THE POWER PLAY

OLIVIA'S POV 

The office felt unusually quite when I returned to  the next morning. Dawson's warmth from the night before still Lingered in my thoughts, but the world outside Our private buble moved on. 

I settled into my desk, determined to focus. But a small envelope resting on top of my files quickly Pulled me back into the tangled webs of personal and professional tensions. The handwriting on the envelope was unmistakably Vanessa's. 

Lunch today?. Let's catch up and talk about how we can work together. Vanessa. 

I hesitated. Her reaction last time gnawed at me and I knew this invitation wasn't just a casual attempt to bond. Vanessa never did anything without a purpose, still, I needed to confront whatever she had in mind. 

When I arrived at the chic restaurant she’d suggested, I wasn't surprised to see her already seated at a  prime table by the window. Vanessa had an innate ability to command attention without trying, her poised figure framed perfectly by the soft midday sunlight streaming through the glass. 

"Olivia" she greeted me with dazzling smile,standing to give me an air-kiss on both cheeks, "I'm so glad you could make it."

"Thanks for the invite" I replied, matching her smile while keeping my guard up.

The waitress bought our drinks quickly, and as soon as she left, Vanessa wasted no time steering the conversation towards the topic that had clearly been on her mind since last night.

"so" she said, her eyes sparkling with calculated interest, "how are things between you and Dawson? I imagine things must be pretty Intense right now given how closw  the two of you seem."

I took a sip of my water, careful not to reveal too much. "Thing's are good. We've been navigating a lot, but we're both focused on making it all work."

Her lip's curved into a half-smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes. “you two certainly make it look effortless. It's like watching a perfect romance play out. But Sometimes, I wonder... How much of that is real?”

I tensed at her insinuation but kept my voice steady "Everything between Dawson and I is very real, vanesss.”

Her eyebrow arched, as if she wasn't quiet convinced. "I'm sure it feels that way now, but relationships in our world can be tricky. You know how people love to speculate, especially when someone as high-profile as Dawson is Involved." 

I leaned forward slightly, refusing to let her get under my skin. "What Dawson and I have is genuine. He and I didn’t fall for each other because of the pressure or the attention. We're in this because we want to be." 

Vanessa's smile wavered Just a fraction. She wasn't  used to being challenged directly, but I wasn't about to let her weave doubt into something that had become so precious to me.

“that's good to hear," she said smoothly but her eyes still gleamed with something more as if she wasn't ready to drop the subject just yet. “Though, can't heip but notice how quickly everything between you two progressed. It makes people wonder if this connection is as deep as it seems, or if it's more… convenient?.”

I straightered, feeling my heart race at her attempt to undermine my relationship with Dawson. "There's nothing convenient about what Dawson and I have. We've been through a lot together, Vanessa. I know people love to gossip, but those romours are that, rumours.”

Vanessa studied me me for a long moment, her silence louder than any word could have spoken. Then she leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "It's just that I've seen relationship like this before Olivia. People get swept up in the Whirlwind of Passion, In the heat of the moment. But When the dust settles, they realize they've built some thing on shaky ground.”

Her words hung in the air like a thinly veiled threat, but I wasn’t about to let her twist my feelings Into something less than they were.

I met her gaze head-on, refusing to flinch."Dawson and aren't a fling Vanessa. “What we have is real love. It's the kind of love that doesn't Just burn out when things get tough. He's not just some billionaire looking for the next shiny toy. He's a man who knows what he wants, and he wants me."

Her smile faltered slightly, Just enough for me to notice 

"Dawson has always been someone who goes after what he wants. I'll give you that." she said slowing, her tone now carefully measured.

"But you can't blame people for wondering if there is more to this story. You've been private about your relationship, and when things look too perfect from the outside, well, people tend to get curious.”

I clenched my jaw, feeling a spark of anger flare up. “There is nothing more to know, Vanessa. Dawson and I are in Love, and that's the only truth that matters."

For a moment she said nothing, her gaze flickered to the window, where a couple outside walked hand in hand, and I wondered what she was really thinking, was she just being nosy or did she have her own reasons for trying to dissect my relationship?

Vanessa's voice broke the silience, quieter now, almost thoughtful. "I hope you're right, Olivia, but I've seen how quickly things can change in our world. I've seen how love can be tested in ways you can't predict. I'd hate for you to be caught off guared."

 There it was again that unclear current of wearning the shadow of doubt she was trying to cast over me. I wasn’t sure it was pure jealousy orsomethingmorecalculated, but either way, I wasn't going to her get to me. 

“I'm not worried about losing Dawson" I said firmly, “we're stronger than that."

Vanessa's smile returned, bit this time it was shaper, edged with something almost predatory. "I hope you are. Olivia, because in a world like ours, strength is the only thing that keeps love alive. Just remember, some times the strongest looking things are the easiest to break.”

Her words left a chill in the air between us, and as the waitress returned with our bill, I realized she wasn’t Just being nosy. She was trying to test me, to find cracks to the amor  in my relationship with Dawson. But I wouldn't give her that Satisfaction.

As I left the restaurant, a knot of unease tightencel in my stomach. There was something Vanessa's demeanor, the way she kept circling back to my relationship, that didn't sit right with me, the whole  lunch with her was more of an interrogation. was she merely Curious, or was she planning something more?

I pulled out my phone hesitating for a moment before daling Dawson's number. The line rang once, twice, and then his deep voice filled my ear.

“Olivia, what's wrong?”

I took a breath, the unease from my lunch still weighing on me. "I think we need to talk.”