Chapter 261 How Are You Here?

Chapter 261 How Are You Here?

Olivia frowned slightly and couldn't help glancing back again.

Behind her was only a walkway paved with light gray tiles. The sea breeze swept past, carrying a faint salty smell, but there wasn't a single person in sight.

It felt as if she'd imagined everything.

Pushing down the strange feeling in her chest, Olivia didn't look back again. She walked on, passing through the ornate iron gate, and entered a beautifully kept garden.

Neatly trimmed holly hedges framed a wide lawn, and pale pink roses lined the path. When the wind blew, the petals trembled gently, and the air carried a light floral scent.

A cobblestone path wound ahead and led to a villa. Olivia walked inside and saw Hannah sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window.

She wore a dark green dress with a white shawl draped over her shoulders. Her hair was perfectly styled, and though still somewhat thin, she looked much more energetic than the last time they met.

When she looked up and saw Olivia, her eyes immediately lit up. "Olivia, come here!"

"You're finally here! I've been waiting for you forever!"

Olivia quickly walked over, a smile on her lips. "Happy birthday!"

Hannah took her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Come here, let me get a good look at you."

She looked Olivia up and down, her expression both pleased and slightly reproachful. "It's been so long since I've seen you, and you've gotten so much thinner."

"You never come to see me when you have time. You always make me worry."

"How have you been lately? Has anyone been picking on you? Is your health any better?"

"It's my fault for making you worry," Olivia replied softly, her gaze falling on Hannah's face. "You look so much better than last time. You can even get out of bed and walk around now."

Hannah smiled and patted her hand. "With so many doctors and nurses looking after me, nothing will go wrong."

"You young people just need to take care of yourselves."

After saying this, Hannah paused. Her voice softened, and a trace of deep longing flickered in her eyes. "Brandon... is he still the same?"

The atmosphere tightened for a moment.

Olivia nodded and said quietly, "He's still in a coma, but all his indicators are slowly improving. The doctors say things are moving in a positive direction."

"That's good, that's good..."

Hannah murmured, that same deep longing in her eyes.

But Hannah never once suggested that Olivia bring her back to the Robinson mansion.

A pang of guilt suddenly rose in Olivia's heart. She parted her lips, about to say something, when her back suddenly tensed—a cold, imposing gaze fell directly on her.

Olivia went silent at once and instinctively looked up.

Selene was standing not far away on the staircase, wearing a haute couture dress with flawless makeup, but her eyes were as cold as if covered with frost.

She looked at Olivia holding Hannah's hand. There was something unreadable in her eyes, but it was certainly not friendly.

Their eyes met.

Selene lifted her chin slightly, staring hard at her, but Olivia's expression remained calm as she quietly looked away.

That cool indifference and disdain clearly infuriated Selene.

A flash of hatred crossed Selene's eyes, but she didn't make a scene. She simply walked over in her high heels, gave Hannah a slight nod, and spoke in a distant, polite tone. "Mom, the guests are about to arrive. I'll go greet them at the entrance."

Hannah glanced at her and responded coolly, "Go ahead."

Selene never once looked at Olivia. She turned and left the living room with icy arrogance.

Once she was gone, the tension in the air eased a little.

Hannah watched Selene's retreating figure and sighed softly, a trace of weariness appearing between her brows.

Seeing this, Olivia quickly said in a low voice, "Grandma, you must be tired. Let me help you back to your room to rest."

Hannah opened her eyes and nodded affectionately. "Alright."

Olivia helped Hannah back to her room and stayed until Hannah closed her eyes in exhaustion. Only then did she quietly leave.

As the sun dipped westward, guests gradually filled the living room.

Elegant figures mingled, glasses clinked, and the men and women were all impeccably dressed, their words and gestures full of practiced superiority.

Olivia stood upstairs watching for a while out of boredom, but soon completely lost interest.

She had no desire to socialize with these relatives and socialites connected to the Robinson family, so she went downstairs, slipped out through a side door, and followed, slowly making her way toward the backyard to avoid the crowd.

The backyard was much quieter, with lush greenery and a fresher sea breeze.

In the distance, she saw a white wicker swing in the shade. Olivia's heart stirred, and she was about to walk over and sit down to rest when, after just a few steps, a figure suddenly came toward her at a brisk pace.

Olivia quickly stopped. Within seconds, the person had come close and was also startled to see her.

Olivia looked up. It was a man.

He was tall with a straight posture, wearing a dark gray tailored suit that set off his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His features weren't particularly striking, but his demeanor was gentle and refined.

Clearly, he hadn't expected to run into anyone here. When he saw Olivia clearly, a flicker of surprise and admiration flashed in his eyes before he collected himself and gave her a small nod.

"Sorry, I didn't bump into you, did I?"

Olivia shook her head. "No."

She had no intention of talking further and moved aside to let him pass, but the man's lips curved into a slight smile, and he held out his hand. "Hello, I'm Frederick York."

Looking at the hand in front of her, Olivia frowned slightly.

Out of politeness, she still raised her hand and gave him a brief shake before quickly letting go. "Mr. York, hello."

Beyond that, she had nothing else to say. She was about to lower her head and leave when Frederick spoke again. "May I ask... are you, Olivia Smith?"

Olivia's steps halted, and she looked up at him.

Frederick seemed a bit ill at ease and cleared his throat. "I've seen reports about you in the financial press and on the society pages before. They made quite an impression, so I recognized you right away."

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. Seeing her in the news was definitely not a good sign.

After all, whenever she appeared in the news, it was either about divorce and affairs or cutting ties with her family and fighting over an inheritance—never anything flattering.

Realizing this, Frederick's face flushed even more embarrassed, and a faint flush climbed his cheeks.

Olivia couldn't help smiling. "Is that so?"

Frederick studied her carefully, and seeing that her expression stayed composed and she wasn't angry or embarrassed, he felt somewhat relieved.

The awkwardness between them eased a little.

Frederick chuckled softly, his gaze growing more genuine as he took the initiative to speak. "I've been following developments in the medical field recently. I heard you're working on some new projects related to medical technology. Very bold of you."

Olivia answered coolly, "You're too kind. I'm just getting started."

She really had no interest in continuing the conversation.

To her, there wasn't much to talk about with this man who had suddenly appeared. She was about to find an excuse to leave when a coquettish, exaggerated exclamation suddenly rang out behind her.

"Olivia? What are you doing here?"