Christopher took his time, carefully explaining every detail Olivia needed to understand, the rumors, the expectations, the possible consequences. His voice was steady, but beneath his composed tone was a quiet urgency. When he finished, he fell silent, letting it all sink in.
Olivia didn’t speak immediately. Her gaze remained distant as her mind worked through everything he’d said. The words circled in her head like smoke.. reputation, scandal, statement, trust.
If what he was saying was true, then she wasn’t just a bystander. Her name was tangled in this too. People were talking, about her, about them. About the nature of their relationship. She hadn’t even left the house that day, and yet her name was apparently traveling faster than her footsteps ever could.
She bit her lower lip, p
