The color of our love

Chapter 3

Kyle returned thirty minutes later with a substantial file which he handed to him.

_ Here, you will have all the information you want about this girl.

"I'd prefer you give them to me yourself," replied Justin before pouring two glasses of whiskey.

So, her name is Olivia Fierlaha Touré. She comes from a West African country called Ivory Coast, specifically the north of the country. She's twenty-four years old and studied accounting. She was living with her aunt Monique, who kicked her out because she suspected her of having an affair with her husband. She ended up on the street and was then taken in by her friend, a Mexican woman named Roxana Gonzalez. They've been living together for two years. She has all her papers and no legal problems. That's all I could find out about her. Apart from that, she seems to have no social life, no hobbies or pastimes. What I learned is that she's a withdrawn young woman whose only companions are books.

-Thanks Kyle, you're very efficient as always.

Kyle smiled slightly before taking a sip from his glass. Justin retrieved the file and carefully placed it in a drawer.

"Is everything ready yet?" he asked Kyle.

"Of course they're just waiting for you," he replied, standing up.

-So let's go.

Olivia arrived in the hotel's main common room, where all the staff were already gathered. As usual, Mrs. Jackson launched into a long monologue before announcing the guest they were all waiting for: the famous Justin Hamilton. He quickly appeared, dressed in an impeccable suit. He faced the staff with a serious expression, his face devoid of any visible emotion. Olivia, for her part, put her hand to her mouth, so stunned was she.

"Oh my God," she stammered.

As if fate were conspiring against her, the stranger—or rather, the new owner of the hotel she had met just a few hours earlier—had just fixed his gaze on her before meeting hers. Olivia closed her eyes and slipped away.

Justin listened with one ear to the manager's monologue, unable to wait another minute he rushed off in search of the young woman.

Olivia reached the locker room to catch her breath. She could never have imagined that the stranger she'd just met, the one who had unsettled her, was actually her new boss. She took a deep breath before heading back to join the other employees. But when she turned around, she bumped into something hard, or rather, a massive chest. She looked up and saw Justin, his gaze impassive. He towered over her by a good two heads. She recoiled slightly ; he continued to stare at her as if trying to read her mind or glimpse her soul.

Justin took the time to observe her more closely; he hadn't had the chance a few hours earlier. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Two magnificent dimples formed in her cheeks when she spoke or smiled. She had short hair and olive skin. What intrigued him most was the color of her eyes—blue eyes—and her voluptuous figure. The young woman's breathing was ragged, which irritated him greatly; he couldn't accept that she was expressing any repulsion toward him. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes for a moment before putting his hands in his pockets. He couldn't control the surge of desire that burned within him and the irresistible urge to kiss her. Was it possible to feel such an attraction to someone you had just met? Justin didn't have the answer; he was one of those who didn't believe in love or love at first sight.

"Why did you leave the ceremony?" he asked in what he intended to be a gentle voice.

"I came to get some fresh air, I was planning to come back," she replied in a whisper.

"What is your name?" he asked again, even though he knew the answer.

-I think you already know this since I entered your suite without permission.

-Yes, I already know that, but I wanted to hear you say it, it makes a bit of a difference.

"Olivia," she replied weakly, "Olivia Touré."

Justin took his hands out of his pocket and moved closer to her, a little too close. She looked down, but he lifted her chin so she could look at him. He gazed into her eyes, intently studying them.

"Your eyes..." he murmured.

She looked away, a little embarrassed by the closeness. Olivia saw herself as a monster because of her eyes. In her country, it was rare, if not impossible, to see someone with that eye color; most men had dark eyes. She had never understood why her eyes were different from others. She had had to endure the scornful looks of others, even some members of her own family. Luckily, her father was always by her side.

"They have nothing wrong with my eyes," she replied in a hoarse voice.

She tried to free herself from his embrace. Not wanting to startle her, Justin had to make every effort to loosen his grip. He could see fear, sadness , and shame in her eyes. Perhaps the color of her eyes was a problem for her; he saw no fault with it, he found them beautiful. Good God, he was going crazy, he thought. There was something mysterious and alluring about this young woman that drew him closer to her. He vowed then to do everything he could to discover this special thing that was driving him mad when he had only just met her.

She had managed to break free from his grasp and left, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He decided to end the ceremony, which had gone on far too long. He needed to find peace and quiet in his new apartment.

Olivia's heart was pounding in her temples. This man was playing with her nerves. She'd only met him a few hours earlier, and he was already driving her completely crazy. She returned to the lobby, determined not to spend another minute there. Mrs. Jackson would surely kill her, but come what may. She made a beeline for the exit.

"My God, Olivia, where have you been?" Roxy asked anxiously. "I've looked everywhere for you."

"I'm going home, we'll meet there," she replied.

"You'll be in trouble with the Snow Queen if you leave without permission," Roxy warned her.

"She's not likely to get any if she comes with me," a voice she had preferred to ignore for today suddenly chimed in.