The Golden Mirage

4. Who's he?

The atmosphere inside the main conference room of Holland Group felt like a sharp contrast to the chaos in the lobby earlier.

Everything here seemed calm, yet tension crept beneath the long, luxurious table. The scent of expensive coffee and masculine cologne filled the room, mixing with the soft hum of the air conditioner.

At the head of the table, Arthur Sterling and Michael’s father, Thomas Holland, sat side by side, chatting warmly. But everyone’s attention was drawn to the two figures who had just entered: Olivia and Michael.

Olivia tried to steady her breathing. Her heart was still pounding from what had happened earlier, but she could not afford to look shaken. She took the seat that had been prepared for her, right beside Michael. Across from her, Elena sat with a sulky expression, occasionally rubbing her still-reddened cheek while shooting sharp looks at Olivia, as if she wanted to skin her alive.

Michael cleared his throat softly, drawing the attention of all the executives and board members present.

“Thank you all for coming,” Michael said in a heavy, authoritative voice.

“Today is not just about signing documents. This is the beginning of Sterling’s integration into Holland Group’s global distribution network.”

He paused, then unexpectedly reached across the table and took Olivia’s hand in his. His touch was warm, but Olivia could feel it was a claim—an act performed with perfect precision.

“As you all know,” Michael continued, looking at Olivia with a gaze that, to anyone else, would seem full of affection,

“our relationship is not just about numbers on paper. This engagement is a decision we made with full confidence. We will make everything official after Olivia’s fall collection is showcased in Paris.”

Olivia froze for a moment. Michael’s grip tightened slightly, as if signaling her to play along with this charade. She forced a thin smile and leaned her shoulder subtly toward him.

“That’s right,” Olivia cut in, her voice calm even though her hand felt cold.

“Paris will be the first stage for our synergy. Sterling won’t just bring designs, but also a new identity for Holland’s expansion in Europe.”

Thomas Holland laughed proudly and patted Arthur Sterling’s shoulder.

“Look at them, Arthur. Business partners and a perfectly matched couple. I can’t wait to see their wedding, maybe in a few months.”

At the corner of the table, Elena almost snorted out loud. She couldn’t stand seeing Olivia take center stage like that, especially watching her cousin.

Who was usually as cold as ice, now acting so protective and sweet in public.

The meeting continued with technical presentations, but Olivia’s focus was divided. Every time Michael brushed the back of her hand with his thumb and flashed a very sweet smile while listening to the board’s reports, Olivia had to remind herself that all of this was nothing but a transaction.

Michael was an excellent actor.

So excellent that Olivia almost forgot this was the same man who had coldly agreed to their marriage as a form of fair cooperation.

When the meeting ended and the executives began leaving the room one by one, Michael still hadn’t let go of Olivia’s hand. Instead, he leaned closer to her ear and whispered something only she could hear.

“Never smile at Julian like you did earlier, Olivia,” Michael murmured, his voice now cold again, without even a trace of the sweetness he had shown in front of their fathers.

“Remember, in this building, you belong to me. Don’t ruin the image I’m building.”

Olivia yanked her hand away roughly as soon as the door closed. She stared at Michael with restrained anger.

“That was just a thank-you because he saved me from your cousin who has no manners, Michael. Don’t be so full of yourself.”

Michael only adjusted his suit collar, returning to his emotionless self.

“I’ll take care of your issue with Elena. But your issue with Julian? That was your first warning.”

After the meeting ended, Olivia felt like she needed some fresh air. She walked out of the room first, leaving Michael behind as he was still tidying up his documents.

But after only a few steps down the slightly quiet hallway toward the elevator, Olivia stopped.

In a somewhat hidden corner of the corridor, she saw a middle-aged man in an expensive suit with a strange aura about him. He seemed to be speaking seriously to two employees. One was a woman in an extremely tight office outfit—so tight it could even be considered inappropriate for a professional company and the other was a young man who looked nervous.

The middle-aged man’s behavior was highly suspicious. He spoke in a low voice while constantly glancing left and right, as if planning something no one else was supposed to know.

Olivia, who didn’t yet know that the man was Mark Holland. Michael’s uncle and Elena and Julian’s father, felt that something was wrong.

Driven by her curiosity, Olivia bravely stepped closer.

“Excuse me, is there anything I can help with? It seems like there’s a very serious conversation going on here,” Olivia asked in a calm but firm tone.

The three of them flinched in surprise. The middle-aged man’s face instantly stiffened, as did the young male employee’s, while the tightly dressed female employee fumbled awkwardly, trying to straighten her short skirt.

They exchanged glances, looking confused and nervous as they searched for an excuse to answer Olivia.

The atmosphere froze for several seconds before a deep voice interrupted from behind.

“Olivia.”

It was Michael’s voice. He walked over with firm steps, his gaze immediately fixed on Olivia, as if ignoring the other three entirely.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you back to Sterling’s office myself,” Michael said without preamble.

Seeing Michael’s presence, the middle-aged man and the two employees visibly relaxed. They hurriedly bowed and excused themselves, leaving as if they had just escaped death.

Michael only stared at his uncle’s back with an unreadable look cold and full of scrutiny.

Olivia still stood frozen in place, her eyes following the direction the middle-aged man had gone.

“What’s wrong?” Michael asked, now standing right beside her.

“Who was that man?” Olivia asked back, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“His behavior was very strange. Like someone hiding a huge secret.”

Michael fell silent for a moment. He didn’t answer right away, only let out a long breath.

“Don’t ask too many questions. Get in the car.”

Even though Michael tried to act normal, Olivia couldn’t shake her curiosity. She felt like something dark was happening behind the grandeur of Holland Group, and she might have just touched its surface.

Inside the car, the atmosphere felt awkward. Michael focused on driving, his strong hands holding the steering wheel casually, while Olivia kept thinking about what had happened in the hallway earlier.

That curiosity felt like a thorn stuck in her throat. If she didn’t pull it out, she would choke on it.

“Michael,” Olivia finally called, breaking the silence between the soft hum of the engine.

Michael didn’t turn his head, his eyes still on the road ahead.

“Hm?”

“That man earlier… the one whispering in the hallway. He was really strange. I could feel something was wrong from the way he kept looking around. Who is he, really?” Olivia asked, her tone demanding an answer.

Hearing that, Michael didn’t tense up. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle. A thin smile-one he rarely showed, appeared on his handsome face.

“You watch too many detective movies, sweetheart,” Michael replied casually.

“That man is Mark, my uncle. He’s served Holland Group for decades. There’s no way he’d do anything strange or harm his own family’s company.”

“But his behavior-”

“Throw those negative thoughts away,” Michael cut her off, his voice calm but firm again.

“He does have a rather secretive way of speaking, but that’s none of your business. For now, you’d better focus on preparing for Paris. Sterling’s fall collection has to be perfect if you want your name to truly go global.”

Olivia leaned back against her seat, crossing her arms with dissatisfaction. Michael’s answer sounded perfectly logical, yet for some reason, her instinct as a woman told her otherwise.

Olivia wouldn't make the same mistake twice: first misidentifying someone, and now suspecting someone for no reason.

She glanced at Michael from the side; he looked absolutely certain that his uncle was a good man.

Or maybe Michael was just too confident, Olivia thought to herself.

For the rest of the ride, Olivia chose to stay silent. She stared out the window, watching the buildings rush past, but the image of Mark’s suspicious face remained etched in her mind.

Paris was important but the strangeness behind the walls of Holland Group was starting to feel far more urgent to uncover.