Chapter_227
“You can treat me like a brother if you’d like,” Claude offered, his tone light but with a hint of sincerity.
Olivia, her expression lighting up, nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, I will!”
Her admiration for him was genuine, untouched by the past or the family drama that lingered like a shadow between them. Despite everything, she found his kindness easy to accept.
“Go on now,” Claude added, giving her a gentle nudge.
Olivia turned to leave, but after a few steps, she hesitated and turned back. “Why are you so kind to me?”
Claude stood still, his expression thoughtful as he weighed his response. After a brief pause, he said, “Maybe because I feel sorry for you.”
The unexpected honesty caught Olivia off guard. Her heart skipped a beat, but she smiled nonetheless, a little unsure of how to react. “I’m doing this because I want to. It’ll make me happy to see Naomi get better.”
She didn’t realize, not yet, that this was just the beginning of a much tougher journey than she could imagine—stepping into a role meant for someone else, while carrying a child that tied her to her sister’s fiancé. The weight of it was something she couldn’t yet fully grasp.
Claude studied her hopeful, naive face. “I hope you find happiness every day.”
Her smile deepened, but it was tinged with the bittersweet truth she hadn’t spoken aloud. “Alright, I really should go now,” she said, feeling the awkwardness of the moment pulling at her.
“You know your way back, right?” he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
“I won’t get lost,” she assured him, shaking her head.
Before she could leave, Claude’s expression shifted slightly, as if recalling something important. “I also want to say sorry for Sophie… about Jacob.”
Olivia froze for a moment, the mention of Jacob stirring a quiet ache in her chest. But she quickly masked it with a gentle, accepting smile. “It’s okay, Claude. I’ve moved on.”
He chuckled softly, relieved to hear that. “Good.”
Olivia nodded, then turned quickly to leave, eager to return to Ana, even if it felt like she was walking away from something she didn’t fully understand. Claude watched her retreating form, a mix of concern and admiration in his gaze.
Olivia returned to Ana five minutes later. Ana looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze. “What took you so long?”
Olivia hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say, then replied, “I felt sick suddenly, so I slowed down.”
“Are you alright now?” Ana’s tone softened slightly with concern.
“Yes, I’m feeling better,” Olivia answered quickly, not wanting to cause any more worry.
Ana, her expression turning serious, reminded her, “Just be careful, especially now. You’re carrying the family’s future grandchild.”
Olivia nodded quietly. She knew. To them, it wasn’t about her; it was about the baby. No one really seemed to care about her, not in the way she needed.
“Yeah, I’ll be careful,” she said, her voice betraying no emotion, though a part of her couldn’t shake the feeling that she was becoming nothing more than a vessel for someone else’s dreams.
Ana gave a flat order. “Go sit on the couch.”
A maid appeared almost instantly to help her over to the plush couch, which felt too large, too lavish for her. She sat down, her posture stiff, trying to fit into a world that seemed designed for someone else.
Olivia’s gaze swept over the event, taking in the elegant guests and the opulence around her. She felt utterly out of place. This world was so unfamiliar, so distant from her own. She didn’t belong here, not really.
Her thoughts drifted to Naomi, and she realized that if her sister were well, it would have been her mingling gracefully in this world. Naomi would have been the one enjoying the attention, the admiration, the sense of belonging. Instead, Olivia was here, silently occupying a space meant for someone else. A quiet pang of envy twisted in her chest, but she quickly suppressed it.
It wasn’t about her anymore. It was about Naomi.