<b>Chapter </b><b>92 </b>
<b>OLIVIA’S </b>POV
<b>“</b>What other ideas did you have<b>?</b><b>” </b>Adrian asked as he passed the phone back to me.
Our fingers brushed against each other, but I tried my best to pay no mind to it. Against my better judgment, I found myself indulging his question.
“I had a passion for food,” I told him and then, proceeded to open the document containing the details ns for the restaurant I had ns of opening.
I could feel his gaze on me – watching, observing, and searching for something as I tried to locate the file. The intense feeling of his eyes on me made the pit of my stomach churn in the wrong <b>way</b>.
“<b>I </b><b>always </b>dreamt <b>of </b>opening a restaurant,” I informed, passing the phone back to him.
Adrian took a long nce at it and I watched as his expression constricted, a mixture of bitter realization and something else shing within his
<b>eyes</b><b>. </b>
<b>Was </b>that…guilt? The thought was fleeting, quickly discarded when Adrian’s expression returned <i>to </i>the usual as he nodded.
You have some good business ns and strategy. With a little bit of capital, you should be able to get a good business going.” He said, staring me straight in the eyes, almost as if he wanted me to see the sincerity of his words.
But I could focus on that. The <b>fact </b>that we had been in a room for more than five minutes without throwing snidements or usations <b>at </b>each other, still felt like a huge anomaly to me. One that <b>I </b>couldn’t see myself getting used to after all the treatment I had endured in the marriage.
But perhaps, if he had been this way during <b>our </b>marriage…
My fingers curled up against myp, but I caught myself before my thoughts could spiral any further.
“Of course I do,” <b>I </b>answered, reaching for my phone.
<b>Just </b>as I collected it from Adrian, he parted his lips to speak, but my attention <b>was </b>immediately drawn as I felt my phone vibrate and a text notification popped up at the top of my screen.
<b>It </b>was a message from Julian.
Like the A.C. in the room was suddenly malfunctioning, the temperature of the room dropped drastically and then I heard it<b>, </b>Adrian mumble incoherent words underneath his breath -curses, I <b>was </b>sure, especially with the way his expression had darkened.
However, before I could process what was happening, another message from Julian came in and right about this time, it felt urgent, like a reminder of <b>our </b>ns which had been forgotten.
Well, I guess that’s enough time spent on Adrian.
Seriously, I thought <b>as </b>I stood up. I really should pick <b>wisely</b>, how <b>I </b>spend my time. Spending it fruitlessly like this on the wrong <b>set </b><b>of </b>people would <b>get </b>me nowhere in life.
“I <b>have </b>somewhere to be,” I said to Adrian <b>as </b>I walked toward the bathroom, my cold side almost slipping out without much effort. I didn’t even look <b>back </b><b>at </b>him<b>, </b><b>expecting</b>, as usual, to hear one of his snarkyments or <b>sarcastic </b>remarks<b>. </b>
But to my surprise, he didn’t <b>say </b><b>a </b>word. Instead, he just picked up his phone and started tapping <b>away </b>like I wasn’t even there. <b>It </b>caught me off <b>guard </b>for <b>a </b>moment. Lately, Adrian had been… different. Calmer, less confrontational<b>. </b>Almost like he was carrying some <b>heavy </b><b>secret </b>he hadn’t told <b>me </b>about. Did he hit his head or something? I found <b>myself </b>wondering, half serious.
<b>Shrugging </b><b>it </b>off, I walked into the bathroom. If he wanted to <b>act </b>weird<b>, </b><b>that </b><b>was </b>his business. I had more important things <b>to </b><b>deal </b>with. I opened the cab, grabbed a brand–new tube of toothpaste<b>, </b>and then paused. A small, mischievous idea crossed my mind. I looked around until <b>I </b>found a <b>ck </b><b>marker </b><b>and </b>wrote <b>“</b>DON’T TOUCH<b>” </b><b>across </b>the tube in bold, angry letters.
This was <b>a </b><b>clear </b><b>enough </b>warning for <b>Adrian</b>. If he still decided <b>to </b>use it after seeing the message, then it would be obvious<b>–</b>he was <b>just </b>looking for trouble. It wasn’t <b>even </b>about the toothpaste anymore. It <b>was </b>about principle.
