CHRISTIANThe waiter arrived with a bottle of wine, set it on the table, and stepped back. “Thank you,” Olivia said with a small smile. He gave a curt nod before walking away.I leaned back in my chair, watching her. Why did she thank him like he was doing her a favor? He was being paid. And the smile, was that necessary?“We should order now,” She said suddenly, breaking into my thoughts.I gestured toward the menu. “Go ahead.”She picked it up, flipping through the pages with a slight frown. “I don’t recognize anything,” She muttered, pouting.“Keep looking.” I answered, my gaze still fixed on her. She did, her lips pursed, and brows drawing tighter with every turn of the page. “What’s Kakavia?”I gave her a shrug.She leaned back, exasperated. “You travel often so you must have had one of these before, haven’t you? Just recommend something decent. Please?”“Pick something random,” I said, rubbing my jaw. “If you don’t like it, order something else.”She sighed loudly and waved th
OLIVIA I glanced over at Christian, watching him curiously. He was deep in his usual morning routine—sipping coffee, standing silently by the floor-to-ceiling window, eyes fixed on the view outside. Everything about him looked composed. Calm. Normal. But I could tell something was off. It started right after dinner last night. My gaze shifted away from him as memories of the evening came rushing back. When we’d returned to the suite, he’d suddenly hovered around me, almost too close, his attention focused on my ankle. “Are you badly hurt?” he’d asked, like he was worried. “Hurt at all?” The concern in his tone had caught me off guard. Christian didn’t do concern. Still, he’d crouched down and inspected my ankle like it was the most natural thing in the world. I remembered staring down at him in confusion, trying to figure out what had triggered this shift. Since when did he care enough to check for injuries? Now, seated across from him, I stole another curious glance. S
OLIVIA I scrolled through the photos on my camera, pausing on the ones I’d taken earlier at the beach. A smile tugged at my lips as I stared at the bright, carefree grin stretched across my face in every shot. I looked… genuinely happy. Truly. And Christian? Well, he looked bored out of his mind in every single one. “Why are you smiling?” The voice startled me. I glanced up, almost dropping the camera, my gaze darting toward the closet. Christian stood there, leaning casually against the door frame, wine glass in hand, watching me with hooded eyes. I shrugged, regaining my composure. “Just looking at the pictures we took earlier.” He sighed, like the memory of today was enough to drain him. “I still can’t believe you made me do all that nonsense.” I smirked, tilting my head slightly as I studied him. “Oh, come on,” I said. “You loved every second of it.” I held up the camera with a teasing grin. “And I have proof.” He let out another exasperated sigh, glaring at me. “Don’t
OLIVIAI let out a small breath as I walked through the hallways, a smile tugging at my lips as last night’s memories came rushing back.I could still feel Christian’s hands gripping my waist under the water, the way he thrust into me again and again, each movement sending a wave of pleasure through my body.Sighing, I tried to push the thoughts away. It was over, and I was back here. Whatever happened in Greece was part of the contract, a way to make sure I got pregnant fast. That was it. Nothing else.But as I took a few steps, his words pushed through my mind again. “I love spending time with you, Olivia.” My fingers tightened. I wanted to forget them, to erase the way they made me feel, but I couldn’t.My mind wanted to know why he loved spending time with me. My body questioned why I loved that he felt that way. And every inch of me was distracted.“Get a grip, Olivia,” I told myself.I could’ve stayed home. The jet lag alone was a good excuse. But instead, I came to school, ho
OLIVIAI walked out of the lecture hall, fists clenched at my sides, and my thoughts spiraling with disbelief and frustration.Everything Miss Elowen said during her lectures replayed in my head, my anger rising.All this time, all these years, and she had the nerve to stand there in front of the class and call my work perfect? The hypocrisy burned.“Olivia!” I had just turned toward the cafeteria when I heard my name. I stopped and spun around to see Miss Elowen hurrying up behind me.Talk about the devil. What did she want now? And since when did she say my name without that familiar tone of disdain?“How are you?” she asked as she reached me.I raised an eyebrow.Since when did she care how I was?“I’m fine,” I said casually, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. “Although I have to say, it’s surprising that you even care.”Her brows pulled together. “What do you mean?” she asked, trying to sound genuinely confused.“That was my work, wasn’t it? On the projector?” I said, getting str
MICHAELI stared down at the photos on my desk, rage simmering in my veins. They were photos from Christian’s latest adventure—him and that fake baby-mama-to-be, all smiles like they hadn’t left a trail of lies behind them.With a sharp breath, I slammed my fist against the wood, rattling the files stacked. “Asshole.” I scoffed, my lips curling in disgust.So he had the audacity to jet around while the rest of us were left swimming in his pool of manipulation? After all the lies, deceit and humiliation, he decided to have fun? How dare he?”You should focus on Blackwood Foods…”Grandfather’s voice echoed in my mind and my fingers tightened in anger. Focus? After I handed him hard proof that Christian was a liar and a thief? After he brushed it off as ‘irrelevant’?I bit down on my lip, tapping my foot on the ground. I took one more look at the photos and in anger, I grabbed them, crushed them into a ball, and tossed them into the trash without a second glance.If focus was what
