Chapter_298
Olivia felt a wave of relief wash over her as she saw Sophie and Jacob. The familiarity of their faces in the midst of so many strangers made her feel a little less out of place. She smiled and quickly walked over to them.
“Sophie! Jacob!” Olivia greeted, her voice a bit lighter now. “What are you two doing here?”
Sophie smiled warmly and replied, “We came to support the event, of course. It’s a big deal for the Pearces, and it’s always good to be seen.”
Jacob nodded in agreement, though he looked a little less enthusiastic than Sophie. His usual serious demeanor was softened by the presence of Sophie, who always had a way of lightening the mood.
Olivia, now feeling a little more at ease, glanced around the room. It was filled with people in elegant attire, and the atmosphere was one of wealth and importance. She couldn’t help but feel a little out of her depth.
“Are you doing okay?” Sophie asked, noticing the slight tension in Olivia’s shoulders. “I know these kinds of events can be… overwhelming.”
Olivia nodded, though she wasn’t entirely sure if she was okay. She had been trying to push the thought of Claude from her mind, but it seemed inevitable that the night would bring him back into her thoughts.
“I’ll be fine,” Olivia said with a forced smile. “I just… I guess I’m not used to these kinds of events.”
Jacob gave her a reassuring look. “You’ll get the hang of it. We all did, eventually.” He looked at Sophie, who nodded approvingly.
Sophie then leaned in closer to Olivia, her voice dropping a bit. “Listen, if you ever want to get away from all this, just find me. I’ll make sure you have a good time.”
Olivia chuckled, grateful for Sophie’s support. “Thanks, Sophie. I might take you up on that.”
As they continued talking, Olivia couldn’t help but glance around the room, her thoughts once again drifting to Claude. She hadn’t seen him yet, but his presence loomed in the air like an unspoken tension.
After a while, Ana reappeared, having finished greeting a few other people. She motioned for Olivia to join her, and Olivia reluctantly said her goodbyes to Sophie and Jacob.
As she made her way toward Ana, she spotted someone standing by the bar. For a split second, her heart skipped a beat. It was Claude. He was talking to someone, his back to her, but she recognized him instantly. His posture, his presence, even his style—everything about him seemed to command attention in the room.
Olivia stopped in her tracks, her breath catching in her throat. She didn’t know whether she should approach him or turn away. The tension between them felt like a storm just waiting to break.
Ana noticed Olivia’s pause and followed her gaze. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, instead giving Olivia a knowing look. Olivia quickly turned her head, trying to act as if nothing was amiss, but her heart was racing.
Tyler’s warning echoed in her mind: Stay away from Claude. The words seemed so simple, but the emotions they stirred inside her were anything but.
With a deep breath, Olivia joined Ana, who was already heading toward a group of people. She tried to focus on the conversation around her, but a part of her couldn’t shake the feeling that she was trapped in a web of her own emotions, with Claude at the center of it all.