Olivia’s POV:At Bedford woman’s penitentiary.It felt odd. So odd to be here. I was at the visiting lounge waiting for someone I would never thought visiting but here I am. Harvey insisted on coming with me but I declined his offer. This was more personal and needed a personal touch.He did not trust me and my judgement after what happened on Christmas eve. Harvey was more logical while I was more of the ‘poetic justice’ girl who thought it was nice way to end the year. Harvey was not happy but could not do anything but to take care of the paperwork. In fact, he bombarded me this morning alone with text messages stating why he should be present with me there.Of course, I had to politely decline and tell him I got this covered.The heavy metal door opened and a prison officer walked in, Miles behind her. When she saw me, her expressionless face quickly turned into a full-blown maniac with too much hate and anger to spare.“YOU! What are you doing here!” She lunged at me but was immed
Olivia’s POV:“There you are,” Brandon approached me. I was not expecting him here.I know I look like an idiot now, my brows furrowed in confusion. It’s six in the evening. Brandon and I never interacted after office hours unless it’s very important and usually business related.“Hey,” I shrugged and awkwardly laughed. “I live here, Brandon.”Brandon scratched the back of his head, to me, it was a sight that I don’t get to see every day. Our relationship is purely business and I feel like I don’t know him as much as I should. Not that I should. He’s handsome, a far cry from Meredith’s soft and motherly features. Brandon’s chiseled jaw line and bushy eyebrows along with his piercing green eyes were his strongest features aside from his brain. The brilliance was there, he just lacked the initiative which I had, and the charm.“I don’t know how to counter that statement,” he playfully replied. Adjusting his cuffs.“Shouldn’t you be on a date or something?” I walked past by him.He’s si
Olivia’s POV:I was stunned. No, shocked to the core when an expensive looking man waited for me in the private visitor’s lounge in Bedford Women’s Correctional.“Hello, Olivia.” His teeth were pearly white I swear they could’ve blinded me.“Hi…I think you have the wrong Olivia…”He chuckled. “No, I have the right Olivia. You’re Olivia Charleston, right?”Damn, even his laughter sounded costly. Who is this man? I felt like a lump was blocking my throat so I nodded like a sea lion. With my orange outfit, I might pass as one. He motioned me to take the seat adjacent to his and sat down.“My name is Harvey Brown. I’m Meredith’s lawyer and executioner.” He extended his hand and I took it but very gingerly. “I heard you’re a free woman tomorrow.”“Meredith? She’s alive?” I realize that it was an inappropriate question and ignored everything he just said. “I am so sorry…it’s just that…the last time I saw her…she was being wheeled to an ambulance. They said it’s heart attack. I…I haven’t hea
Olivia’s POV:“Okay…where am I supposed to stay?” I asked.My mother pulled out two hundred dollars and tossed it on the table carelessly as if she were giving money to a beggar. “Here, take this. Find a motel or rent a place. It's up to you.”I forced a bitter smile. “And what about Paul? What does he say about this?”Just then, Paul emerged from the bathroom. Without hesitation, he said, “Of course not. You're my sister. Of course, I'm on your side. If you want to stay here, I'll clear the room for you.”It seemed he still cared about me. I nodded with relief. “I’d like to stay for a while. I missed you guys.”But as soon as I said that, Paul’s expression froze. He stood there, looking at me, but made no move to clean the room. I stared back, puzzled. Did I say something offensive?At this time, Miles walked up to me, her voice sharp. “Olivia, have you lost your mind in prison? How can you be so inconsiderate? Can't you see how cramped the house is? Even if we clear out the room, it
Brandon’s POV:I am Aunt Meredith’s only family and I have high hopes for myself. My Aunt is a complicated person. She married three times and her wealth came from all the marriages that did not give her any children. To this day, she’s Meredith Walton. Her last marriage was lucrative.She was a Pembroke and wealthy in her own right before she married all the ridiculously wealthy men. Until this day, I had no idea how a woman who doesn't have an active social life managed to ensnare three of America's wealthiest. Aunt Meredith's conviction wasn't even disclosed to the public eye. Because she's freakishly wealthy and had connections everywhere---people assumed she was just chilling in one of her many properties in the tropics when, in fact, she was serving time in Bedford Women's Correctional.Her life was pretty scandalous too. But that’s beside the point. My main concern here is who takes over all her assets. Harvey Brown’s secretary smiled at me when I walked into his elegant office
Olivia’s POV:That night, I still couldn’t get that scene yesterday from my head. I have a feeling that it was going to live rent-free in my head from now on.Miles rubbing her belly and speaking to me mercilessly.My father talking as he put out his cigarette and said coldly, “Liv, you're grown up now. It's time you understood the importance of contributing to the family instead of causing trouble.”Each of their words felt like a sharp knife piercing my heart. Despite my overwhelming disappointment, my eyes welled up. I looked at them and said hoarsely, “No wonder you never visited me once during my five years in prison. I thought you were just too busy to see me. But now I see you only saw me as a moneymaker. You kicked me to the curb without hesitation the moment I couldn't make money anymore.”I tilted my head back, fighting to hold back my tears. Then, I asked, “So you're all determined to kick me out today?”“Yes!” They all replied without hesitation.Clearly, there was no room
