Chapter_28
Olivia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her shoulders sagged, the weight of her fear easing for the first time in hours. Jacob would be released from the police station, his future preserved—for now. She felt a flood of relief wash over her, but it was quickly tempered by the storm of uncertainty still swirling in her chest. She didn’t know how to handle the emotions that were suddenly rushing through her.
She turned toward Tyler, the man who had come to her aid in her moment of desperation. His presence, however, was as stoic and detached as it had been since they left her dorm. She opened her mouth, the words of gratitude forming on her lips, but they felt heavy, inadequate. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Tyler, who had been looking out the window, finally shifted his gaze toward her. His eyes, as cold and unreadable as always, met hers, but there was something different there—something more calculating. He didn’t offer a smile or any sign of warmth, but his voice, though calm, held an air of finality. “You already did,” he said simply.
She blinked at him, her heart skipping a beat. What did he mean by that? Before she could voice her confusion, Tyler spoke again, his tone firm but unyielding. “Just remember this moment, Olivia.”
There was an edge to his words that made her stomach tighten. A feeling of unease settled in her, though she couldn’t place exactly why. For a moment, the car seemed too small, the silence too heavy, and she felt as if she were caught in the gravity of his gaze.
But there was no more time for further questions. Tyler didn’t give her a chance to probe. The driver silently pulled the car up in front of her dorm, the noise of the city outside growing louder as they came to a stop.
“Go rest. You look terrible,” Tyler said, his voice softer now, though his usual indifference lingered beneath the surface. He was stating the obvious—she had barely slept, had been running on the edge of exhaustion, and now her body was beginning to betray her.
Olivia didn’t argue. Her heart was still pounding from the tension of the day. She simply nodded, unable to find the words to thank him again. She opened the car door, her movements slow and deliberate. “Thank you, again,” she said quietly, though she didn’t know if he heard her.
Tyler didn’t respond. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, but as she stepped out of the car and made her way toward the dorm’s entrance, the car rolled away, leaving her standing in front of the gates, once again alone with her thoughts.
As the car disappeared into the distance, Tyler leaned back in his seat, letting out a soft sigh. He hadn’t expected Olivia’s request to affect him so much. The look in her eyes, the desperation in her voice—it was something he hadn’t anticipated. He had done what she asked, as he always did. He had used his connections to fix the situation. But that moment, when she had begged him, had left a bitter taste in his mouth.
What was it about this woman that always seemed to pull him in, even when he didn’t want to care?
The questions circled in his mind as he stared out the window. He had already decided he would handle this situation. That’s what he did—solve problems. Yet, there was something about the way she had clung to him, her vulnerability laid bare, that made him feel unsettled.
As the car hummed through the streets, Tyler turned his thoughts away from Olivia and back to the task at hand. The situation was resolved. Jacob would be released soon. That was all that mattered.
But in the back of his mind, something lingered. He would never admit it, but Olivia’s plea was starting to gnaw at him.