Chapter_180
Olivia nodded almost mechanically and followed Tyler, but her steps felt heavier than before. As they moved on to the next table, she could still feel Claude’s eyes on her back, burning like the lingering heat of a fire she couldn’t extinguish.
The exchange had been brief, polite—even elegant on the surface—but beneath it simmered emotions she couldn’t fully process. Claude’s toast hadn’t just been a formality. His gaze had held too much meaning, too much history. And Tyler had noticed.
Tyler, for all his composed demeanor, was not oblivious. As they moved from guest to guest, his arm remained steady beneath Olivia’s hand, but his silence had sharpened. He didn’t speak unless required, offering nods or short phrases during toasts, but nothing more. The pleasant front he had maintained earlier now felt cool, calculated.
When there was a brief lull in the crowd, Tyler leaned slightly toward Olivia, his voice low and controlled. “That was him, wasn’t it?”
Olivia paused, not answering right away.
“I don’t need the details,” he added, his tone unreadable. “But I do need to know if this is going to be a problem tonight.”
She looked up at him, startled by the question—not because it was harsh, but because it was… considerate in its own way. He wasn’t angry. He was asking, giving her space to admit whether she was struggling.
“No,” she said quietly. “It won’t be.”
He studied her for a beat longer, then gave a small nod. “Alright.”
They continued the rounds, and Olivia forced herself to stay present, to smile when needed, to hold her posture despite the ache in her legs and heart. But Claude’s presence had shifted something in her, cracked the illusion she’d carefully maintained.
By the time they returned to their seats for the formal dinner, Olivia felt drained.
Tyler helped her into her chair. “You did well,” he said, his voice softer now. “Just a little longer.”
She looked at him—really looked—and for the first time tonight, saw not just the man who had insisted she stay by his side, but someone who had shielded her from much of the chaos, even when he didn’t understand everything.
Maybe he didn’t need to understand. Maybe just standing there, unflinching, was enough.