Chapter_272
Olivia stood frozen, watching the scene unfold before her eyes, unable to move or speak. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat louder than the last as Hillary was led away by the guards. The storm that had erupted in the house felt like it had torn apart something inside her too, something that had been fragile and uncertain. She couldn’t help but feel the weight of what had just happened, the rawness of Hillary’s fury and the coldness in Ana’s words.
Tyler’s gaze lingered on the space where Hillary had stood moments before, his face a mask of frustration and disbelief. He hadn’t expected things to escalate like this. He hadn’t expected Hillary to lose control, to say those things. And he definitely hadn’t expected Ana to provoke her in such a heartless way. His jaw clenched as he turned his eyes toward Olivia.
She met his gaze, but she could barely hold it together. The pain in her chest, the confusion, the overwhelming sense of helplessness—it all threatened to spill over. She had wanted a moment of peace, just a small amount of calm, but instead, everything had exploded around her. And now, in the aftermath, there was only silence.
Tyler moved closer to her, his steps slow, deliberate. When he reached her, he hesitated for just a moment before speaking, his voice soft but firm. “Olivia, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to get so out of hand.”
She shook her head, the tears she’d been holding back starting to well up. “I didn’t want this, Tyler. I just wanted to see her. I didn’t want her to fight with Ana. I never wanted this.”
Tyler’s heart clenched at the sight of her distress. He reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer comfort. “You didn’t cause this, Olivia. This is all on them.” His voice hardened slightly as he spoke about his family, but the softness he tried to maintain for her was clear.
Olivia sniffled, wiping at her eyes as she tried to regain some control. “I just—everything is so complicated now. It’s like every time I try to get close to one person, it pulls me away from someone else.” She looked down at her hands, wringing them in discomfort. “I don’t know how to make it stop.”
Tyler sighed, his thumb gently brushing against her shoulder. “I know it’s hard. But you don’t have to go through this alone. You have me. I’m here.”
She nodded, but the weight of the words, of the situation, settled heavily on her chest. “I don’t want to cause trouble for anyone. I never wanted to be in the middle of this.”
“You’re not causing trouble,” Tyler reassured her, his hand moving to her back to offer a small, steadying touch. “You just happen to be caught up in something far bigger than either of us ever imagined. But we’ll deal with it. We’ll face it together.”
Olivia finally met his gaze again, her voice trembling slightly. “I just want it to be over, Tyler. I just want things to be okay. For the baby, for us…”
Tyler nodded solemnly. “We’ll get through this. But first, let’s take a step back. I’ll deal with my family, and you focus on yourself. You and the baby are my priority. Everything else can wait.”
She managed a small, grateful smile, the tension in her body easing just a little. “Thank you, Tyler. That means a lot to me.”
Before he could respond, the door opened behind them, and Maisy reappeared, her expression still rigid but with a touch of weariness in her eyes. She didn’t speak right away, just studied the scene in front of her—Tyler, standing protectively near Olivia, and the heavy silence that had followed the chaos.
Olivia looked over at her, the tension between them thick in the air. Maisy’s gaze shifted to Olivia, then back to Tyler. “You should’ve handled things sooner, Tyler,” she said, her tone not quite accusatory but still laced with frustration. “We can’t keep letting these… people destabilize everything we’ve worked for.”
Tyler didn’t react to her words right away, but his lips tightened. He glanced at Olivia, then back at his mother. “I’m handling it. I’ll deal with Hillary when the time is right, but this—” He gestured to the space between them, the tension lingering in the air. “This is not how we handle things. Not with Olivia. Not with anyone.”
Maisy’s eyes flicked between them again, calculating. “Fine,” she said curtly. “But I won’t stand idly by if things continue down this path. You know where I stand.” With that, she turned, her heels clicking against the floor as she left them alone.
Olivia watched her go, feeling a sense of dread wash over her again. She had no idea how to navigate this family, how to handle the deep divides, the tension that threatened to swallow everything. But Tyler’s hand on her back was a small comfort. She only hoped it would be enough to hold everything together.
As Maisy disappeared, Tyler finally looked at Olivia, his gaze softening. “You’re not alone in this, Olivia. I promise.”