CHRISTIANI glanced at the screen of the laptop sitting on my desk, rubbing my jaw as thoughts raced through my head.We needed to improve production in every sector of Blackwood Enterprise that I managed, and to do that, I had to think about the workers too. Motivation played a big role in performance, so I had to use that. Would a five percent increase in salary help? Maybe I needed to throw in some incentives as well and it could go a long way.Letting out a sigh, I leaned back in my chair and pressed my thumb to the bridge of my nose. Now that all the fun with Olivia in Greece was over, it was time to get back to work. I was neck-deep in duties I’d ignored, and the pile of unfinished tasks wasn’t getting any smaller.I’d let myself enjoy the vacation a little too much. I got caught up in the moments with her, just relaxing, laughing, forgetting all the usual stress. It had been a good break. A necessary one. I spent so much of my time buried in work that I barely did anything els
OLIVIA My eyes fluttered open against the soft shine of morning sunlight streaming through the window above my bed. I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, a lazy smile tugging at my lips. No lectures today. Which meant I could guiltlessly walk around and do absolutely nothing. Pure bliss. A whole day away from the emotional, mental, and physical chaos that school came with was magical. And honestly, I needed the break, especially after my last encounter with Miss Elowen. I sat up, letting out a long yawn as I stretched, then swung my legs off the bed and made my way to the bathroom. Reaching for my toothbrush, I squeezed out a blob of toothpaste and began brushing, glancing up at the mirror….and paused. Was that… extra weight I could see? And my chin? I tilted my head slightly. Yep, definitely a little rounder. How did that even happen? It’s not like I’d been over eating lately. Or… had I? Christian never stopped me from ordering whatever I wanted while we were
OLIVIAI chewed my lip anxiously, tapping my phone and waiting for his reply. Just as the tension in my chest built, Miss Elowen closed her laptop with a sigh, signaling the class was finally over. I glanced down at my phone again. He’d sent a string of even more ridiculous emojis, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking my head. His humor was always unexpected, yet it never failed to make me smile, even if it was in the middle of something so… intense. I sighed, sliding my book into my bag and getting to my feet as Miss Elowen exited the hall. Grabbing my bag from the desk, I moved toward the door. “Olivia!”I turned around to see Ivy coming toward me, smiling brightly. “Ivy, hey,” I greeted her, returning the smile as she linked arms with me. “You seem to be in a hurry,” she remarked, her eyes lingering on the phone in my hand. “Got plans?” I chuckled, a little too nervously. My fingers hovered over the screen, glancing at Christian’s last message. “You could say that.” He
OLIVIA I groaned in exhaustion, glancing out the window. Miss Elowen had been yapping on and on for what felt like over two hours, and I was bored out of my mind. After everything that happened between us a while ago, I couldn’t focus in her class for the life of me. I tried to steer my thoughts somewhere else, but they kept drifting. Back to Christian. Back to the way his body had moved against mine last night. The way we were both sweaty and desperate, tangled up in each other, until I was half out of my mind. Sighing heavily, I picked up my phone. Liam had sent a few texts, checking on me, and I decided to respond to some. There was one from Nicholas too, but I didn’t even bother opening it. After a few minutes of scrolling through social media and getting even more restless, I huffed out a breath, feeling hot and uncomfortable in my own skin. What was this heat? In the haze of boredom, a thought crossed my mind. Chewing the inside of my cheek, I slid to my contacts and p
OLIVIAI smiled. “Yeah, I’m good.” He nodded once and rose to his feet, casually shrugging off his shirt. I didn’t even pretend not to look. The hard lines of his body, the way his muscles flexed when he tossed the shirt aside, it was enough to send my thoughts spinning. Without thinking, I reached for him, my hands finding his waist. He stilled, his eyes dropping to mine. “What’s that look for?” he asked, a slow smile playing on his lips. Smirking, I tugged at his trousers, pulling him down onto the bed with me. He landed beside me with a low grunt, and before he could catch his breath, I pushed him onto his back, climbing on top of him with a wicked grin. I bent low, dragging my tongue slowly down his chest, savoring the way his body trembled beneath me, each shiver sending a pulse of heat straight to my core. His muscles tightened, his hand coming down with a sharp slap to my ass, making me gasp and then laugh, breathless with excitement. I kissed my way back up to his
