Chapter 02Not his type?! Olivia couldn't believe what she's just heard. He certainly wasn't her type either, with his 6"4 inches of toned muscles and tan skin, never mind that he was filthy rich and with the voice of the ocean wanes, he certainly was not her type! Grumbling and picking up what was left of her wounded dignity, Olivia got off the floor and dusted her skirt - thankfully the office floor was quite clean. Chad marched on like he hadn't just left her to fall on her butt and soon, he was barking instructions at her like nothing happened. "When do I have my next meeting?" He asked for the second time and Olivia was still struggling to go through her iPad. She really wasn't sure how it worked, the last secretary had tried showing it to her twice but she didn't get it. "I think__" "I'm not paying you to think, Olivia Bernard, I'm paying you to get my work life in order!" He snapped. "That's the job of your personal assistant, not your secretary," she mumbled and Chad asked
Chapter 03"He said what?!" Olivia's friend and the Marketing Manager of the company asked with wide eyes. Olivia sighed and shook her head, "I'm not doing this Macey, what if it all goes south? What if he asks me to sleep with him?" She said worriedly. Macey rolled her beautiful blue eyes, "Come on, it can't be that bad. I'm sure women are dying to get under him, plus, didn't he just say today that you're not his type?" He asked. "Yeah," Olivia nodded, hoping that had to count for something. "But I'm not doing it, I'm going home, I'll face Mr Chad in the morning with some fancy excuse," she said and with that marched into Macey's front seat and folded her arms. "Are you sure about this? You might not have a job to come back to when all this is over," Macey advised. Olivia looked at the looming building, she really needed her job alright but she couldn't stand a night with Chad alone in the office and just a thin desk between them. "I'll tell him a believable lie, come on, didn't
Chapter 04Waking up the next day, Olivia wished the events of the previous night was a dream, but she wasn't that lucky. "Olivia Parker, you have to stop being so reckless!" The voice of her mother, Hilda, sounded through her bedroom wall. Olivia groaned and sat up just as her mother barged into the room without a tap and with her hands akimbo, glared at her. "You came home drunk last night and you know how important today is," she said. "I didn't drink much mum, it was just a dew shot, I'm perfectly fine," she replied in defense. "Oh really? Then I guess you can remember how you crawled into your room last night, literally," she stated. Sighing, Olivia palmed her face and fell on the bed again. "Do you see who dropped me off?" She asked and Hida shook her head, "No, before I could get to the door, they'd driven away and left you standing there like fucking idiot! You should be glad they were nice enough to bring you home," she snapped. "Yeah, yeah," Olivia said but her mind was
Chapter 05 The office hallway seemed to stretch on forever as Olivia hesitated, her eyes fixed on the tall figure walking towards her. “Shit," she muttered under her breath, her heart thumping. Chad, her new stepbrother, had his piercing blue eyes staring right through her. It had been a very awkward morning since her mother made that announcement last night. Her boss was her stepbrother and she had just kissed him - how more awkward could that be? "Hey, Chad," Olivia ventured, her voice soft and tentative, trying to break the ice. But Chad didn't even flinch. He walked past her as if she were invisible, his long strides eating up the distance. Olivia felt a sting of rejection, her face warming with embarrassment. "Wow, okay," she muttered under her breath, her eyes following him as he disappeared into his office. "Guess this is going to be the longest hours of my life." She groaned loudly. The announcement of their parents' engagement had sent shockwaves through both her l
Chapter 06 __ Moving In Olivia stood in her room, gazing at the half-packed suitcase on her bed. She sighed, still reluctant to leave behind the simplicity of their small apartment. Hilda, her mother, bustled in, radiating excitement. "Please be happy for me, darling. I'm getting married, and I don't want you to feel alone," Hilda said, wrapping Olivia in a warm hug. Olivia managed a small smile, though her mind was preoccupied with other concerns. "Is he really going to live with us?" she asked, her voice tinged with apprehension.Hilda arched her brow. "Matthew? Of course, he'll live with us; it's his house, remember?" She laughed."It wasn't Matthew I was asking about. It's Chad," Olivia clarified, a hint of anxiety creeping into her tone.Hilda smiled widely. "I know you're used to it being just the two of us, but you have a sibling now. You should be happy to bond with him."Olivia nodded, trying to push away the memory of the searing kiss she shared with Chad. She forced a sm
Chapter 07___Steak and Tension Chad descended the stairs, his eyes scanning the room for Olivia. He half wished that he could avoid her, but he wasn't that lucky. She stood by the fireplace, her back to him. His father, Matthew, beamed with pride, his arm around Hilda. Cathy chatted with Olivia, oblivious to the tension between them. As Chad approached, Olivia turned, their eyes meeting for a brief, charged moment. He felt a jolt but remained standing without a glitch. She looked away, her cheeks flushing. "Dinner's ready," Matthew announced, leading them to the dining room. Chad took his seat, Olivia across from him. The conversation flowed, but he couldn't focus, his gaze drifting to Olivia. She avoided eye contact, her smile as fake as the decorative flowers on the table. As the main course arrived, Chad's father raised his glass. "To my beautiful bride, Hilda, and our new family. May our love and happiness grow with each passing day." Chad forced a smile, his eyes locking w
Chapter 08__A night at The stone's. Olivia seethed internally as they finished up dinner, her eyes drifting to the empty chair where Chad had sat. He had no doubt left the dining room because of her and she knew exactly why. “Hey, honey? Do you like turkey? I had it specially made when your mother told me how much you love turkeys," Matthew said with a smile. Olivia knew that her new stepfather was just trying to lighten the mood and so she tried to wear a pleasant smile on her face as she replied, "I like it. The turkey is perfect, the meal is really nice," she replied. Hoping that she did sound brighter than she felt. How could Chad be so cruel to her? Why did he hate her so much? Why did she make the mistake of kissing him that night? Or was that even when it all started? Chad had always acted like he never noticed her at the office. Until that fateful day when she went to his apartment to give him an important document. Then suddenly, he wanted her to work late. She had plann
Chapter 09__Sounds of Night. Olivia jerked awake from sleep. She was sure something had woken her, but she wasn’t so sure what it was. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked up at the dark ceiling. Her gaze then shifted to the window. She couldn’t see anything or hear any sound as she listened for another few seconds. Yawning, she rolled out of bed and padded softly to the window. At least she could be grateful for the view from her room. Her window overlooked the beautiful garden she had seen earlier that day. Olivia looked again and turned on her bedside lamp. Her room was still filled with her bags, yet unpacked. She decided that maybe the garden wasn’t such a bad idea, and she slipped her feet into her flip-flops and went downstairs. Pushing open the front door, she was shocked to hear nothing but the sounds of frogs croaking and chirping insects of the night. She didn’t know when a soft sigh escaped her lips. At last, she was blissfully alone. “I wish my mother found l