Chapter 330 All for Him
Andrew watched for a while, then slowly pushed the door open and walked in.
Olivia was completely absorbed in her work and didn't even notice someone had come in.
Andrew stood behind her, quietly watching her operate the instruments and test tubes.
When she finally had a free moment, he spoke up, "Working at the research institute during the day isn't enough for you? Hm? Coming here late at night too - don't you care about your health?"
As his words fell, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Olivia from behind.
Olivia was genuinely startled, because she had been alone in the lab.
But soon, feeling the broad chest against her back and the familiar warmth, her frightened heart gradually calmed down.
She turned her head and looked at the man somewhat helplessly, saying with mild reproach, "You scared me. When did you get here? Why didn't you say anything?"
Andrew bent down and kissed her forehead, saying gently, "I've been here for a while. I saw you were holding things and was afraid that if I suddenly spoke, I'd startle you, so I waited behind you for a bit. I thought you'd notice me yourself. I didn't expect you to be so focused - if I hadn't said something, I probably could've waited here until dawn."
Hearing this, Olivia looked at him apologetically and said, "Sorry, when I'm working, it's really hard for me to split my attention."
After all, with these medicines, no step could go wrong.
If she got distracted and something went wrong, she'd regret it terribly afterward.
Seeing her expression, Andrew couldn't bear to scold her.
He immediately rubbed her head and said, "I'm not blaming you. I'm just wondering what's so urgent that you have to squeeze out time to do it. Didn't you say the team transferred from Emerald City would handle things at this research institute?"
Olivia said with a light laugh, "That's right, but these things are really important. I don't feel comfortable leaving them to others - I have to do them myself. Don't worry, it's not that tiring. I can finish it all in a few nights."
After hearing this, Andrew pressed his lips together and asked, "So you're saying you have more free time at the research institute, but still no time to spend with me?"
"Hm?"
Somehow, Olivia detected a hint of dissatisfaction in Andrew's words.
She found this side of Andrew somewhat novel.
She also suspected it might be her imagination.
However, when Olivia looked up at the man, his refined features were slightly tense.
At first glance, it looked no different from his usual cool demeanor.
But looking closer, he was indeed a bit unhappy.
Olivia felt like she'd discovered something new and couldn't help laughing, saying, "Don't tell me you're upset that I've been neglecting you lately?"
Andrew narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a flat tone, "Haven't you?"
They didn't have much time together to begin with.
Usually both were busy, with hardly any time to spend together.
Once she entered the research institute, it became hard to even catch a glimpse of her.
Now that work had finally gotten on track, she'd turned down his invitation for a date.
Andrew reminded her, "The rumors out there aren't completely baseless - we really don't spend much time together. I know you don't care what they think, but you can't ignore Bianca..."
Hearing this, Olivia blinked and looked at him in confusion, asking, "What does this have to do with Bianca?"
Andrew guided her patiently, "We agreed to create a good family atmosphere for her, to let her know that her daddy and mommy love each other. But now, we're each busy with our own things. In a child's eyes, we're always apart. Over time, the child will definitely feel insecure. The sense of security that Bianca finally built up needs us to maintain it!"
Olivia saw him speaking so righteously and reasonably, and didn't doubt him.
He was right.
Bianca still needed to recover.
During that half month before, when Andrew came home every day to have dinner with them, she was visibly happy and content.
She'd been too busy lately and hadn't noticed whether Bianca had changed at all.
She quickly said, "I understand. It won't happen again, I promise. Just these few days, okay?"
She looked at Andrew with some apologetic guilt in her eyes, saying, "Once I finish handling this, I'll try to leave it to others to do, because..."
She paused before continuing, "These medicinal foods and nourishing supplements are all for your grandfather."
She hadn't even met Finnegan yet, so she had to do something to make a good impression on him.
Andrew's expression suddenly froze, looking at those things with some surprise.
He had originally thought she was working late because some research project at the institute had reached a critical stage, and she was willing to sacrifice her health to rush the work.
Though he had some complaints, he just hoped she could balance work and rest.
After all, her workload at the research institute during the day was already heavy enough.
Coming here to work overtime at night too - even the strongest body couldn't handle it.
