OLIVIA’S POV
家 84
55 vouchert
“Ok,” themissioner said, leaning back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the edge of his desk. “Do you have a name?”
“Yes,” I replied slowly, weighing each word carefully, “but like I said, I’m not one hundred percent sure. I mean, I haven’t seen this woman in weeks. But I do know she’s capable of doing something like this. If there’s anyone who would go to such lengths, it’s her. She would do absolutely anything to get the power she craves.”
I tried to keep my voice firm, but a thread of uncertainty slipped in anyway. It wasn’t solid evidence, just a strong gut feeling mixed with everything I had seen her capable of in the past. My father always told me that in business and in war, instincts sometimes kept you alive more than facts.
Adrian leaned forward, his tone calm butmanding, the kind of tone that always had people listening when he spoke. “I believe if we want to confirm whether Olivia’s suspicion is right, then you need to tell your men to dig deeper. Don’t just interrogate them casually, apply pressure, force those criminals to reveal anything they know about this woman. The smallest detail could connect the dots. And if what they say matches even the slightest with the person Olivia suspects, then we’ll know we’ve found our mastermind.”
Themissioner nodded slowly, absorbing Adrian’s words. I could see a flicker of something cross his eyes respect, perhaps, or unease. Whatever it was, he clearly wasn’t used to being told how to handle his own men. But Adrian had a way of speaking that made it sound less like an order and more like an undeniable truth.
“Alright,” themissioner said finally. His voice was steady, but his hands clenched into fists for a moment before rxing. “I’ll inform my men to keep up the pressure on them. They’ll break eventually. Everyone does. It’s only a matter of time before the truthes out.”
“Good,” Adrian replied, his jaw tightening in determination. “Make sure they understand how urgent this is. Whoever is behind this attack might try toe for her again.”
The silence that followed carried a weight that pressed against my chest. I hated to admit it, but he was right.
“Since that’s settled,” Adrian continued, his voice breaking the heavy air, “then we can take our leave. Or…” He turned slightly toward me, his gaze holding mine. “Is there something else you’d like to ask him?”
I hesitated, letting my eyes sweep back over themissioner. Part of me wanted to press for more, to demand names, connections, anything. But I knew I wouldn’t get it. I hade here for one reason and one reason only to find out if there was any information about who had sent those men after me. And from what we’d heard, this was all there was for now.
“No,” I said finally, shaking my head as I rose from my seat. “There’s none.”
Themissioner gave a sharp nod and rose with me, his chair scraping lightly against the tiled floor. “I’ll make sure to keep you updated, sir,” he said, turning his full attention back to Adrian as though I wasn’t even in the room anymore.
“Please do,” Adrian replied, epting themissioner’s handshake firmly. “We need to find this person before they attempt something worse.”
9:01 Thu, Sep 18 G
884
Their voices faded into the background as I turned on my heel and started walking toward the door. I didn’t care to hear more of their polite exchanges; my mind was too heavy with what had been said already. A woman. Someone bold enough, desperate enough to send hitmen after me. That narrowed the list, but not by much. And the thought of it being Vanessa kept circling in my head like a shadow I couldn’t shake off.
I stepped out of the office, the cooler air of the hallway hitting my face. My heels clicked against the floor as I kept my stride purposeful, though my mind was running faster than my feet. I didn’t notice the sound of footsteps behind me until they quickened, closing the gap between us.
Adrian.
Of course.
He caught up with me easily despite the injury that I knew was still slowing him down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hand instinctively reach toward his midsection, pressing lightly against it as though to ease the sting of the wound beneath the oversized hoodie he had decided to wear today.
I slowed down my pace slightly, not because I wanted to, but because a part of me couldn’t ignore what I saw, the quiet struggle he was trying so hard to mask.
“You’re in a hurry,” he said, his voice calm but edged with something I couldn’t quite ce.
“I just wanna get back home and think,” I replied sharply.
“Already? I mean, you’re all dressed up today,” he said, his tone dipping between casual and teasing. “Why waste all that just toe here and go back home so early?”
That made me stop. I turned around slowly, my eyes narrowing as I studied him. The way he stood there his posture stiff, his hand brushing against his side like the wound still tugged at him yet his lips carried that half- smile I used to know too well. I folded my arms, keeping my expression t. “So what are you suggesting?”
He took a small step forward, his eyes locking onto mine like he was trying to read me. “Well, instead of just going back home immediately, how about I take you for lunch?” he offered, his voice softer now, almost coaxing. “I mean, it’s already past one p.m., and I know a lovely restaurant around. Just found it a few weeks ago.”
“Why would I do that?” I asked, my toneced with confusion and suspicion. My brows arched slightly, the kind of expression that asked him if he hadpletely lost his mind.
Adrian let out a small breath, almost like he had expected my resistance. “Look, I said I was gonna help you,” he began, his voice firmer now. “And you just said you’re going back home to think. How about we go over to the restaurant, and while eating we can rub our minds together. Two heads are better than one, remember?”
I stared at him for a long second. It was strange, hearing him talk like this. Strange, but also frustrating. Did he think I had forgotten everything that happened between us? That a simple lunch could rewrite years of pain, betrayal, and silence? My heart squeezed tight in my chest, but I forced my face to stay unreadable.
“I’m sorry,” I said finally, my voice cutting like ss. “But I can’t ept your offer. I know everything is good between us, but we’re no longer together. And I don’t know what it is you’re trying to do, but if it’s what I’m thinking, then I suggest you get that out of your mind.” I stepped closer, my eyes narrowing on him. “Because me and you can never work again. Not in this life, or the next, or even in another universe. Okay?”
9:01 Thu, Sep 18 B…
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84
12 55 vouchers
I didn’t wait for his reply. The words were enough. Heavy, final, and sharp enough to slice through whatever hope he might have been nursing inside. My body turned instinctively, my feet carrying me towards the exit. The air in the hallway felt thicker with each step I took, like the weight of my own words was following me.
Behind me, I heard him speak again. His voice wasn’t pleading, but it wasn’t cold either it was steady, deep, and carried a truth that forced me to stop listening, even when I wanted to block it out.
“I’m not saying we should get back together,” Adrian said, his words carrying after me like a tether. “All I’m saying is we should work together. Cooperate, and be friends that’s all.”
My steps faltered slightly.
“We’re both Charlie’s parents,” he continued, his tone firm but sincere. “So there’s no running from that. Even if you don’t want to do it for me, at least do it for him.”
And thosest words… they caught me deep. Deeper than I expected. My body stiffened, my hand hesitating just inches from the ss door of the exit. I stood there frozen, staring at my faint reflection on the door, my chest rising and falling unevenly. His words pierced through all the walls I had built between us, pulling at the one truth I couldn’t deny no matter how much I wanted to.
O