Satisfied, I put the tube <b>back </b><b>neatly </b>and <b>quickly </b>finished <b>getting </b><b>ready</b><b>. </b><b>A </b>few minutes <bter</b><b>, </b><b>I </b>grabbed <b>my </b>favorite handbag, <b>slung </b><b>it </b><b>over </b>my shoulder<b>, </b>and headed toward the door<b>. </b>
As <b>I </b>passed through the <b>hallway</b>, I noticed <b>Adrian </b>was no <b>longer </b><b>around</b>. Good. <b>At </b>least I <b>wasn’t </b>the only <b>one with </b><b>ces </b>to be today.
On <b>my </b><b>way </b>out<b>, </b>my mind drifted unexpectedly. I thought about my <b>adoptive </b><b>parents</b><b>–</b>more <b>specifically</b><b>, </b>my adoptive father. <b>It </b>had been a while since Ist checked on them. What they did to me was absolutely <b>unforgivable</b>, a <b>betrayal </b><b>I </b>could <b>never </b>truly <b>forget</b>.
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But still, I <b>wasn’t </b>the type <b>of </b>person who believed in repaying evil with evil. I wasn’t raised that <b>way</b>, no matter how hard the world had tried to turn me cold. <b>Maybe </b>it wouldn’t hurt <b>to </b>at <b>least </b>check on him, just <b>to </b>see how his health <b>was</b>. That much, I could manage.
But <b>first</b>, the orphanage.
It didn’t take long for me to arrive<b>. </b>As I pushed the door open and stepped inside, I immediately noticed something was off. The office <b>was </b>crowded. A group of unfamiliar men loitered inside, most of them rough–looking and intimidating in a way that set my nerves on edge.
They all turned to <b>stare </b>at me the second I entered. Their gazes felt heavy, lingering in a <b>way </b>that made my skin crawl. I ignored them as best <b>as </b><b>I </b>could, keeping my head high and my steps steady. I wasn’t here for them.
My eyes scanned the room, searching for the one person I trusted her. Julian.
It didn’t take long to <b>spot </b>him. He was standing awkwardly near his desk<b>, </b>shoulders tense, hands twitching at his sides<b>. </b>The moment our eyes met, he stiffened even more, his <b>face </b>a strange mix of emotions. He looked… <b>scared</b>. Surprised? I couldn’t tell.
Concern prickled the back of my neck.
I walked <b>over </b>to him, weaving my way through the silent, watchful crowd. The closer <b>I </b>got, the more <b>I </b>could see how pale his <b>face </b>looked, and how tightly he gripped the edge of the table beside him, <b>as </b>he needed it to stay upright.
“Is something wrong?” <b>I </b>asked as I stopped in front of him, keeping my voice <b>low</b>.
Julian opened his mouth to answer<b>, </b>but for <b>several </b>long seconds, no sound came out. His throat worked, and his eyes <b>grew </b>shinier. Finally, he sniffed loudly, wiping at his nose and quickly brushing away a tear that had escaped.
My heart squeezed. Whatever this was, it was big.
“Hey,” I said more gently, “are you good? Talk to me.<b>” </b>
He took another shaky breath, and then, finally, the words tumbled out.
“I, hmm….” he began, voice cracking slightly, “I found your parents.”
The words hit me like a bowling ball to the chest. For a moment, my brain froze<b>, </b>struggling to catch up, struggling to <b>even </b>understand.
And then everything happened at once<b>. </b>
I let out <b>a </b>strangled sound somewhere between <b>a </bugh and a sob and threw my arms around Julian in a tight, desperate hug. <b>Tears </b>pricked my own <b>eyes </b><b>as </b>the reality of what he said sank in. After everything, I <b>was </b>finally going to meet them. My real parents.
Julian hugged me back just <b>as </b>tightly. His arms <b>were </b>shaking slightly, and I realized he <b>was </b><b>just </b>as emotional <b>as </b><b>I </b><b>was</b><b>. </b><b>Maybe </b>even more.
“Thank you,” I whispered <b>fiercely </b>against his shoulder. <b>“</b>Thank you so much for doing this for me. I owe you, big time.”
I pulled <b>back </b><b>a </b>little, looking up at him with gratitude shining in my eyes. But before <b>I </b>could <b>say </b>anything <b>else</b>, Julian’s expression shifted.
“There’s something else <b>you </b>should know,” he said, <b>voice </b><b>low</b><b>, </b><b>eyes </b>clouded with something <b>I </b>couldn’t quite read.