Episode 13
1392 Words
The police worked with remarkable efficiency. Barely had Olivia agreed to settle when they arrived with the settlement documents.
One of them was the female officer who had taken her statement earlier.
"Are you absolutely certain about this?" she asked gently.
Olivia's hand trembled as she held the pen. She managed a bitter smile. "I'm certain. Let's just get it over with."
What choice did she have? She was nothing but an ant to be crushed under their expensive shoes.
Not giving herself a chance to reconsider, Olivia quickly signed her name.
The officer sighed, took the settlement papers, and left.
Moments later, Sarah entered carrying a container of food.
When their eyes met, Sarah's filled with guilt, her eyelids reddened.
"Olivia..." she began.
"I know everything," Olivia interrupted. "Is Uncle Richard okay?"
Sarah wiped away tears while pouring out some rice porridge. "He's fine. Just got yelled at. You know what Mr. Parker's temper is like." She sighed. "It's all that despicable Alex's fault. Looking so respectable when he's actually such a monster."
"Mom, I don't want to get married," Olivia said wearily.
Sarah nodded quickly. "I know, I know. The gossip has shifted to Jessica anyway, nothing to do with us now. If you don't want to marry, then you don't have to. I was only worried the family would think you were pining after someone... inappropriate."
She placed the bowl of porridge in Olivia's hands.
Olivia had no appetite but was curious about Sarah's comment. "Mom, what's happening with the gossip?"
"Finally some people online are seeing clearly. They're saying Jessica was trying to force a marriage, which is why she made such a scene. Now everyone's calling her shameless. She has so many people jealous of her relationship with Michael, and now they've found something to attack her with. I always said she had that calculating air about her."
Sarah continued her criticism while Olivia felt something wasn't right. She quickly asked for her phone to check the online comments.
Sure enough, numerous users were calling Jessica desperate, shameless, and worse. The public sentiment had completely reversed overnight.
Sarah took the phone away. "Eat something first. Why do you care about her anyway?"
Olivia frowned. "Michael loves Jessica so much. He must be doing something about this."
"What do you mean by that?" Sarah asked suspiciously.
"Mom, you still meet with your old coworkers from the boutique, right? Could you discreetly ask around about Jessica?"
Sarah had once worked at a luxury store, which was how she'd initially made connections with the upper class. Such retail workers often knew more about the private lives of the wealthy than anyone would suspect.
Sarah nodded. "Alright."
Just then, a nurse entered with an IV bag.
"Mrs. Parker, Miss Johnson," she greeted politely.
"Hello," Sarah acknowledged.
As the nurse inserted the IV needle into Olivia's arm, she casually mentioned, "One of my colleagues just saw Mr. Parker in the parking lot."
Sarah couldn't help asking, "Michael hasn't left yet?"
The nurse adjusted the drip rate and smiled. "Mr. Parker and Miss Thompson looked quite intimate together. They really do make a perfect couple."
Sarah glanced uncomfortably at Olivia before mumbling agreement.
Olivia kept her head down, showing no reaction as she ate her porridge.
After finishing her IV treatment, Olivia insisted on returning to school—she still had her competition project to complete.
Sarah couldn't dissuade her and reluctantly drove her back to campus.
"Call me if anything happens," Sarah said.
"I will."
Olivia closed the car door and started walking toward the university entrance. She'd only gone a few steps when she heard a car horn behind her.
She turned to see Michael's vehicle.
She intended to ignore it, but Jason was already waiting at the campus gate, anticipating her resistance.
"Miss Johnson," Jason said, seeing through her stubbornness, "you know what Mr. Parker is like when he's crossed."
Olivia gave a self-deprecating smile and pushed Jason's hand away, attempting to leave.
Jason hesitated, but someone moved faster than him, gripping Olivia's wrist tightly.
That familiar presence made Olivia's body tremble involuntarily.
All she felt was fear and hatred.
She turned to face Michael's displeased dark eyes.
The university entrance was quiet in the early morning with few people around.
The exhausted Olivia was pulled into the car despite her struggles. Each time she tried to break free, an invisible force seemed to pull her back.
Looking up, she realized he was almost playing with her, as if her resistance was merely a tactic to gain his attention.
She was truly tired. She finally stopped fighting.
Michael pulled her closer, lifted her face, and gently touched her reddened forehead where she'd been injured.
"Still haven't learned your lesson, have you? Why did you leave the hospital?" he asked casually, as if he hadn't been the one demanding she settle the case just hours earlier.
Olivia stared at him, feeling she would never understand him, not in two lifetimes.
When she remained silent, Michael squeezed her chin slightly harder.
She felt like a doll in his hands, positioned however he pleased.
Humiliated, Olivia gritted her teeth and slapped his hand away.
The sound echoed loudly inside the car.
The entire space fell into silence.
Four red marks appeared on Michael's pale hand.
Olivia felt a flash of panic but quickly turned her face away.
"Michael, thank you for your concern, but you're a busy man. I won't take up any more of your time."
She reached for the door handle.
There was a clicking sound as the doors locked.
Outside, Jason heard the lock engage and discreetly walked away.
The enclosed space suddenly reminded Olivia of Alex's weight pressing down on her.
Michael sat calmly, unhurriedly lighting a cigarette. Soon the car filled with white smoke, obscuring his expression.
Olivia heard his mocking laugh. "You drug me, climb into my bed, and then pretend nothing happened?"
"It wasn't me!" Olivia protested, though her voice held only resignation.
"Prove it."
"..."
She couldn't.
She had no idea what had happened that night or how she'd ended up in Michael's room.
And the worst part—in the end, she had been willing.
Her love and compassion had ultimately become the evidence against her.
Michael exhaled smoke and turned her face toward him, impatience evident in his voice. "Come back with me."
Olivia stiffened her neck and spoke with deliberate slowness. "I don't want to. Michael, don't forget you have a fiancée who loves you deeply. How could you hurt her like this?"
She was taking a risk, trying to provoke him into dismissing her.
Through the thin veil of smoke, his deep pupils radiated cold light, dangerous and chilling, making Olivia tremble.
Just when she thought Michael would lose his temper, he surprised her with an inscrutable light laugh.
His handsome face remained impassive.
He even reached out to encircle Olivia's waist, bringing them face to face.
Their breaths intermingled. Olivia's eyelashes fluttered, her beautiful face pale and fragile, making her all the more enticing.
Michael's gaze dropped to her partially covered neckline, his eyes darkening with undisguised desire.
He leaned in close to her neck, his voice husky. "You didn't think about my fiancée when you climbed into my bed, did you? Olivia, do you really not want this?"
Olivia swallowed hard.
In an instant, his warm, dominating lips pressed against her throat.
Michael's breathing grew heavy, dark currents swirling in his eyes as he moved downward with his kisses.
Where Alex had touched her chest, Michael aggressively covered with his own marks.
"Stop... please stop..."
Her voice was breaking, but she didn't cease her struggles. She needed to get away!
But when a man had made up his mind, how could he possibly stop?
He ignored Olivia's resistance completely, determined to teach her the consequences of provoking him.
Until a phone rang shrilly.
Michael stroked Olivia's skin as he unhurriedly answered the call.
Immediately, Jessica's terrified voice came through.
"Michael, help me! Someone's trying to kill me! Aah!"
A man's desire might be difficult to suppress, but for Jessica, Michael managed it.
Not only did he stop, but he also ignored Olivia's disheveled clothing as he ordered Jason back into the car to drive.
Olivia clutched at her clothes, shrinking into the corner, biting her inner lip nearly raw.
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