Chapter Three

  In less than an hour, they were at the largest estate that Olivia had ever set eyes on. To her, Damian had the best buildings and infrastructure for a home, but her uncle's estate eliminated that thought and she wondered at how massive his fortune was. 

 The mansion reminded her of a palace with maidservants and knights, except this time, the knights are neatly dressed in suits and have earpieces plugged in their ears. They all bowed slightly as she and her Uncle made their way.  

 "Welcome to my humble abode, Olivia. I hope you like it here." Ivan stretched his hand to her and she held it as he led her further into the grande hallway that led to an open space.

The maids bowed and she flushed by the level of respect accorded. Surely, she was going to enjoy her stay at the estate but she couldn't help wondering what suddenly prompted her Uncle to show concern after all these years.

He was her father's elder brother but never really acted as family. Having established himself as a world-known billionaire in the States, he remained there and never really showed himself until her father's death five years ago.

"Feel at home, Olivia" He added, breaking into her jumbled-up thoughts. "Marietta, take her to the room prepared for her and get the best dishes delivered as well."

 She was led into an incredulously large room and was left to admire the pieces of furniture, interior designs, and closets where clothes and accessories were neatly stacked. 

 "They're all your in your size dear." Marietta smiled, honored by the awed look on Olivia's face "Do you like them?"

 "I... Yes, yes I do. Thank you." Olivia stuttered and sat down.

 "We will have to get you out of that, the dishes will be here in 5 minutes."

 "My clothes?" 

 "Yes dear," Marietta still had a calm smile on her face as Olivia stared down at her simple T-shirt and faded jeans in perplexity. 

‘What is wrong with eating in a T-shirt and jeans?’ She thought in awe at their policy as two maids selected a gown and opera gloves for her. Another rolled in a dumbwaiter ladened with several dishes. 

"Do you enjoy the meals? We can always make another if they're not to your liking"

"I love it, totally!" Olivia replied with a smile on her face and continued eating. 

She wasn't one to consume so much food because she always wanted to remain healthy and fit for Damien who never appreciated her efforts. Sometimes, she even starved herself but that was about to change.

**************

 Damian woke up on the wrong side of his bed. He had an unusual kind of scowl on his face as he moved to the dining room for breakfast after freshening up for work. 

 He opened several dishes and all of them seemed to be staring at him in a certain kind of way. He could almost read their expressions;

It spelled "You are a disappointment."

 Damian turned to the butler who was almost trembling and glowered at him. He was a new worker and had no inkling about the way Damian liked his food to be served.

 "Who set the table?"

 "I did, sir."

"You're fired."

 The young man slouched his shoulders and walked off in sorrow while Damian took a second look at the meals.

 He picked one and dug in inspite of himself. It tasted quite different from what he was used to and he wondered if the cooks switched recipes. Since he had taken nothing for the past 12 hours and his belly churned, he managed a few forkfuls and left the table.

 Arriving at the company, he stomped all the way to his office, ignoring his workers' greetings and slamming the door shut once inside. 

 The Human resource manager exchanged looks with the marketing manager and the latter shrugged. They wondered what was amiss with the Boss. They knew that he had an unpleasant temper but what they were seeing was different. It was the worst they had ever seen.

 "Anyone who wants to be fired might as well go in to talk about some lame ideas with the Boss right now," The Human resource manager, a brown-haired guy smirked. 

 The others laughed at his humor and quickly dispersed when Laurie Giovanni slithered in. 

  At noon, Damian finished making a conference call with shareholders planted in different countries and he looked at his watch with a frown. The day was unbelievably slow and unpleasant as nothing seemed to improve his dampening mood.

His secretary, Willow Stone, entered, hands filled with papers and documents. She met his angry gaze and hesitated before bracing up to state why she was there.

 "I... I came to drop these, sir." 

"Take them out of my sight immediately!"

Those were important documents that needed his reviews and signatures but she immediately took them away without hesitation. As she turned to leave, she heard his stomach rumble and paused.

With furrowed brows, she glanced at her watch. It was past time for his lunch and that wasn't the surprising part. The surprising part was that Olivia was nowhere to be found. She was always punctual and had not dropped by with his lunch like she always does.

Damien had the same thoughts running through his mind. The time was 2 pm and he felt hungry after hours of work. It was a normalcy for Olivia to package lunch for him even if he never showed any sign of appreciation. He would always reject her offers to bring lunch to him at work or ignore her when she handed them to him while on his way to work, but he ate them anyway. They were far better than what his secretary ordered for him in the beginning.

