Chapter_152
As the car rolled through the streets, Olivia couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was off. Tyler’s quiet presence beside her only heightened her unease. She glanced out of the window, trying to avoid meeting his eyes, but she could feel his gaze on her every so often. It was as if the air between them had thickened, the unspoken words hanging heavily in the space between them.
Tyler’s voice broke the silence after a few minutes. “You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, his tone calm but pointed.
Olivia tensed at his words, unsure how to respond. She hadn’t expected him to be so direct. Was he referring to her avoidance of him since the marriage, or something else?
“I’ve just been busy,” she replied, her voice sounding thinner than she intended. She didn’t want to reveal too much, especially not with Claude so close by. The last thing she needed was for Tyler to start questioning everything that had happened.
Tyler didn’t respond immediately, and Olivia felt the weight of his silence. She didn’t dare look at him, afraid her expression would betray her thoughts. What was he thinking? Did he suspect anything?
Before she could spiral further, the car pulled up to the gates of Harris Residence. Tyler parked, and the driver got out, opening the door for Olivia.
“Let’s go,” Tyler said softly, his voice steady but unreadable.
Olivia followed him, her mind racing as she stepped out of the car. She was still trying to process the tension she’d felt earlier, the odd undercurrent of something unspoken between her, Tyler, and even Claude. She tried to shake off the thought, but it lingered, gnawing at her.
As they entered the residence, the grandness of the place seemed to match the coldness that had settled between them. Everything felt formal, as if she were walking through a business transaction rather than something personal.
“Sit,” Tyler instructed, gesturing to a table where a meal had been set up. The atmosphere was starkly different from any previous encounter. There was no warmth, no attempt at casual conversation—just a chilling sense of obligation.
Olivia hesitated before sitting, feeling strangely out of place. Tyler took the seat across from her and immediately began to eat, his movements smooth, mechanical.
“Are you going to tell me what happened today?” Tyler asked, breaking the silence.
Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. What was he referring to? Was he talking about her interaction with Claude? Or had he seen something in her reaction earlier?
“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said, trying to play it cool.
He studied her for a moment, his gaze sharp. “You know exactly what I mean.”
The words stung, but Olivia refused to let them show. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to maintain her composure. She needed to keep control of this situation. Tyler was dangerous when he pushed too hard, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to face whatever it was he was angling for.
“Nothing happened, Tyler,” she replied, her voice steady, though she could feel the lie settle in her chest. “I just had a long day.”
Tyler didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he took another bite of his food, his focus returning to the meal in front of him.
For the rest of the evening, the conversation stayed sparse, the awkward silence stretching between them. It was a strange kind of détente—one that neither of them seemed willing to break. Olivia couldn’t help but wonder how long this would last before things between them reached a boiling point.
Finally, as they finished eating, Tyler stood up. “We should head back. It’s getting late.”
Olivia stood as well, her mind still reeling from the tension that had enveloped the evening. Tyler’s silence, his coolness—it all felt like a warning. She wasn’t sure what he expected from her, but she knew that she had to tread carefully.
As they left the residence and got back into the car, the quiet was almost suffocating. Olivia stared out of the window, her thoughts in turmoil. What was she really doing here? What was the point of all this—of the marriage, of the strange relationship she had with Tyler, and the secrets she was keeping from everyone, including herself?
“Olivia,” Tyler’s voice broke into her thoughts. She turned to look at him, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “You’re still here because you want this, right?”
His words hung in the air, heavy and charged with meaning. Olivia opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat. Did she want this? Did she really?
The car drove on, the distance between them feeling as vast as ever.