Chapter 05

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 life. Olivia couldn't fathom how her free-spirited mother had fallen for Chad's straight-laced, by-the-book father. And now, they were stuck with each other as step-siblings. It still felt surreal to her.

“Hey, Liv!" Macey called out as she poked her face into her cubicle and wagged her brows. “How did it go last night? Did you see any hot guys?" She asked excitedly.

Olivia hissed, refraining from recounting her sad tale to her best friend. And to make it worse, she'd kissed Chad, her boss, her step brother. “Yeah, it was okay, I guess," she mumbled.

Olivia was trying her best to focus on the job of the day but her mind kept wandering. How could she possibly think straight when he was just a few feet away, only the thin walls stood between Chad and her and it just wasn't enough.

“Come on, what's with the long face? Didn't you have fun?" Macey asked her again, this time she looked genuinely concerned.

Snickering, Olivia sighed and told her she had to get back to work. “I have a lot of work to do, can we talk later?" She asked.

Macey shrugged and told her she'd meet her during lunch break. She managed to muster a wide smile and send her best friend off with a reassuring wink. “Gosh," she breathed.

For a second, she wanted to play dumb, pretending she was too drunk to remember anything that night. But deep down, she knew she couldn't keep up the charade forever. And what if someone at the office found out about their new family ties? The gossip would spread like wildfire, and Olivia was already mortified at the thought. She contemplated calling in sick or even quitting her job altogether. Anything to escape the awkwardness and humiliation.

Chad's voice suddenly called out to her and she jerked from her desk, regaining composure as she walked to his office.

He looked as cold as he sounded as she stepped into the office. Olivia's heart raced as she entered, Chad moving to slam the door shut behind her. He pulled down the Venetian blinds, casting the room in a dim, intimate light.

The air was thick with tension, their bodies inches apart. Olivia's pulse quickened, her mind flashing back to that searing kiss. But Chad's expression was stern, his eyes cold and detached.

"We need to talk," he said, his voice firm. "About our new family situation."

Olivia felt a breath she'd sucked in to escape her, she nodded, her voice caught in her throat.

"We can't let anyone know about our parents' engagement until my father is ready to make an official announcement," Chad warned, his eyes narrowing. "No whispers, no hints, nothing. Got it?"

Olivia swallowed hard, feeling trapped. "Got it," she replied, her voice barely audible.

Chad's gaze lingered on hers, the silence between them heavy, she could almost reach out and touch it. "Good. I'll make sure you know when the time is right to say something,” he added.

She nodded and her breath caught as Chad's arms brushed against her breasts, sending a jolt of electricity through her body. She gasped, her eyes fixed on his profile, but he didn't even flinch. He reached to the wall where she was flush against, her lips already parted, legs trembling.

All he did was open the window, letting in a rush of fresh air, and then turned and walked out of the office, shutting the door behind him without a glance back.

Olivia's heart raced as she tried to compose herself, her mind reeling from the unexpected contact. She took a deep breath and reached for her phone, which was ringing insistently. She saw her mother's name on the caller ID and answered, trying to sound calm.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hey sweetie! I have some news," her mother chirped. "We're going to be moving in with Matthew for the wedding preparations. I'm putting our house up for sale, so you'll need to start packing your things."

Olivia's eyes widened in shock. "What? We didn't talk about this, mum?"

“I know darling but I've been thinking about it for some time now," Hilda replied, "I think I'm ready for this.”

"Mum, could this wait until after the wedding? I'm not..." Olivia trailed off, not knowing how to explain to her mother that she couldn't think of living with her hoss.

"Come on, Liv. I know this is a big move but we have to do it. Matthew us the best thing that has ever happened to me and I can't wait to live with him. Please come stay with us, we can't afford to pay for the rent again that big house when you're going to live all alone in it. The wedding is already close, please, honey," Hilda said.

Olivia sighed, she didn't want to be the joy kill in her mother's happy life. "Fine, when?” She asked.

"As soon as possible, dear. We'll be living together as one big happy family! I figured there's no need to keep paying the rent when I can live with him, after all, we're almost a couple now.” her mother said happily, oblivious to Olivia's distress.

Olivia's mind raced as she processed this new information. Living under the same roof with Chad Steele?