Chapter 535 Come With Me

The moment Olivia saw Daniel, she knew it was just a dream.

She quickly shook herself awake. The other side of the bed was empty. Where had Philip gone?

The fog of sleep lifted from Olivia's mind. She hurriedly got out of bed to look for him.

As soon as she left the warmth of the covers, a shiver ran through her. She quickly threw on her down jacket.

Tobias wasn't in the cabin either. Braving the cold, Olivia pushed open the door.

The forest, freshly blanketed in snow, greeted her with a crisp, clean scent.

The clash of warm and cold air made her nose tingle. She called out loudly, "Philip, where are you?"

Her shout startled the birds in the trees, sending them fluttering away. Philip came running back, laughing, "Mom, I'm here!"

Tobias was with him.

Olivia, still disheveled from sleep, had her messy short hair hanging around her face.

Her hair had grown back to a somewhat normal length, but it still looked a bit odd, especially against her pretty face, giving her a slightly comical appearance.

Tobias, carrying a bucket of water, looked at her seriously. "What happened to you since we last saw each other?"

He was clearly asking why Olivia looked the way she did.

Most women take pride in their appearance, and cutting off long hair usually meant something significant.

Olivia had come to terms with her current look. She gently smoothed her messy hair and said, "I got sick. It's a side effect of the chemotherapy. I used to be completely bald, so I'm just grateful my hair has grown back this much."

At least now she had enough hair to go out without a wig.

Tobias's eyes were full of concern. He looked at Olivia intently and asked, "How's your health now?"

Chemotherapy was usually for serious illnesses, often cancer.

Olivia didn't want to worry him with the truth. She waved it off casually, "I'm just a bit weak now, nothing major."

Tobias didn't press the issue. He led Philip into the cabin.

"I don't usually pay much attention to food, but you're sick. You need to eat well. I just caught two fish from the river."

Olivia looked at the bucket Tobias was holding. Sure enough, there were two fish inside.

In this cold weather, with the river frozen over, how had he managed to catch them?

"It's one of the survival skills. With no place to settle, I have to rely on these skills to get by. It's not hard."

Tobias explained to ease Olivia's worries.

Olivia knew he was just trying to reassure her. She nodded silently, then rolled up her sleeves to help clean the fish.

Olivia hadn't known how to cook before, but after meeting Daniel, she had learned to cater to his tastes.

Tobias took out a few packs of compressed biscuits from a box and handed them to Olivia and Philip.

"The water's too cold. Let me handle this. You two eat something first."

In the wilderness, compressed biscuits were considered decent food. Olivia took the biscuits and noticed Tobias's hands were covered in scars.

As he worked on the fish, Tobias asked Olivia, "So, what's your plan now?"

Olivia had come back to Majestic City to find her two missing children. Now that she had found Philip and Alicia, she pondered the question seriously.

"I still want to find someone named Sean. But given the current situation, it seems almost impossible."

She hadn't found many clues. Olivia only knew Sean might be in a remote area. She couldn't risk her life and leave her children to find him, so the search had to be put on hold.

Thinking of Daniel, Olivia's eyes filled with conflict.

From what she had seen during her escape, Olivia was sure of one thing: Daniel hadn't given up on her. Their bond had only grown stronger.

What puzzled Olivia was that Daniel clearly cared about her, yet he had known she was alive and kept it to himself. Why hadn't he come looking for her?

Given Daniel's personality, he should have come for her the moment he knew.

His behavior was baffling.

Every step Olivia took now felt like walking on a knife's edge. To get out unscathed, she had to be cautious.

Recalling the message from Lila, Olivia frowned. She felt like she was missing something.

The only thing she was sure of was that Daniel would never harm her.

But what was he hiding from her?

Olivia trusted Tobias and decided to share her thoughts with him. "From what you've described, I think I'm in a very dangerous situation. Daniel will protect me, but his attitude is unclear. I'm afraid of getting hurt again."

Tobias thought for a moment, then looked at Olivia seriously.

"You have another option: come with me."

Olivia stared at him, surprised.

She had tried to escape before, but each attempt had been thwarted by Daniel. Not only had she been caught, but others had been implicated.

After those experiences, Olivia had given up on escaping.

"I don't know what to do. Maybe I'll never be able to escape his watch."

"You're divorced now. Maybe I couldn't take you to a safe place before, but things are different now. I can protect you and your children. Come with me. Don't let the past hold you back."

Tobias spoke earnestly, and Olivia hesitated, unsure of what to do.

"But Alicia..."

"I'll help you get Alicia back. You don't need to worry about that."

Tobias seemed determined. He looked at her seriously. "If you stay here, you'll always live in the fear Daniel has created for you. I just want you to be happy."

Olivia looked up at him, stunned.

After so many failed attempts, Olivia had given up on escaping. Could she succeed this time?

The outcome was uncertain. Olivia's feelings were complicated, and she didn't immediately agree to Tobias's plan.

"I'll agree to let you get Alicia first. As for leaving, give me some time. I need to think it over."