OLIVIA I sat beside Christian in the backseat of the moving car, stealing glances at him when I thought he wouldn’t notice. “You know I can feel you staring, right?” he said without opening his eyes. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I quickly turned to the window, pretending to admire the passing streets. He sighed and shifted slightly toward me. “What is it?” I fiddled with the hem of my dress. “I’m just… surprised,” I admitted, sneaking a look at him. “The way you stood up for me tonight, how you made it clear to everyone that I come first.” My voice trailed off in a shrug. “It was… kind of hot.” He scoffed under his breath, the corner of his mouth lifting. “You fixate on the smallest things, Olivia. Sometimes it’s cute, other times, it’s just…” he trailed off with a low chuckle. “What?” I turned toward him, pouting. “I mean,” I waved a hand, “you see it all the time in movies and books. The guy just sits there like a dumbass while his girlfriend gets humiliated. Isn’t that weird
OLIVIAHe sat down heavily, his glare burning into both of them before turning it directly onto Christian. “I don’t think you have enough reasons to turn Miss Hale’s offer down.” Christian exhaled. “I understand you’re the chairman, Grandfather,” he said. “But I’m the president of Blackwood Hotel and Air. I have the full right to make these decisions.” He let the words settle in the heavy silence. “And frankly, having this discussion right now is an insult to my relationship and I won’t tolerate it.” His gaze slid to Lydia, his jaw clenching. “I won’t accept her investment, and I sure as hell won’t bring her onto my board. Not just because she’s an insufferable, exhausting human being but because she has no place there. Quite frankly,” he added. “She knows nothing about business. So why bother?” Lydia looked stricken, her mouth hanging open like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. And for once, I could actually savor the silence that followed. Just then, Ophelia broke the
OLIVIA “I’m glad you could join us, Lydia.” I looked from Mr. Blackwood to Lydia, who beamed at each other, a slow burn of rage and discomfort working its way up my spine. When Christian had mentioned this dinner, I didn’t expect Lydia to be attending too. If I had known, I probably wouldn’t have come because now, all I could think about was leaping across the table and clawing her face off. Sliding into the seat next to Michael, Lydia flashed me a sly grin. I didn’t bother acknowledging it, my gaze instead drifting to notice something else: Michael’s wife was absent tonight. I narrowed my eyes slightly. Was Lydia the reason his wife wasn’t here? At the far end of the table, Ophelia sat stiffly, shooting daggers at Lydia. Guess no one really wanted her here except Mr. Blackwood and Michael, judging by their faces. Christian, on the other hand, sat beside me, completely unbothered, as if no one of any significance shared this table with us. Letting out a silent breath, I wis
MICHAEL “When’s he getting here?” I glanced at Lydia, who was tapping her foot against the gazebo floor, clearly losing patience. I let out a small sigh, scratching my brow. “Any minute now.” She turned away, and for a few moments, silence hung between us. “So let me get this straight,” I said, eyeing her. “You promised your parents some kind of partnership with my family in exchange for their investment in Blackwood Hotel and Air. More specifically, you promised them some connection to a Blackwood.” She glanced at me from the corner of her eyes, letting out a sigh. “Did you really think this was just about Olivia? She’s standing in the way of something bigger than she’ll ever know.” I raised an eyebrow. “Well, I think this started because you couldn’t handle the rejection, especially because of her.” I leaned in slightly. “And in your desperation to get closer to Christian, you made a deal with your parents. I wonder how they’ll react when they find out you’re no closer to gett
OLIVIABut most of them were too small, too fitted and definitely not made for someone with Christian’s build. After a few more minutes of searching and silently cursing myself, I sighed and pushed my hair out of my face. “This isn’t going to work. Everything here would look like a crop top on you.”I turned toward him, already dreading my next words. “I guess… we’ll have to ask James.” He raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained by my discomfort. I ignored him and hurried out of the room. Luckily, James was just stepping out of his room as I reached the hallway. Without thinking, I grabbed his arm and yanked him back inside, shutting the door behind us. “What the hell—?” he started, but I cut him off. “Can I borrow a shirt? And maybe some shorts?” He blinked at me, confused for half a second, then smirked. “For Christian?” I nodded impatiently. He shrugged and walked over to his closet. After a bit of rummaging, he pulled out a pair of loose black pants and a sky-blue flannel
OLIVIA A loud banging on the door jolted me awake. I shot up from the bed and immediately smacked my head against the headboard. Wincing, I clutched my forehead. Who on earth was pounding on my door like that? “Olivia!” my mother’s voice rang out from the hallway. I sighed and slumped back against the headboard. Of course. It was just her. “Go wash up and come downstairs,” she called. “Both of you. Breakfast’s ready.” I heard her footsteps fade away down the hall. Yawning, I stretched my arms over my head, trying to shake off the heavy sleep still clinging to me. Beside me, Christian shifted slightly. I glanced over, expecting him to wake up, but he stayed fast asleep. For a moment, I just stared at him. His face was so relaxed in sleep, the usual sharpness of his features softened. I couldn’t help myself—I reached out and lightly traced the line of his jaw with my fingertip and a small smile pulled at my lips. How could he be this handsome? I like you, Olivia. The words echoe