 He stared at his watch again and his frown deepened, anger slowly welling in him. Why was he even thinking about her? She had signed the divorce papers as asked and was out of his life, just as he had wanted.

Just then, his stomach rumbled again and his Secretary turned to look at him. His looks were threatening and hers was of shock. It was evident that he was hungry even if he never admitted it.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I think your wife is a little behind schedule today, although it has never happened"

With his brows drawn together, he asked. "And what do you mean by that?"

"She is always here on time and waits even when you're having a meeting. Sometimes it takes hours and I try to make her leave but she wouldn't budge" 

That was new... He hadn't known that before.

He only knew that Olivia mostly came to the office to deliver meals to him but he didn't know how long she waited since he took hours in the conference room with delegates while discussing projects most times.

Willow dared to add "Since your wife is not here with your lunch package, should I call her or order lunch for you instead? You seem very hungry."

 "No." He blurted out. Obviously, she didn't know about their divorce. No one did, except Darian and Laurie and that was for the meantime. 

 A knock broke in and Laurie walked in. When she saw Willow, she frowned, glaring at her. "What are you doing here?" 

 "Um... I, I came to return the papers..." 

 "I think your work is done here. Get out."

Willow scurried out immediately and the smile which previously eloped Laurie's face returned in full force.

 "Oh, Damian, I missed you. I was so unhappy when you were gone for too long and decided to purchase this beauty" She displayed the latest designer bag that slung from her arm to a stoically seated Damian "Looks good on me, right? There's a lot more coming on the way, you know. That's what happens when I miss you too much"

 Damian glowered at her and shut his eyes tightly. He wished everyone would just vanish and stop trying to appear in front of him.

 "Now the little bitch is out of the way, we should go on a date. What do you think? Oh, I can only imagine our first public appearance as couples after years. I've waited for this moment like forever!"

Damien had no words to say. He tuned her out as she kept going on and on until she was ready to leave. He watched the door shut behind her and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

***************

  By evening, Ivan returned and after having dinner with Olivia, they took a tour around his garden.

 "How do you like it here?"

 "Very well," Olivia replied quietly as they made their way through wonderfully scented flowers.

 "I'm glad you like it here. I was worried that you would decline my offer to come with me to the estate. Now, I want you to recount everything that happened to you since my brother's passing. Leave nothing out."

 Olivia fell silent for a minute. Why was he suddenly interested in whatever was going on in her life? There were so many questions at the tip of her tongue but she refused to ask. Instead, she recounted everything that had happened in the past five years as asked. Her father's death, her contracted marriage to Damian, his apathetic attitude and emotional torture, and how she was used to gain his family's heirloom.

 Ivan nodded thoughtfully when she was done. Taking in a deep breath, he said;

  "I know you're furious as a result of my negligence these past few years, but I promise to make it to you. I went through a psychotic phase years ago..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head with a distraught sigh "It's an awfully long story, love. I just need you to forgive me for not being there for you. I'm back now, flesh, bones, and companies,"

  "I relocated to Manhattan with the secondary aim of reuniting with you. My primary aim was planting companies and overtaking the domineering ones that stood in the limelight. At first, I had difficulty tracing you, you were almost non-existent at the mansion."

 That didn't answer her unasked questions but seeing the disappointed expression on his face only aggravated the hurt she felt for following her heart and sticking with a monster like Damian, she looked away from him.  

"How did you find me?" 

 "Having secret agents at my beck and call made it easy and everything discovered was reported to me. I was worried, knowing that you were at the mercy of Damian Brown. I found out that you live in the mansion and could not get out to have fun with friends or attend parties with him. You were restricted and you stayed put,"

 The tears fell freely now and Olivia made no effort to wipe them.

 "You're a Davidson, Olivia. Act like it. No one messes with us and goes scot-free, not when I am hale and hearty. I will make up for the years that I've been absent, I promise to stand by you no matter what decisions you take. Just tell me what you want, and it will be done!"

 Olivia's low sobs slowly ceased and she stared at the man seated opposite her with red and swollen eyes. She could see that he was ready to do anything for her, including destroying everything Damian had ever worked for, and the thought smeared a warm feeling through her cold core. That was exactly what she wanted, Revenge... The word echoed in her head like a boomerang until Ivan's voice broke into her thoughts.

 "What do you want, Olivia?"

 By the time she looked up at him, he could see the fierce look that enveloped her face. She did not seem like the tender and broken Olivia he knew moments ago, she looked vicious, deadly... Like bare electrifying cables, and it delighted him. 

  "Revenge. Damian's downfall... His destruction. I want  the empire he worked so hard for to crumble into nothingness."

 "And that will be done."