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Chapter 123
Chapter 123
OLIVIA’S POV
I slowly tiptoed my way out of my mom’s room, careful not to make a sound. She had been gripping my hand tightly for almost thirty minutes since she drifted off to sleep, and every time I to slip away, something would give me away -either the rustling of the sheets, the creak of the floorboards, or
even my own clumsy movements..
This time, I decided to be patient, to wait longer. I allowed her breathing to deepen and slow until I was sure she had sunk into a deep sleep. Only then did I dare to try again. I gently lifted her hand off mine and slid off the bed with the grace of a trained escape artist. Every move was calculated, every
breath held.
I reached for the doorknob, turning it as slowly as humanly possible, praying it wouldn’t creak like it always did. I winced as it made a soft sound, but it wasn’t loud enough to stir her. I let out a silent breath of relief and opened the door wide enough to squeeze through.
Just as I was about to step into the hallway, I turned–and froze.
Julian.
He was standing there, eyes filled with confusion, watching me like I’d just robbed the place. His brow furrowed slightly as he took in the scene.
“Why were you sneaking…”
“Shhhh!” I cut him off quickly, pressing a finger to my lips as I panicked, glancing back toward the cracked door of our mom’s room.
He blinked and caught on immediately. I grabbed his arm gently and pulled him with me down the stairs. No way was I going to risk her waking up now-
not after all that effort.
Once we reached the bottom, I whispered, “A
e you trying to wake her?”
“She doesn’t want you to leave?” he said, his voice lower this time
“No,” I said, sighing, “and you know I need to go back home.”
Julian nodded, a more understanding look taking over his face. “Well then, you better head back before she realizes you’re gone again.”
“I don’t want to leave her, not really,” I admitted, crossing my arms./But I can’t just stay here, not with everything going on. At least not until we get this whole thing resolved.”
“Speaking of that,” I said, leaning in slightly, “how did it go?”
Julian hesitated for a moment before responding. “About Emma? Well… she’s downstairs. In the basement.”
A wave of relief washed over me, and I let out a long, deep breath. Since they left, the uncertainty had eaten away at me. I’d kept picturing all the ways this could go wrong–what if they couldn’t find her, or she managed to escape? But now that they had her, it felt like everything was finally coming together.
“This is great,” I said, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. “I always had faith in you. That’s why I’ve been slowly packing my things–I knew you’d see this through. Now that we have the last piece of the puzzle, I can go and fully pack all my belongings.”
Julian didn’t look as convinced. He shifted his weight and gave me a look that made my stomach drop.
“I’m not trying to be a naysayer,” he said, “but something tells me we might have issues getting her to confess. Emma doesn’t seem like the type to break easily.”
I narrowed my eyes but kept my tone calm.“Doesn’t matter. She’s human. Everyone breaks eventually. It might take time, but now that we have her, we’re in control. We’ll make her talk. One way or another.”
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Chapter 1231
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Julian stared at me for a moment, then gave a small nod, though I could see the concern still lingering in his eyes.
“Alright, do you need me to drop you off?” Julian asked, his tone casual but firm.
“No, I’ll just…” I began to reply, but he cut me off before I could finish.
“Nope. You don’t have a choice here,” he said, raising a brow as he crossed his arms. “You can’t just go around ordering Ubers when there are all these cars sitting outside. You’re about to become a CEO, Olivia. You need to start acting like one.”
I sighed, already too tired to argue. There were battles worth fighting, and this wasn’t one of them.
“The driver will drop you off,” he added, already signaling to one of the staff.
“Alright,” I mumbled, giving in. I grabbed my purse and began walking toward the front door, Julian trailing behind me like a silent shadow. His presence felt heavier tonight, maybe because things were finally moving forward–or maybe because both of us were thinking the same thing: there’s no turning
back now.
On the drive home, I instructed the driver to park across the street from Adrian Estates. The last thing I wanted was to show up in a good–looking black car and have that caught on his CCTV footage. I didn’t need anyone asking questions, least of all Adrian, who always noticed everything.
I stepped out quietly and walked toward the gate, keeping my head low. The street was quiet, and the only sound was the crunch of gravel beneath my shoes. The moment I entered the house, irritation flooded me.
There it was–Isadora’s voice echoing from the kitchen, sharp and commanding. She was barking orders at the maids like she ran the place. It made my blood boil. Who did she think she was? Just because Adrian tolerated her didn’t mean she had any right to act like she owned the house.
But I didn’t say anything. Not yet. I clenched my jaw and walked straight past the kitchen, ignoring her completely. She didn’t even see me, which was just fine. I wasn’t in the mood for a scene.
Upstairs, I made it to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh. I slipped off my shoes, but as I leaned down to pick them up, a sharp, sudden pain shot through my lower back and waist.
“ouch!” I hissed, instantly sitting back up.
The pain lingered for a few seconds before slowly fading. I instinctively placed a hand on my stomach, looking down at the small but growing bump.
“Too early for you to be causing problems, little guy,” I whispered, smiling softly despite the discomfort. It was strange–how something so small could completely change everything about how I moved, what I ate, how slept. I couldn’t just do things like I used to. Even my body was sending out
warnings.
I slid the shoe over to the wardrobe with my foot, avoiding bending down again. I’d learned my lesson.
I realized then that I hadn’t eaten dinner, but the thought of going back downstairs and facing Isadora made me lose what little appetite I had left. An empty stomach was a small price to pay for peace.
I changed into my soft, lavender sleeping robe and turned off the lights. Curling up on my side of the bed, I pulled the blanket ove ceiling. My mind wouldn’t quiet down, thoughts racing from Emma to my mom to the growing life inside me.
Sometime during the night, I must have drifted off, because the next thing I felt was the mattress dipping beside me.
I didn’t move, but I could tell it was Adrian.
Then suddenly-
“Ahh!”
and stared at the
A loud, startled scream came from right beside me, jerking me awake in full panic.
