Chapter 85 You are a member of the Harper family
The phone on the sofa vibrated incessantly. After watching Olivia repeatedly decline the calls, Alexander looked at her with concern. "Are you having some sort of problem?"
"If you're in trouble, I could help," he offered.
As he finished speaking, the annoying ringtone sounded once more.
Olivia declined the call again. "It's nothing, just an irritating fly. Nothing important."
She switched her phone off entirely, and the living room returned to silence.
A moment later, Alexander's phone chimed.
His friend had messaged: [Just saw your nephew at the airport]
Alexander immediately realized that James Kent must have been the one bombarding Olivia with calls.
But why was he suddenly so desperate to contact her?
His friend: [Want me to cause him some trouble?]
[Might prevent him from bothering you when he gets back]
[He's carrying gifts. They're not for Olivia, are they?]
Hearing this, Alexander discreetly glanced at Olivia sitting across from him. She was focused intently on her design draft, oblivious to everything else.
Alexander: [She won't accept them]
[Let it be. Don't bother with him]
Olivia clearly had no interest in dealing with James right now. The man hardly registered in her consciousness, so there was no need to intervene and potentially create more problems.
His friend: [Alright, I'll head home then]
The rain had stopped, and the night grew deeper.
Alexander checked the time—it was already two in the morning. He formed a fist and suppressed a yawn before asking Olivia, "It's late. Aren't you going to rest?"
Hearing this, Olivia paused her work, and the crisp rhythm of her stylus tapping against the screen came to a halt. She glanced at the time displayed in the upper left corner of her screen and muttered with slight annoyance, "How is it two already?"
She had only just begun, and now her creative flow was at its peak with inspiration pouring in steadily. She had planned to complete the draft tonight.
"I'll sleep later," she said, rubbing her stomach. "I'm a bit hungry."
"What would you like to eat?" Alexander asked.
"Pasta," Olivia said, licking her lips. "And a salad. A steak would make it perfect."
"Alright," Alexander nodded.
Seeing him wheel toward the kitchen, Olivia hesitated. "You're going to cook for me?"
"You doubt me?" she questioned.
In response to her skepticism, Alexander simply nodded. "I can. You keep working. I'll call you when it's ready."
Olivia gave him a quick glance and nodded slightly.
Minutes later, delicious aromas wafted from the kitchen, making Olivia's stomach growl. She kept looking over her shoulder, and eventually, unable to resist the temptation of food, she tossed her laptop aside and slipped into the kitchen, using the pretense of helping Alexander to steal tastes of the food.
The next day, Olivia opened the website for the design competition. The contest organizers always provided the theme, with preliminary rounds conducted online.
She entered the invitation code from her recommendation letter and immediately received a notification that her registration was successful.
Following the instructions, she opened the submission page and uploaded her design entry.
After she clicked "Confirm," a message popped up saying her entry had been successfully submitted.
Olivia exhaled deeply, feeling relieved as she exited the page and closed her laptop before getting up to leave. She had done her part; now it was a matter of luck. She had more important matters to attend to now.
Olivia walked quickly toward the entrance while calling Albert Harper.
Half an hour later, the siblings met at a coffee shop.
"This is surprising—you actually reached out to me," Albert remarked, setting down his coffee cup with a hint of melancholy in his voice.
Olivia had no time for reminiscing. She asked directly, "How exactly did Mother die?"
She might have lost her memory, but he hadn't. He must remember.
Albert didn't understand why she was bringing this up, but he shared everything he knew.
From his perspective, Jade had passed away after years of illness, a prolonged process that seemed entirely logical. Though saddened by Jade's departure, he had come to accept it.
After Olivia heard Albert's recollection, her expression grew serious. "That's not right," she murmured.
The situation couldn't be that simple.
Jade had been perfectly fine before. Why did she suddenly become bedridden when Victoria arrived?
Moreover, shortly after Jade's death, Victoria married into the Harper family and effectively took her place.
And Olivia vaguely remembered that Victoria hadn't been particularly fond of Jade.
If one coincidence could be dismissed, could so many occurrences all be coincidental?
Albert's expression froze as he asked with confusion, "What are you suggesting?"
He couldn't understand what Olivia was trying to do. He rubbed his temples, his voice sounding weary. "Why do you think something's wrong?"
Jade had been gone for years. Was she really trying to stir up trouble about this?
"Olivia, you're not a child anymore. You need to grow out of these childish notions," Albert's voice deepened.
"Now that your leg has healed, it's time you returned to work at the Harper Group. Do you really intend to stay at Titan Enterprises forever? Don't forget you're a Harper. We're family—blood is thicker than water."
His tone was earnest, his brow furrowing deeper. "I've already spoken to Father about your return. Though he's still angry, he has agreed. He is our father after all, and sometimes you need to humble yourself and apologize. Don't be so stubborn. Parents don't harm their own children."
Olivia had no patience for his lecture. Since she'd achieved her purpose, she grabbed her bag and left. "I've already paid."
Albert didn't follow her, just watched her retreating figure with a sigh.
When would she ever grow up?
He now was almost grateful that she truly had amnesia, as it allowed him to comfort himself with the thought that she had been deceived, and once her memory returned, she would become the sweet, sensible sister she once was.