Chapter_72
It only took a day for Olivia to recover. She had always been healthy, rarely succumbing to fevers or colds. By the next morning, she felt well enough to go to school. However, Tyler, still concerned that she might not be fully healed, insisted she take the day off. With a packed schedule of meetings and unable to stay with her, he left strict instructions with the maid to take good care of Olivia.
Olivia stood by the door, protesting, “I’m fine, Tyler. I just had a cold. I’ll be okay to go to school.” She saw the concern in his eyes, the unease that hadn’t left his face since she’d fallen ill, and added, “I’ll take care of myself. Don’t worry.”
The weather was warm that day, but Tyler remained serious, his brow furrowed as he turned to the maid. “No cold drinks in the house today,” he said, his voice stern. “I’ll be checking to make sure none are missing.”
Olivia blinked, taken aback by his strictness. She hadn’t expected him to be so protective, and for a moment, she was speechless. She wanted to argue, to say that he was overreacting, but the worry in his eyes made her hesitate. She bit her lip and said nothing as Tyler, seemingly satisfied with his instructions, left for his meetings.
The maid, now in charge of looking after Olivia, answered the phone shortly after Tyler’s departure. Olivia, curious, followed her into the living room. The maid hung up and turned to Olivia, her voice polite but formal. “Ms. Olivia, Ms. Maisy has invited you to a family dinner at the Harris residence this evening.”
Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t given the chance to accept or decline the invitation, and before she could form a response, Ana’s car arrived at Sandalwood Palace.
Olivia, feeling a bit disoriented by the sudden change of plans, sent Tyler a quick text to let him know about the invitation. His reply came almost immediately: “Go ahead, I’ll pick you up.”
She hesitated for a moment, her mind racing. Was this a trap? What did Ana want from her? But in the end, she decided to go along with it. Tyler’s reassuring words echoed in her mind, and there was no harm in following his suggestion.
Ana’s car pulled up to the entrance, and Olivia, with the maid beside her, approached the door. Ana sat in the car, her eyes meeting Olivia’s as she gestured for her to get in.
“Get in, Olivia,” Ana’s voice was smooth, almost too smooth, like velvet masking a knife’s edge. To Olivia, the invitation felt like a snare, tightening around her every moment.
After a long pause, Olivia spoke, her voice quieter than usual. “Okay.”
Ana’s lips curled into a faint smile. “I’m glad you understand,” she said, her tone laced with approval. “It’s wise to make the right choice.”
Olivia nodded, but a feeling of unease lingered. “Let me change first.”
Ana gave a simple nod. “Go ahead.”
Olivia rushed upstairs, her heart pounding in her chest. By the time she reached her room, her palms were clammy with sweat. What was this all about? Why was she being invited to dinner with the Harris family? And why did it feel so much like an ordeal she hadn’t agreed to?
She took a deep breath, shaking off the unease, and quickly changed into something more appropriate. When she returned downstairs, the driver opened the car door for her. Ana remained seated inside, her eyes fixed on Olivia.
With a heavy heart, Olivia made her way toward the car, feeling as though she were walking into a cage she couldn’t escape. Once inside, she immediately straightened, her posture stiff with tension. She could feel Ana’s gaze on her like a hawk watching its prey.
Ana wasted no time speaking. “It’s been a day,” she said, her voice calm but filled with a subtle challenge. “I trust you’ve thought about what we discussed.”
Olivia’s stomach twisted. She couldn’t betray Naomi, couldn’t afford to offend Ana, but neither could she fully trust her. She was walking a fine line, trying to please everyone while keeping her own peace. Her lips quivered for a moment, and then she replied, “It’s my pleasure to accompany Ms. Maisy.”
Ana’s smile widened, a satisfied gleam in her eyes. “Good. You’re wise.”
After a brief pause, she continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone. “Tonight is not an ordinary dinner. Relatives will be attending.”
Olivia’s mind raced. Relatives? What did that mean? She had always been an outsider to this family, and yet here she was, about to attend a family dinner. The implications were not lost on her, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that this dinner had more to do with her than she realized.