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
Chapter 10___Sounds of the Night 2 Olivia jerked back, for a second, she was stunned to meet him by her door. "What...what are you doing here?" She asked in a flustered tone. Chad glared at her, his anger evident on his features. "Why did you go to the gardens?" He asked, his tone leaving no room for her refusal. She shook, she'd scarcely heard him speak in such a way. Even when he had to yell at her in the office, he sounded human. But right then, she couldn't hear any softness in his tone, he was icy. "I was just taking a...a.stroll," she replied and tried to step back. But Chad's hands shot out and grabbed her by the arm before she could move out of reach. He moved even closer and stared down at her, his chiseled face just inches above her, she couldn't breathe anymore, her lungs frozen for a second. "You're not afraid of the night?" He asked with a cold voice, she winced slightly, not at his grip but the tone of his voice. The shadow was still over his features and with the d
Chapter 11__Bossy Olivia trudged into the office, her feet heavy with exhaustion. She had barely slept the night before, her mind racing with thoughts of the incident with Chad. How odd could he be? Was he now a prisoner in his home? Sighing, she dumped her tote bag on the desk and dropped her Styrofoam cup. She was dressed in a thin black shirt and pair of trousers, her usual crisp attire now rumpled and worn.As she settled into her chair, Macey looked up from her computer, concern etched on her face. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, eyeing Olivia's disheveled appearance.Olivia nodded wordlessly, not trusting herself to speak. She was still trying to shake off the fatigue that clung to her like a sticker. Macey's eyes narrowed. "You're twenty minutes late," she reminded Olivia, her brow arched in disapproval.Olivia sighed, rubbing her temples. She had woken up late, missing her alarm in her groggy state. But of course, that was to be expected after such a night."Yeah, I know,"
Chapter 12___Three TicketsThat evening, Olivia turned in the last of the documents that Chad had asked her to sort out. She walked into his office, the dim brown jacket she had thrown on over her dress a stark contrast to the sheer blouse she had worn earlier."These are getting ready to be emailed, should I go on with it?" she asked, trying to sound professional despite the awkwardness between them.Chad hummed and looked up at her, his eyes scanning her covered-up form. He didn't know what he hated most - the fact that he wasn't teasing her anymore with her nipples or the fact that the dead color did nothing good against her olive skin."Let me drop you off," he said, getting up from his swivel chair. "I'm done too, after all, we now live together."Olivia's response was immediate and vehement. "No!" she said, snapping at him without thinking.Chad turned to her, raising a brow. "What?" he asked, his tone cold.Olivia took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "I mean, I will b
Chapter 13__The Bareback Show. Olivia was still fiddling with the hem of her short dress when they arrived at the club. Luxe Den was a private and very expensive club. It was strictly on membership and the sort of club that Olivia had no business attending considering her pay grade. The luxurious cars in the parking lot were just as intimidating as the size and height of the building. “Are we sure Pauline is here?” She asked. "Come on, there's just one Luxe Den in town,” Macey replied and grabbed her ticket, showing it to the doorman who waved them in. At the doorway of the club, Macey's eyes lit up when she spotted Pauline. The two girls screamed and hugged each other like they were long-lost sisters, while Pauline gave Olivia a lame wave and a hello."Hey, you're stealing my cousin now?" Olivia teased, raising an eyebrow.Pauline rolled her eyes. "Well, she's more fun than you. What's that thing they say? Birds of a feather flock together, huh?"Macey laughed and hugged Pauline
Chapter 14__Cat Out of the Bag Chad's face was red with anger as he strode towards Olivia, his eyes blazing with disapproval. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing.Olivia shrank back, unsure of what to say. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but Chad's anger was intimidating. He looked down right murderous as he glared at her. “Hello, sir," Macey said lamely when she finally overcame the shock of seeing her boss in the club. Hissing, Chad ignored Macey and faced Olivia as he asked, “What is the meaning of this?" "I…I had…my cousin just got…” Olivia stammered helplessly, unable to express herself. "What's going on here? He's the guy? Your ex?" Pauline tried to intervene, but Macey signaled her to stop. She winced at Pauline's ever expressive fone. "Let it go, Pauline. He's our boss," Macey whispered and grabbed her palms. But Pauline was not one to back down. "Why are you ordering her around, bro, what's it with the death stare?" She challe