All Chapters of BAD REPUTATION : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

She smiled at him, “Planning to do a lot of clubbing, huh?”“What can I say, I like to enjoy life,” he replied and winked at her. Olivia continued to smile, but that wink did things to her insides. Her fingers tightened around the pen, and she distracted herself by looking down and made a small note. “Noted. And budget flexibility?”“Within reason.”“That’s not an answer.”He leaned back slightly, studying her. “You’re very bossy. Are you like this with all your clients or just me?“I’m very good at my job.” She replied, “Besides, I think you could do with a little bossing around once in a while,” “I don’t doubt that you're good at your job,” he said, “But damn woman, it wouldn't hurt to have some… friendly conversation as we dive into business,”Their eyes held for a fraction too long. She broke it first, sliding the first listing across to him. “I'm sorry,” she said, “As much as I'd like to chat, I'm kind of in a hurry to get home this evening,” “Got a date or something?” Derek a

Olivia rolled her eyes, almost blushing again, “You wish,” she replied, “Just answer the question, will you?”He didn’t answer immediately, but after a moment, he said, “I didn’t say I was against it,” “You heavily implied it,” she countered.He kept his eyes on the road. “I just don’t see the appeal,” he said. “Marriage complicates things.”“Or deepens them.” She cut in. He huffed quietly.She watched him carefully. “Do you just hate the idea? Or did someone ruin it for you?”Derek’s jaw tightened slightly. That was closer to the mark than he liked. “Why does it have to be that dramatic?” he deflected.“Because people don’t usually form strong opinions about commitment without a reason.”Again, he didn’t respond right away. The car slowed at a red light. The quiet hum of the engine filled the space between them. Finally, he spoke. “I was engaged once.”Her eyebrows lifted slightly, almost in disbelief, but she didn’t interrupt.“Years ago. A long time ago. She cheated,” he said sim

She gave him a small, grateful smile — one that confirmed his suspicion that she was once again drawing a line between them —one she didn't want to cross.The car slowed as they turned into her street. He parked in front of her building, the engine humming softly before he shut it off. For a second, neither of them moved.“Thank you for today,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt. “You made things so much easier by driving us. I think you’ve got three really strong options.”When her hand reached for the door handle, he spoke. “I’ve decided.”She paused, looking at him. “Already?”“I’m taking the first one.”“The loft?” Her brows lifted. “So fast?”He nodded once. “Yeah.”She blinked, surprised. “You’re sure?”He leaned back slightly in his seat.“It’s the one that fits me right now,” he said calmly. “The other two are great. But they feel like they'd serve someone else better,”Her lips curved faintly. “And we can’t have your mother getting ideas,” she teased.He laughed under his brea

Oh, fuck, she looked hot. But then again, she always did. The dress she wore was white, classy, and it didn’t show cleavage, but there was no hiding those natural wonders. She wore black-rimmed glasses, probably to help hide those slightly swollen eyes, but he still noticed them. She'd been crying. Damn Olivia watched him from the doorway. Derek kept his expression neutral while searching her face for lingering hurt or sadness. He couldn’t find any more traces apart from the slightly swollen eyes. Just a hint of challenge. Like she'd said, she was all cried out.Good. That was good. As it turned out, even in this situation, as much as he liked that her relationship had ended, he didn't like the idea of her being hurt.“Why the hell didn’t you tell me Derek was here, Izzy?” Olivia muttered to his sister, her eyes still fixed on him.Isabella wrinkled her brow. “Sorry. I was stuck on what you were saying.”Olivia stared at Derek for another beat. Then she let out a sigh. “I suppose I’

The first three weeks after the breakup passed with a kind of quiet peace that Olivia almost felt guilty about. At first, she had expected the opposite. Heartbreak. Loneliness. The familiar ache that followed the end of something important. Instead, there had been silence. Calm. Space to breathe. No ruined expectations. No disappointments. The guilt crept in occasionally, whispering that two years with someone should hurt more than this. But every time the thought surfaced, Olivia pushed it firmly aside. She deserved this peace and everything that came with it.Her parents hadn’t been particularly thrilled about the breakup, but they hadn’t been upset either. When she’d explained the situation, her mother had simply sighed and told her the only thing that mattered was that she was happy. Her father, practical as always, had nodded in agreement and changed the subject to work.Tessa, on the other hand, had been ecstatic, and just as Isabella had predicted, Tessa had immediately sugges