Chapter_182
Despite Olivia’s quiet protests, Tyler leaned in, their lips brushing as she instinctively turned her head. His approach was slow, almost hesitant, but there was a weight in his movements—a storm he seemed to hold back all evening finally pressing forward.
The kiss, when it came, was intense—too much, too fast. Olivia stiffened in his arms, her hands pressing against his chest. Startled by her reaction, Tyler pulled back slightly, reading the distress in her eyes.
“I—Tyler, we shouldn’t…” she whispered, breathless. “The IVF procedure is coming up. We can’t… we’re not supposed to.”
That reminder hit like a wall. They both knew what IVF meant: structure, timing, limitations. And it only made the present moment feel more fragile.
But instead of pulling away entirely, Tyler tightened his embrace—not with force, but with desperation.
“I watched you the whole night,” he said softly, his voice raw. “Half an hour. Do you know how that felt?”
Olivia looked up, startled by his honesty. There was something different in his eyes—not desire, but ache.
“Am I losing my mind?” he asked, his voice strained.
“Can we not talk about this now?” she murmured, overwhelmed. “Please.”
A pause.
Then, Tyler nodded and slowly let go, his breath shaky.
“Alright,” he said. “Not now.”
They lay beside each other without speaking again, a thick silence hanging between them—one that held more weight than words could carry.
—
The next morning, Olivia finally made it downstairs around 10 a.m. Her steps were slow, and her thoughts even slower. Thankfully, the rest of the household was still waking up after the exhausting banquet. But Tyler was nowhere in sight.
“Tyler’s not up yet?” Maisy asked as Olivia sat down.
“He had a few drinks last night,” Olivia replied quickly.
It wasn’t unusual for him to rise early, and his absence said enough to raise a few eyebrows. Maisy gave her a knowing look. “He must be tired.”
Ana offered a kind smile. “Don’t push yourself, Olivia. You don’t need to help out today.”
Olivia nodded but said nothing, her fingers tightening slightly around her glass.
Moments later, Tyler finally came downstairs. The room shifted into quiet.
He took his seat and said calmly, “We’ll be heading back to Sandalwood Palace after breakfast.”
Ana and Maisy exchanged glances but didn’t question it. The banquet had ended, after all.
“Keith left early too,” Maisy said, looking at Olivia. “Seems I’ll just have Ana with me today.”
Tyler gave a faint smile. “Mm-hmm. Enjoy,” he said as he poured a glass of water.
Olivia sat beside him in silence, avoiding his gaze. Neither of them spoke as they finished their breakfast, packed, and left. In the car, Tyler focused on his documents while Olivia sat beside him, lost in thought.
Then, his phone rang. It was the hospital.
“I’ll drop you off at Sandalwood Palace first,” Tyler said after answering.
“Okay, Tyler,” she replied quietly.
A moment later, her own phone rang—it was Hillary.
“Olivia, go to the hospital now,” Hillary said without preamble.
“R–Right now?” Olivia stammered, surprised.
Tyler looked over, hearing her hesitation.
“Yes, right now. Isn’t the Harris banquet over?” Hillary continued. Having found out late about the grand event, Hillary was now impatient to proceed with IVF.
But Olivia froze. If she went now, wouldn’t the doctors find out she had been intimate with Tyler just last night?
“I–I don’t know if I’m ready,” Olivia said nervously. “Isn’t it too soon?”
“Too soon?” Hillary scoffed. “This is already delayed. Get over here.”
Before Olivia could respond, Tyler reached over and took the phone from her.
“Are you at the hospital?” he asked.
There was a pause. Then Hillary replied in surprise, “Tyler?”