If she ended up getting sick, wouldn't he be the one who felt bad?
But he never expected that all this hard work was for his grandfather.
"You... all of this is for my grandfather?" Andrew asked.
Olivia nodded obediently and said, "Yes, I know that your family must have issues with me since you're with me. Maybe you'll shield me from all those troubles so I don't have to deal with them. But I was thinking, since we're together, there's no reason for you to bear everything alone. I don't know if your grandfather will change his opinion of me because of this. But I know you care about him and are very concerned about his health. When he was sick before, it affected his health - you didn't say it, but it's something you've always worried about. I happen to know medicine and can make drugs, so of course I want to do my part, because he's family that you care about! So I also hope he stays healthy! Medicine for recuperating the body can be bought outside, but it's not good to take it regularly. So I thought I'd use the prescriptions from the Medica Vitae Sect medical books to make some recuperative medicines. When I make them myself, I can control the dosage more precisely. The medicine is gentler, and the effects are more comprehensive, so the nourishing benefits can be maximized!"
When Evelyn had told her about those rumors before, Olivia's first reaction wasn't to worry that the Hamilton family would create obstacles to break them up.
Instead, she felt bad that Andrew would be stuck between her and his family, unable to choose.
As his girlfriend, she should of course do her part and try to eliminate the gap between herself and the Hamilton family.
She wanted to avoid putting the man she loved in a difficult position.
Andrew looked at her with deep eyes, not saying a word.
Olivia hesitated and asked, "What's wrong?"
Andrew still didn't speak.
The emotions surging inside him were like huge waves, threatening to overturn everything.
In his whole life, except for his mother's death and matters related to his mother, he rarely experienced strong emotional fluctuations.
Normally, he had long since developed a calm and detached mindset. No matter what happened, he could remain unmoved and indifferent.
But now, his frozen heart was being filled with warmth by the actions of the person before him.
He couldn't bear to see her work so hard.
Yet all this hard work was for him.
Andrew couldn't hold back. He gripped her slender waist and lifted her onto the table.
Then he gently held her chin with one hand, leaned in slightly, and kissed her.
Olivia's beautiful eyes widened slightly, her expression showing she hadn't quite reacted.
She only knew that this sudden kiss was too passionate and too urgent.
Different from before, like a flash flood with nowhere to hide.
He couldn't wait to devour her completely.
Though she found this kiss overwhelming, she didn't refuse.
Instead, she actively hooked her arms around Andrew's neck, obediently closed her eyes, accepted everything he gave, and responded joyfully.
Andrew gripped her waist, holding her very tight.
When Olivia stole a glance at him, she found those deep blue eyes as deep as a pool.
The desire surging within them startled her.
She felt like he really was going to devour her.
Olivia's heart raced violently. She forgot to breathe for a moment, her face turning red from holding her breath. She quickly pushed away the man in front of her.
After getting some air, she breathed desperately in big gulps.
Once she recovered, her face flushed red, and she said to Andrew, who wanted to continue, "Calm down, we're in the lab!"
She didn't want to do anything beyond kissing here - that would be too embarrassing.
How could she work here normally afterward?
Andrew looked at her rosy lips, his voice hoarse to the extreme, finally speaking, "Olivia, you don't need to do all this. I told you, even if you do nothing, it's fine. I'll handle everything and protect you. Being with me, you don't need to work this hard."
Olivia wrinkled her nose and said, "I'm not stupid. It's precisely because I know how good you are that I don't want to do nothing."
She hugged the man's waist, pressing her small face against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and told him, "Andrew, in my view, feelings are mutual. I can't just take without giving. Even with your closest person, you can't do that - it's not fair. The love you give me, the security you give me, is really too much. So much that it feels unreal, so I'm always afraid that one day, even the best feelings will be worn away. I don't want us to reach that point. Besides, you want to be good to me, and I want to be good to you too. When you feel bad for me, haven't you thought that I feel bad for you too?"
The conversation she had with Evelyn that day - she'd thought about it more clearly than anyone afterward.
This man thinks far ahead, and she couldn't just enjoy the present.
She also had to be brave and think about their future.
If they eventually made it work, it would involve two families.
Starting now, she had to work with him to protect this relationship.