Chapter_114
“You should drink your broth before it gets cold,” Tyler suggested, his voice gentle yet firm.
Mrs. Jones quickly chimed in, “Right, you should do that now. I was just a bit distracted.”
Naomi studied her mother carefully, sensing something was off. The usual calm demeanor of Mrs. Jones seemed clouded by something unspoken, and Naomi couldn’t shake the feeling that her mother was hiding something.
Tyler and Mrs. Jones left together. The car ride was quiet at first, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. Finally, Mrs. Jones broke the silence.
“Olivia hasn’t become pregnant yet, has she?” she asked, her voice cautious but direct. “Maybe we should consider IVF instead. What do you think?”
Tyler turned his gaze toward her, his expression carefully neutral. “Did Naomi mention this?”
“No, it’s just something I’ve been thinking about,” Mrs. Jones replied quickly. “Olivia is still young, and I was concerned that your relationship with her might develop into something more than it already is.”
Tyler’s eyes darkened, his cold stare fixed on her. The air between them grew heavier with every passing second.
“I mean…” Mrs. Jones stumbled over her words, realizing she had overstepped. “I was only suggesting it for Naomi’s sake. I wouldn’t want things to get awkward between you two in the future.”
“I’ll think about it,” Tyler said curtly, his tone stern and unreadable. He knew the real reason his mother was pushing this—it wasn’t out of concern for Naomi, but something deeper. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to argue.
Why did he even care about Mrs. Jones’s opinion? Only because she was Naomi’s mother, a sense of obligation lingering in his mind. If she weren’t, he would have dismissed the thought entirely.
As the car came to a stop outside Mrs. Jones’s house, she stepped out. Tyler watched her figure retreat with a cold, distant gaze, his thoughts swirling, heavy and unresolved.
Back at Sandalwood Palace, Olivia returned feeling a little off. The events of the day had left her unsettled, and she headed straight to her room to gather her thoughts. The weight of everything—Ana’s harsh words, Naomi’s quiet reaction to the bracelet, and Mrs. Jones’s presence—was too much to bear at once.
She waited anxiously for Tyler’s return, unsure of how long he would stay with Naomi or what would happen next. Time seemed to crawl, every minute stretching into an eternity.
Then, around 3 o’clock, the sound of a car pulling up snapped her from her thoughts. Stepping onto the stairs, she saw Tyler enter the hall. Their eyes met almost immediately, and without a word, he motioned for her to follow him.
“Not here,” he mouthed silently, leading her into his study.
Once inside, Tyler closed the door behind them, his expression unreadable. Olivia hesitated, then finally spoke.
“I think I want to move out, Tyler,” she said, her voice quiet but firm.
Tyler paused, taking a moment to let her words sink in. His eyes searched hers for any sign of uncertainty, any hint that she might be saying this out of some fleeting emotion. Finally, he asked, “Is this really what you want?”
“Yes,” Olivia replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “I just don’t think I can stay here any longer because of what happened today.”
Tyler nodded slowly, his gaze never leaving her face. “Can you tell me why?”
Olivia took a deep breath, trying to calm the racing thoughts in her mind. “A lot happened today—Ana’s words, Naomi’s reaction to the bracelet, Mrs. Jones’s presence… It’s all just too much.” She paused, the weight of her emotions almost suffocating her. “We’re… There’s nothing between us. I don’t want people to think otherwise.”
Tyler’s brow furrowed slightly. Nothing between them? His mind raced with the implications of her words. What did nothing really mean? What was he supposed to believe?