Chapter 107
OLIVIA’S POV
My fingers curled tighter around the phone as I sat up straighter. “What?”
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“He’d like to speak to you,” my mother repeated gently, her tone noticeably softer than before. “When you left yesterday, I told him that we found you. At first, he thought I was joking. He couldn’t believe it–he thought I was making it up just to give him hope. But I explained everything. I told him how Julian saw you, how much you’ve changed, and how strong you’ve become. Eventually, he believed me, and even though he’s not in the country right now, Olivia… he wants to talk to you. He wants to see you.”
My chest tightened. So many thoughts were racing through my mind, I could barely keep track of them all. “I…I don’t know what to say,” I whispered, still struggling to fully process everything that had happened over the last few days. Everything was moving so fast–first Julian’s updates, then finding out about my mom, then Dora showing up like a snake slithering back into the garden, and now… this?
“You don’t need to say much, sweetheart,” she said gently. “Just say yes. Just come over. That’s all you need to do. Let us see you. Let him see you.”
I paused for only a second longer before replying, “Yes. I’ll be on my way in a few minutes.”
“Alright, we’ll all be waiting for you,” she said, her voice laced with relief.
From the background, I could hear her talking to Julian, cutting him off before he could resume the conversation we were supposed to continue. She told him to wait until I got there so we could talk in person. Just like that, the call ended.
I couldn’t help but smile a little to myself, shaking my head at how she still treated Julian like a child. For as long as I’ve known him, I’ve never seen anyone who could bully him the way my mom had these past few days of meeting her. It was both funny and strangely heartwarming.
I didn’t waste another second. I rushed straight into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. The steam was soothing, but my mind remained restless. I had originally planned to stay indoors today, to lie low and avoid any unnecessary drama, especially with her in the house. But now? I was going to see my father for the first time. That alone was more than enough reason to abandon every other plan I had. And besides, like Julian said, I needed to think about my baby right now. Avoiding stress was the least I could do. Staying in this house, under the same roof with Dora, was like sleeping beside a ticking time bomb.
After I finished my bath, I stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself as I moved to the next hurdle–clothing.
My stomach had grown more noticeably in the last couple of weeks. Not so much that it was glaringly obvious, but just enough that tight clothes no longer looked flattering. Crop tops and bodycon dresses were now officially off–limits–unless I wanted strangers assuming I didn’t know how to take care of my weight. That wasn’t something I wanted to deal with.
I searched through my wardrobe for something more appropriate. Shopping for new clothes was now a necessity, but that would have to wait. For now, I had to work with what I had.
Eventually, I pulled out a lace jalabiya I had bought on impulse and never worn. It wasn’t really my style—too modest, too mature, too much like something an aunt would wear to a family gathering–but it was the only thing that could comfortably hide my bump without raising questions from Adrian or anyone else.
As I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the fabric around my growing belly, I couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. I looked… different. Almost like someone I didn’t recognize. I wasn’t wearing it because I liked the style; I was wearing it because I had to.
I already felt like an old lady.
Hopefully, I don’t see Adrian, and he doesn’t ask me one of his weird–ass questions.
That was the thought running through my head as I moved quietly through the house, careful not to draw any attention. I slipped past the hallway like a shadow. Thankfully, luck was on my side. I managed to leave the house without anyone noticing. The last thing I needed was a conversation.
Soon enough, I found myself at Julian’s mansion, and as expected, I mentally prepared myself for the “golden–class” treatment from my mom. Even though I hadn’t known her for long, she never hesitated to smother me with attention like she was trying to make up for all the years we’d lost.
The front door opened, and there he was.
For a moment, I just stood there and stared at him, taking in his familiar face. There was a weird comfort in seeing him, even though I still wasn’t fully used to the idea that we were blood–related.
“Are you going to keep staring?” he said with an amused smirk, “or are you gonna come in?”
I shook my head with a small laugh and stepped inside. “Even after seeing you more than a hundred times, I still find it hard to believe that you’re my big brother.”
A rich smile spread across his face.
We walked side by side toward the living room, our steps in sync like we’d been doing this all our lives.
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Chapter 107
Before we could sit down, we heard rapid footsteps from the stairs. It didn’t take long before our mom came rushing down to greet me, her arms open and her face lit with excitement.
“There’s my beautiful daughter!” she exclaimed, pulling me into a warm hug.
I smiled into her embrace, savoring the moment. Even though she’d only been in my life a few days, she’d already given me more affection than my adoptive parents had in years. With her, I didn’t feel like a burden or an outsider–I felt wanted.
“Hope that man doesn’t interrupt us again like he did the last time,” she added with a scowl, referring to Adrian.
“No, I’m sure he won’t,” I reassured her, subtly rolling my eyes at the memory.
“You told me that our father isn’t in the country,” I said as we started walking up the stairs, “so are we going to see him through a Zoom meeting or something?”
“Yes, dearie,” she said with a nod. “Everything has already been set up upstairs. I’ll text him right now to let him know you’re ready.”
As we reached the top of the stairs, I found my heart beating a little faster. I knew this moment would come eventually–meeting the man who was biologically my father–but I never imagined it would happen so soon. My stomach twisted with nerves.
Was I ready? Honestly, I wasn’t sure.
They lived a completely different life from the one I grew up in, I had been raised by middle–class parents who loved structure and simplicity. Here, things were lavish and fast–paced. My mom didn’t seem overly strict, but we all knew who usually played the disciplinarian in traditional families.
And if he was anything like the powerful men I’d met so far–like Adrian–I had to be careful. I just hoped I wouldn’t say something stupid or trip over my words. I didn’t want to embarrass myself, or worse, give him a reason to look down on me.
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