Meeting...

Olivia's eyelids drew back just seconds before the alarm clock beside her bed released a particularly aggravating ring that was guaranteed to wake the dead. Her pale blue eyes flickered around the room for a few moments before the ringing became too much to bear. Placing a firm hand on the device, she turned off the alarm and moved the soft blankets off her body.

"Sometimes I wonder why I even still keep that thing around," the woman monologued, her gaze momentarily fixated on the annoying machine. Olivia had always been a light sleeper and an early riser, which meant she did not really need the clock.

But she still left the small shoebox sized object sit on the bedside table everyday. Just in case.

Olivia went down the stairs and straight to her laptop where she wasted no time in pulling up her emails. There was a notification there for a new one and she pulled it up quickly. It was a message from Damian expressing his personal thanks for the invitation to the city and an affirmation to the invite.

To her, it sure did seen a bit odd that the younger son of the Grant family had been able to respond to her messages so quickly. Especially because she had never been particularly close to any member of her ex husband's family during their marriage. Even when she had been suffering the worst of Noah's abuse, no one had ever raised a single hand to do anything for her.

Nevertheless, this was her chance to figure out what that lying scoundrel was up to in this city. With a small sigh, she left the computer and went into the kitchen to make herself something to eat. Opting for a light meal, Olivia fixed up a simple dish of bacon and scrambled eggs which she took care of within minutes.

A half hour later, she was walking out of her house dressed in a soft grey blouse and jeans with a long dark trenchcoat to cover herself from the morning chill. There was a noticeable breeze lingering around in the air, cooling every breath she took until she reached her car and got in.

The place she had picked out was a small restaurant that was located on one of the less busier streets in the city. The choice had been made with the intention of avoiding any nosy reporter catching sight of her at any point. Her exponential rise to success was something that was still of interest to the media, and the most recent deal with Rock Enterprise had only made her even more famous.

Olivia knew that the influence and fame had their uses, but it also tended to bring with it some unpleasantness. With Noah Grant being the prominent example in her mind. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she recalled the man's visit to her house and the stunt he had pulled. Olivia had been furious with him for making such an outrageous claim, and she still was, but she was even more annoyed at the difficult situation it put her in.

Legally, she was still the man's wife, and knowing him, he had a definite plan to use that to his advantage.

She had to figure out something before that happened.

Olivia pulled the car over in front of the restaurant and walked inside as quickly as she could without making it look strange. A waiter approached her and after exchanging a few sentences with the polite man, she was shown to a table at the very back of the restaurant with its own personal booth. She slid down into the comfortable seat and placed her bag beside her.

By the time she looked up again, there was a familiar face staring back at her from across the table.

"Damian!" She exclaimed in surprise at his sudden appearance. "Where did you just come from? Did you just get here too?"

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "I've been here for a little while now. I had to get in early to avoid any of my brother's people getting knowledge about my presence here."

"Hmm," Olivia hummed in thought. It did seem a bit weird that Damian would want to cover his tracks like that, but she simply pushed it aside. There were more important matters to take care of.

The young man simply smiled and leaned back on his chair. In that moment, Olivia was able to see just how similar he looked to Noah, even though their personalities were basically polar opposites.

"So, what have you been up to Olivia?" Damian asked her as he picked up one of the cups of coffee the waiter had just placed in from of them. "Last I heard, you were doing quite well with that company of yours. You've certainly made a name for yourself here."

"It's fine, or at least it was, until your brother decided to come looking for something that he lost years ago," Olivia replied with a certain heat in her voice. She leaned forward a bit and dropped her voice to a harsh whisper. "What the hell is he doing back here?"

Damian looked at her with a strange expression on his handsome face, his dark eyes narrowing in a manner that told Olivia that he knew exactly what she was asking him about. The young man then shrugged in an attempt to throw off the silent pressure she was placing on him. "Noah might be my brother, Olivia, but you know very well just how strained our relationship is..."

"Of course I do," she cut him off with a firm frown. "In case you forgot, I was married to that abusive bastard for years. Don't try to play games with me, Damian. I still remember the requirements your father placed on your family empire for inheritance."

The moment she mentioned those words, Damian's gaze sharpened and he froze for a few seconds, his eyes flashing up to meet hers in an instant. Olivia was surprised at the intensity of his stare, but her lips don curled into a triumphant smirk.

"So I was right after all," she said as she drew back to her seat. "Noah is just here to use me as a means of obtaining the family inheritance."

Damian closed his eyes in a tired sigh and lowered his cup gently. "It's likely to be what he has in mind. Everybody was alarmed when he bought Rock's Enterprise overnight. But after reading about the partnership between you two, it's safe to assume he's after you, or at least your attention."

A surge of indignation rose within Olivia as she rose from the table, her eyes staring down coldly at the man on the other side. "It makes sense now, your desperation is really evident. I'm guessing you answered my mail quickly and rushed here because you want to stop me from falling into his trap, is it?"

"I'm merely looking out for you Olivia—"

"Bullshit!" Olivia interjected sharply. "You've never helped me before, have you? But now that it benefits you, you suddenly want to help me out?"

She scoffed at him and picked up her bag. "Thank you for your time, but I am going to take care of this my own way."

Without another word, she turned around and left Damian Grant behind, the young man far too stunned into silence to even try calling her back.