Olivia’s POV:How I’ve waited for this moment!If not for their cold-heartedness, I might have been drained dry by them and eventually discarded. Their cruelty pushed me to become self-reliant.“Liv,” Miles’ energy shifted. She was now approaching me with her fake smile. “I-if this hotel is yours, why didn't you tell us earlier? Look at the misunderstanding we had just now. If you had told us you were the CEO, we could have happily celebrated your nephew’s celebration together.”Paul nodded repeatedly, as usual. “That’s true, Liv. You kept this a secret too well. Come on, let’s just have a nice family gathering today. You don't know how much we've missed you these past six months. Right, mom and dad?”I raised a brow. “Really? I remember you calling me names, you called me poor, and insisted on kicking me out. Before I forget, who slapped me and called security to throw me out? Oh. It was you. Dearest brother, your way of expressing your longing is certainly unique, isn't it? Damn, yo
Brandon’s POV:Working with Olivia all these months qualifies as a roller coaster ride. I can’t say I like her because she took what I think is rightfully mine but at the same time, I see myself in her. Always in a constant state where we have to prove our worth.Alice thinks otherwise.“Tell me, where are you with that b*tch?” She paced her bedroom with the smallest lingerie she owns, giving me a glimpse of what I was about to get tonight.“I’m working on it.”“You’re not working hard enough, Brandon.” She spat. “How many months more do we have to wait before we could get our hands on Meredith’s money?”A nervous chuckle escaped my throat. “We? I do all the work, Alice. While you waste your time socializing.”I heard her sharp intake of breath. I hit a nerve and I really did not care. What I said was true and I have no plans of retracting it. Alice had been a pain in the neck recently, as if she had to do all the dirty work. She commanded me like it was the most natural thing in the
Olivia’s POV:“There you are,” Brandon approached me. I was not expecting him here.I know I look like an idiot now, my brows furrowed in confusion. It’s six in the evening. Brandon and I never interacted after office hours unless it’s very important and usually business related.“Hey,” I shrugged and awkwardly laughed. “I live here, Brandon.”Brandon scratched the back of his head, to me, it was a sight that I don’t get to see every day. Our relationship is purely business and I feel like I don’t know him as much as I should. Not that I should. He’s handsome, a far cry from Meredith’s soft and motherly features. Brandon’s chiseled jaw line and bushy eyebrows along with his piercing green eyes were his strongest features aside from his brain. The brilliance was there, he just lacked the initiative which I had, and the charm.“I don’t know how to counter that statement,” he playfully replied. Adjusting his cuffs.“Shouldn’t you be on a date or something?” I walked past by him.He’s si
Olivia’s POV:At Bedford woman’s penitentiary.It felt odd. So odd to be here. I was at the visiting lounge waiting for someone I would never thought visiting but here I am. Harvey insisted on coming with me but I declined his offer. This was more personal and needed a personal touch.He did not trust me and my judgement after what happened on Christmas eve. Harvey was more logical while I was more of the ‘poetic justice’ girl who thought it was nice way to end the year. Harvey was not happy but could not do anything but to take care of the paperwork. In fact, he bombarded me this morning alone with text messages stating why he should be present with me there.Of course, I had to politely decline and tell him I got this covered.The heavy metal door opened and a prison officer walked in, Miles behind her. When she saw me, her expressionless face quickly turned into a full-blown maniac with too much hate and anger to spare.“YOU! What are you doing here!” She lunged at me but was immed
Olivia's POV:“So, it’s true.” Brandon said behind me.“Shh, he’s sleeping. Do you know how hard it is to put a child to sleep?” I lectured him. Shooing him outside of the bedroom. “Of course you don’t. You don’t have one yet. I still can’t understand why a man like you is left alone running free in New York.”After securing the bedroom door is closed, I led Brandon farther away. “What’s up?”He seemed to be more concerned why I left the hotel and decided to drag myself to one of Meredith’s properties in the city. This is a town house I first considered living in when I became her beneficiary but I ended up in the hotel because I hate driving.“Why?”“Why?” I chuckled. “Come on, Brandon. You have to give me more than that.”“You didn’t like it here before, why now?” His eyes searched mine. Brandon is an epitome of a fine man. I meant every word I said about him running free alone in the city. He is masculine and devilishly handsome in suits and in regular clothes. “I heard about your
