Chapter 3 Steven, You Coward
709 Words
Half an hour later, Steven returned to the room.
"What did you do to Grandpa, Olivia? Why is he treating you better than his own grandson?"
Olivia was lounging on a chaise longue, applying a facial mask with her eyes closed, looking utterly relaxed.
"Maybe because he thinks I'm more reliable than his precious grandson, who's sulking over a woman and hasn't contacted the family for three years."
Steven sneered.
"So you took the chance while I was away to egg Grandpa on, using my shares to threaten me not to divorce you? Olivia, you'll stoop to anything to keep me, won't you?"
Olivia finally opened her eyes and said coolly, "I didn't do that."
Steven mocked, "Isn't that exactly your thing? First, you pretended to commit suicide to force me into this marriage, and now it's company shares! Olivia, I never realized you were so calculating. No wonder you're with that murderer's blood in you."
Olivia's face froze.
Steven knew it was her sore spot, yet he deliberately jabbed at it.
In that case, she saw no need to hold back for old times' sake.
"Steven, you coward. You can't stand up to Grandpa, you can't let go of the family fortune for Abigail, and you don't have the guts to bring her home against everyone. All you can do is yell at me here, venting your frustration."
She sneered, "What's more, everyone in the Walker family knows what Abigail did back then. Even without me, your family would never accept her. Don't you get it? The real obstacle between you two has never been me!"
Olivia paused, then laughed scornfully.
"Steven, I look down on you. You don't even dare to admit that, deep down, you value the Walkers' wealth and shares more than Abigail."
Seeing the contempt in Olivia's eyes, Steven really wanted to strangle her.
She looked down on him! She always had!
The tension was broken by a knock on the door.
The butler, James, stood at the door: "Mr. and Mrs. Walker, dinner is ready. Will you come downstairs?"
When the pair descended, Ella immediately took Olivia's side upon seeing Steven.
"Brother, you finally deigned to return. I thought you'd leave your wife to guard an empty bed forever," Ella remarked.
Noticing the entire family rallied behind Olivia, Steven's gaze toward Olivia turned colder.
"Steven, will you leave again?" Ella asked.
Before Steven could respond, Joseph Walker, Steven's father, interjected, "If he leaves again, the family fortune will be split between you and your sister-in-law."
Ella clapped delightedly. "That's great! Once my brother leaves, we'll be super-rich women. We can use our money to keep male models," she said, linking arms with Olivia.
Steven shot her a disapproving look. "You're still young, yet your mind's filled with those inappropriate things. I wonder who you've learned this from." His glance flickered toward Olivia.
Olivia felt a rare twinge of guilt.
She had indeed kept a male model before. Though they'd parted ways, the thought of Pretty Boy's handsome face, perfect abs, and stamina brought a flicker of regret.
Nicholas spoke up, "Your brother isn't going anywhere for now. He'll take over as general manager at the company tomorrow."
Ella looked disappointed. "What a pity for my rich-woman dream," she sighed.
Nicholas tapped his wine glass, signaling important business to discuss.
"You're all aware of the company's situation lately. We're not what we used to be," he said.
The Walkers had made their fortune in construction and now stood as one of the nation's largest construction firms. But with the economic transition and a saturated market, the Walkers had been struggling.
"So, securing the Paradise Resort project is crucial. It'll not only inject new funds into Walker Group but also gain government connections for the future," Nicholas emphasized.
The government-approved Paradise Resort, a massive project aiming to become the country's largest eco-resort, had every construction company vying for a bid.
"Dad, everyone knows Paradise Resort is a once-in-a-lifetime project. But thousands of construction firms are after it. It's hard for us to even get a slice," Joseph said.
Nicholas hinted, "If we can get through to that one person, it won't be difficult."
"Who?"
"The heir of the Thompson family, the nation's richest, Matthew Thompson."
- Writer
