was nowhere in sight. I scoffed, shaking my head. She was probably caught up admiring the exhibits and completely forgot about everything else. After all, she had a way of getting lost in shiny things. A small smile tugged at my lips as I decided to go search for her. But before I could go far, someone stepped into my path, blocking me. I stopped short, irritation flaring in my chest as I met a familiar face. “Lydia,” I said flatly, my tone cold. “Excuse me.” She planted her hands on her shoulders abruptly, tilting her chin up at me. “Dance with me, Christian. I’ve been waiting all night for you to ask. Since you won’t, I’ll do it myself.” I rolled my eyes and stepped to the side, but she mirrored my movement, still blocking me. My patience thinned. “Lydia, don’t piss me off.” “
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’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