Olivia's POV:Hmm, what do they say about time? Oh, yeah. Time flies so fast when you’re having fun. But I wasn’t having fun. I was picking up the pieces of my life and starting all over again. I can’t say I’m not happy with I’m seeing. The year hasn’t ended but I’ve managed to turn the tides on my favor.Before I know it, the end of the year arrived. It was a time for families to reunite. The hotel was swamped with families wanting to make their holidays more memorable. Pricey but memorable. People these days prefer to spend money on experience than on material things that would later end up stacked on the garage or tucked away in the drawer never to be remembered again unless they do spring cleaning which was never in most cases.Either way, it’s good for business. I was busy. I like busy. Busy is good.It was Christmas Eve, I received a call from an unknown number.As soon as I answered, my mother’s familiar voice came through. “Honey, we've realized our mistakes. We've wronged you
Brandon’s POV:Working with Olivia all these months qualifies as a roller coaster ride. I can’t say I like her because she took what I think is rightfully mine but at the same time, I see myself in her. Always in a constant state where we have to prove our worth.Alice thinks otherwise.“Tell me, where are you with that b*tch?” She paced her bedroom with the smallest lingerie she owns, giving me a glimpse of what I was about to get tonight.“I’m working on it.”“You’re not working hard enough, Brandon.” She spat. “How many months more do we have to wait before we could get our hands on Meredith’s money?”A nervous chuckle escaped my throat. “We? I do all the work, Alice. While you waste your time socializing.”I heard her sharp intake of breath. I hit a nerve and I really did not care. What I said was true and I have no plans of retracting it. Alice had been a pain in the neck recently, as if she had to do all the dirty work. She commanded me like it was the most natural thing in the
Olivia’s POV:How I’ve waited for this moment!If not for their cold-heartedness, I might have been drained dry by them and eventually discarded. Their cruelty pushed me to become self-reliant.“Liv,” Miles’ energy shifted. She was now approaching me with her fake smile. “I-if this hotel is yours, why didn't you tell us earlier? Look at the misunderstanding we had just now. If you had told us you were the CEO, we could have happily celebrated your nephew’s celebration together.”Paul nodded repeatedly, as usual. “That’s true, Liv. You kept this a secret too well. Come on, let’s just have a nice family gathering today. You don't know how much we've missed you these past six months. Right, mom and dad?”I raised a brow. “Really? I remember you calling me names, you called me poor, and insisted on kicking me out. Before I forget, who slapped me and called security to throw me out? Oh. It was you. Dearest brother, your way of expressing your longing is certainly unique, isn't it? Damn, yo
Olivia’s POV:That night, I still couldn’t get that scene yesterday from my head. I have a feeling that it was going to live rent-free in my head from now on.Miles rubbing her belly and speaking to me mercilessly.My father talking as he put out his cigarette and said coldly, “Liv, you're grown up now. It's time you understood the importance of contributing to the family instead of causing trouble.”Each of their words felt like a sharp knife piercing my heart. Despite my overwhelming disappointment, my eyes welled up. I looked at them and said hoarsely, “No wonder you never visited me once during my five years in prison. I thought you were just too busy to see me. But now I see you only saw me as a moneymaker. You kicked me to the curb without hesitation the moment I couldn't make money anymore.”I tilted my head back, fighting to hold back my tears. Then, I asked, “So you're all determined to kick me out today?”“Yes!” They all replied without hesitation.Clearly, there was no room
Brandon’s POV:I am Aunt Meredith’s only family and I have high hopes for myself. My Aunt is a complicated person. She married three times and her wealth came from all the marriages that did not give her any children. To this day, she’s Meredith Walton. Her last marriage was lucrative.She was a Pembroke and wealthy in her own right before she married all the ridiculously wealthy men. Until this day, I had no idea how a woman who doesn't have an active social life managed to ensnare three of America's wealthiest. Aunt Meredith's conviction wasn't even disclosed to the public eye. Because she's freakishly wealthy and had connections everywhere---people assumed she was just chilling in one of her many properties in the tropics when, in fact, she was serving time in Bedford Women's Correctional.Her life was pretty scandalous too. But that’s beside the point. My main concern here is who takes over all her assets. Harvey Brown’s secretary smiled at me when I walked into his elegant office
Olivia’s POV:“Okay…where am I supposed to stay?” I asked.My mother pulled out two hundred dollars and tossed it on the table carelessly as if she were giving money to a beggar. “Here, take this. Find a motel or rent a place. It's up to you.”I forced a bitter smile. “And what about Paul? What does he say about this?”Just then, Paul emerged from the bathroom. Without hesitation, he said, “Of course not. You're my sister. Of course, I'm on your side. If you want to stay here, I'll clear the room for you.”It seemed he still cared about me. I nodded with relief. “I’d like to stay for a while. I missed you guys.”But as soon as I said that, Paul’s expression froze. He stood there, looking at me, but made no move to clean the room. I stared back, puzzled. Did I say something offensive?At this time, Miles walked up to me, her voice sharp. “Olivia, have you lost your mind in prison? How can you be so inconsiderate? Can't you see how cramped the house is? Even if we clear out the room, it