Chapter 181

Chapter 181

Damian's POV

"I'm not even divorced yet, and you two have the nerve to show your faces."

Ethan shouted until his voice went raw, his eyes bloodshot with rage, as if there'd been a knife within reach, he would have buried it in my chest without a second thought.

I locked my fingers together and held my hands steady between him and Olivia, never breaking eye contact, ready to restrain him the second he did something stupid.

Olivia craned her neck and could only see half of Ethan's face. She let out a tired sigh, her voice flat with frustration. "Ethan, Damien and I didn’t even know each other until after you and Sophia got together. If everything fell apart, that's on you."

Ethan staggered a step, staring at Olivia from a distance with a wounded, resentful look. "So now it's my fault?"

"Isn't it?" I cut in sharply, refusing to let him plant another poisonous word in her head.

God knew what Ethan might say next. I wanted him gone. Now.

Ethan drew a hard breath, veins standing out along his forearms. "Fine. Guess I'm the unlucky one. But that's not the only reason I came today."

My brow twitched. A thin thread of unease slipped under my skin. On instinct I shoved at his shoulder, trying to force him back into the hallway.

Ethan fought me, eyes wide, lifting his chin to meet my stare. He yelled as he struggled, "What the hell are you doing? You gonna hit me? Damien, you're rushing me out like you're hiding something. Don't tell me you're the one who grabbed my dad."

"What did you just say?" A sharp cry cut in from behind me, and Olivia stepped forward on shaky legs, her face tight with panic as she moved to my side.

I shut my eyes for a beat. Heat surged through me, the kind that made me want to burn Ethan to ash.

Ethan looked almost pleased with himself. He knocked my hand away and gave Olivia a cold little smile. "What, he didn't tell you? Dad's missing. I checked every hospital camera and couldn’t find a trace of who took him, so I figured I'd ask if you know where he is."

Olivia stared at him like he'd started speaking nonsense. "Your dad is missing, and you're not calling the cops? Why are you here, bothering me instead?"

Her brows drew together as she spoke, and then she looked at me, reaching for my arm without thinking, her grip tight and desperate. Her eyes begged. "Damien, I know you can find him. Please… help me."

With Olivia in this condition, fragile and still recovering, I couldn't stand the idea of her spiraling over something like this.

hadn’t planned to tell her the truth, but I refused to let her sit here tormenting herself. I patted her hand and kept my voice steady. "Don't worry. I'll bring him back safely."

Only after her breathing calmed did I turn back to Ethan, letting my expression freeze over. “I already promised Olivia I’d help. You can leave."

Ethan's face tightened, his features twisting into an ugly knot. He narrowed his eyes at me and let out a scornful snort. "You're awfully confident. I've had people looking everywhere, and not a single camera caught who took him. So, how do you get to guarantee you'll find him? Unless you're the one behind it."

Before I could answer, Olivia spoke first, "Ethan, stop accusing people just because you’re scared. Damien has no reason to take him."

Holding onto my arm for balance, Olivia stepped closer to Ethan and shot back, slow and deliberate, "Tell me. Why would Damien take him? What would he gain?"

Watching Olivia stand up for me did something quiet and warm in my chest, a small satisfaction I didn't bother to hide from myself.

I steadied her with my hand at her back, and for a split second, I almost thought it was good Ethan had come, because at least I got to see Olivia argue for me as it mattered.

What she did spoke louder than anything she'd ever said.

Ethan froze, as if even he heard how weak his accusation sounded. He turned in place, his face going gray, tugging at his jacket one second and glancing toward the doorway the next, searching for anything that might save him.

A few minutes passed before he finally blurted out an excuse that barely held together. "Maybe he did it to drive a wedge between us. I mean, we're not divorced yet. Who's to say you won't change your mind?"

Even now, he could still dared to dream like that.

I opened my mouth to shut him down, but Olivia beat me to it with a cold laugh. She flicked a quick glance at me, then let out a bitter, self-mocking breath. "Damien would never do that. He doesn't need to kiss up to me. You're the one reaching. You moved Sophia into the house, and you still expected me to have your baby. How would I ever 'change my mind'?"

Ethan's mouth fell open. He looked like he'd been slapped.

I checked the time. He’d already overstayed the doctor’s visiting window by ten minutes.

I stepped forward until I blocked Ethan's view of her completely. "Olivia's still weak. She needs to rest. Did you come alone, or did you bring a driver? Do you need me to walk you out?"

The message couldn't have been clearer. If he still pretended not to get it, he was choosing to be dense.

Sure enough, Ethan's expression shifted in a way that almost would've been funny if it wasn't so disgusting. He hesitated, then spoke stiffly. "Whether we end up together or not, we both want Dad to be okay."

He looked past me toward Olivia, and his next words came out like they cost him something. "If you really find him… tell me right away."

Olivia didn't respond. Ethan waited a beat longer, got nothing, and finally turned and left.

The instant the door clicked shut, I turned back to Olivia.

She was pressing her lips together, clearly fighting to hold something back, eyes darting as though she didn’t know where to begin.

I watched the small tells on her face and let out a quiet, helpless smile. "If you've got something to say, just say it."

Olivia took a long breath and stepped closer. She inhaled again, like she needed to borrow courage from the air, and after a long pause, she finally said, "Owen…"

"It was me," I said before she could force the rest out. "I had people move him."

Before she could even react, I continued, keeping my tone even. "I found a better surgeon. They're operating on him now. If everything goes well, he’ll wake up once it’s over."

"Really?" Olivia grabbed my wrist, fingers tightening, confusion and relief warring in her eyes. “Then why didn’t you tell Ethan?"

"You think Ethan would ever let me operate on his father?" I said, the edge in my voice was impossible to hide. "With Sophia whispering in his ear, he would’ve shut it down before I finished the first sentence."

Getting Owen out of there had been the only way.

Understanding settled over Olivia's face. She lifted a hand to her chest, exhaling like she'd been holding her breath for days. "Thank God you took him."

Then she looked at me, awkwardly forcing up a small smile, gratitude shining through. "No matter what, thank you. If it weren't for you, he might…"

She couldn't finish. Her eyes reddened, and the last word stuck in her throat.

I watched her for a moment, steadying myself before I spoke. "I did it because I wanted you to be happy."

"What?" Olivia stared at me, lost, like she couldn't make sense of what I meant.

I didn't bother explaining. My answer came out cold, almost dismissive. "If you don't get it, forget it."