The color of our love

Chapter 10

Olivia gazed at herself in the mirror once more. She nervously smoothed the creases in her dress. The navy blue color complemented her skin tone. Roxy had carefully applied subtle makeup to her face. For once in her life, she felt beautiful and desirable. Roxy told her every day that she was a very beautiful woman, but Olivia didn't believe it, attributing it to their friendship.

Her friend's agitation made her realize the car was already waiting. She took a deep breath to compose herself and grabbed her purse. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the driver opened the door without a word, and she got in the back. A few minutes later, she found herself in front of a beautiful glass tower. The driver handed her a slip of paper with a floor number written on it—surely the top floor, she thought.

Feeling unsure, she entered the building, and a few minutes later she found herself in a magnificent living room. It was tastefully decorated, with a masculine touch. A slightly older woman emerged from the kitchen, a smile on her lips.

"My child, you are so beautiful," she exclaimed.

She came and took her in her arms, as if they had known each other for a long time.

- You must be Olivia, right? Justin has been waiting for you for a long time, I've never seen him so nervous.

- Nana, stop exaggerating all the time.

Olivia looked up and saw Justin coming down the stairs. He looked more handsome than ever in his suit. He was at their level in a few moments. Olivia could see the connection between them; Justin seemed like a different person, his impassive, cold gaze gone. She thought she saw tenderness in his eyes. No, she didn't believe it at all. This Justin was different from the one she had met before.

"You know, when he was very little, his mother used to call me 'nanny' and he wanted to do the same, but instead of 'nanny' he called me 'nana', and he's called me that ever since," Emily told him.

Justin looked at her with a mock-disapproving expression. They both burst into laughter. Olivia watched them fondly; it reminded her of her relationship with her mother. She missed her terribly. She was also discovering a different side of Justin, a more cheerful one.

"It's time for us to leave," he said suddenly, which snapped him out of his reverie.

She barely had time to say goodbye to Emily before he was pulling her into the elevator. The doors had barely closed when he captured her lips. She gasped, surprised by the unexpected kiss. It was more demanding, more intense than the first. She wavered but clung to him to keep from falling. This time, he managed to break through the barrier of her lips.

Justin thought he was going mad; this young woman had soft, delicious lips, and he didn't want it to end. He had never experienced such a sensation, such passion. She was so delicate and yet so wonderful that he lost his train of thought. If he had listened to himself, he would have made her his right there in this elevator, but his reason prevailed over his desire. He didn't want to rush her; he wanted to take the time to get to know her better and for her to ask him herself. The elevator doors opened, and he sat up reluctantly, relieved not to see any curious glances. That was precisely why he had wanted to live alone in this building. He hated being the center of gossip. She was still dizzy, so he decided to guide her so she wouldn't get even more lost than she already was.

Olivia was completely overwhelmed, still reeling from what had just happened. Everything had gone by so fast that she hadn't had time to react or collect herself. That kiss was the first real one of her life. She let herself be guided by this man who was beginning to awaken new feelings in her.

The restaurant was sophisticated and renowned. The owner himself came to greet them. As usual, Justin adopted his impassive expression. They were seated at a table off to the side; an older man was already there with a young woman who could have been his daughter's age. Everyone seemed intrigued by their arrival, as all heads were turned in their direction. Justin, ever the impassive man, guided her, ignoring them. What intrigued Olivia was that these women, despite the presence of their companions, were winking at Justin, while she was being stared at maliciously. She tried to ignore them, but the weight of their stares was too much.

Justin's jaw tightened again; he was beginning to regret bringing her here. The looks these greedy, avaricious women were giving Olivia didn't sit well with him. He had to restrain himself to keep the beast within him from awakening. He decided not to prolong the dinner and to take her home as quickly as possible.

"Justin, how are you?" Thompson asked, getting up to shake his hand.

"Fine," he said simply.

They all sat down together. The waiter came to meet them and handed them some menus. Seeing the young woman's distress, he decided to order for her.

"So, Justin, you've finally decided to come back to the United States after more than fifteen years away," Thompson said to him once the waiter had left.

- Indeed Jonathan, but I'm here for a good reason and you know that too.

"Of course, your father's hotel that you swore you'd get back," he replied, giving Olivia a rather un-Catholic look.

Justin clenched his jaw once more. The old man hadn't changed in all these years; he was still the same. Always insatiable for s*x. He made a superhuman effort not to punch him in the face.

- Now let's get down to business. You told me you had a lucrative opportunity for me, I'm listening.

- Indeed, you know I was a good friend of your father, may he rest in peace. I have a deal here that could make you millions of dollars.

He handed him a file, and Justin began to leaf through it. He was intrigued by Olivia's expression, which had changed as she glanced at the files. It was true that he had always hated numbers; Kyle was always the one who handled them. Olivia's gesture confirmed what he already suspected: Jonathan Thompson was a scoundrel of the worst kind who had joined forces with Gordon to bring down his father years ago, but he had acted completely undetected. The old man thought he could charm him, but what he didn't know was that Justin had become a master at unmasking any traitor, and he was about to prove it.