APTER 030
OLIVIA’S POV
I walked into the huge laundry room, balancing a heavy basket in my hands. It was filled with my dirty clothes, mostly dresses I had worn in the past week. The maids had offered to do my laundry for me, but I had refused. It wasn’t about the work itself–it was about having some control over something, no matter how small.
Ever since I left Adrian, my life has been anything but stable. Everything felt uncertain like I was walking on thin ice. But at least here, in Julian’s mansion, I could do small tasks like this, things that made me feel like I wasn’t completely helpless.
I set the basket down and began separating the clothes, tossing a few pieces into the washing machine. As I grabbed a handful of underwear, my phone vibrated on the countertop. I wiped my hands on my dress before picking it up, glancing at the caller
- ID.
Mom.
I sighed. She must have gone to my apartment and found out I wasn’t there. I hadn’t told anyone that I was staying with Julian, not even my family. And I knew exactly why she was calling.
Taking a deep breath, I pressed the answer button and lifted the phone to my ear. “Hi, Mom.”
“Olivia, darling, where have you been?” her worried voice came through immediately.
I hesitated for a second before replying. “I’m at a friend’s place. Do you need something?”
“A friend’s place?” she repeated, her tone sharp with disapproval. “Why are you staying with a friend when you should be in your husband’s house?”
I clenched my jaw. Here we go again.
“Mom, we’re not doing this.”
“Oh, we are doing this,” she insisted. “Adrian has been patient with you, Olivia. He’s given you space but enough is enough. It’s time for you to stop acting like a child and go back to your husband.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course, she was taking Adrian’s side. My mother always had this fantasy about a perfect marriage, as if relationships were something you just endured for the sake of appearances.
I opened my mouth to argue, but before guld say anything, another call beeped in. I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the screen. And to my suprise, I saw the name of the one person I least expected to call me
Adrian.
My stomach twisted uncomfortably. Why was he calling me now?
“Olivia? Are you even listening to me?” Mom’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“There’s something important I need to take care of, Mom. We can talk about this later,” I said quickly.
“There’s nothing more important than this…”
“Bye, Mom,” I cut her off, ending the call before she could say anything else.
Adrian’s call was still ringing. I stared at the screen for a moment, debating whether I should ignore it. A part of me wanted to let it go to voicemail, to avoid the conversation entirely. But another part of me was curious.
Taking a deep breath, I answered.
For a moment, there was silence on the line. Then his familiar deep voice came through.
“Hello, Olivia.”
I swallowed hard. It felt strange hearing his voice after almost a month. “What do you want, Adrian?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
“What do you mean? Are you saying I can’t call to check up on my dear wife?”
I let out a dry laugh. “Wife? You lost me as a wife the day you decided to sleep with another woman.”
“Oh really?” he said, a smugness creeping into his tone. “Let me educate you on something, Olivia. You might think that way, but legally, you’re still my wife. Until those divorce papers are signed, nothing has changed.”
I gritted my teeth. “Trust me, once I put a few things together, those papers will be on your doorstep.”
There was a brief silence before he let out a low chuckle. “Why are you being so mean?”
1
I scoffed. “Mean? You treated me like a stranger for years, Adrian. Do you even hear yourself?” I stopped for a few seconds, he was already making me lose my temper and I didn’t want him to affect my life anymore.
“Hmm.” He paused for a second as if choosing his next words carefully. “I want us to talk.”
“Well, we’re talking now. Say what you want.”
“No, I mean in person.”
I frowned. “You want to see me?”
“Yes.”
I hesitated. “And why would I come to see you?”
His voice dropped into something colder, more serious. “This isn’t a request, Olivia. If
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CHAPTER 030
you want those funds I invested in your parents‘ company to stay there, you’ll come to see me. I’ll send you the address.”
Blackmail.
Of course.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling frustration creep in, I knew Adrian wasn’t the type to just ask for something–he always had leverage. And right now, my family’s financial stability was that leverage.
I let out a slow exhale. “Fine. Send me the time and place.”
There was another low chuckle from his end. “I’ll see you soon!”
And with that, he ended the call.
I stared at my phone, my fingers tightening around it.
Was I really going to see the one person am trying to get away from?
More importantly, was it safe?
The men who tried to take me before–they were still out there. I didn’t know if they had given up searching for me. If they had been sent by someone else. Meeting Adrian meant stepping into a dangerous situation, no matter how I looked at it.
But I also knew one thing for sure–Julian wouldn’t like this. At all.
A soft beep interrupted my thoughts. I glanced down at my phone.
Adrian: Meet me at 7 PM. Here’s the address.
I groaned under my breath. This evening? He couldn’t have given me at least a day to
prepare.
Now I had to figure out how to tell Julian.
I turned back to the washing machine, pressing the buttons to start the cycle before. leaving the laundry room. My feet carried me through the halls of Julian’s mansion, my -mind already preparing for the argument I was about to have.
As expected, I found him outside, sitting in the garden with his laptop.
He looked up as I approached, his fingers still typing. “Hey. You have a moment?”
“Sure, what’s up?” he asked,/eyes flickering back to the screen.
I hesitated for a second, then finally said it.
“I just got off the phone with Adrian.”
CHAPTER 031
CHAPTER 031
