Chapter 42 42
Lucas turned away abruptly, both hands going to his head as if the room had started spinning.
“No—Liv,” he said hoarsely. “What are you doing?”
His back was to her now, shoulders tight, breath uneven.
She moved closer anyway, steps unsteady, voice low and slurred just enough to betray the alcohol.
“I’ll be your first time… right?” she murmured, almost pleading. “You said you were waiting. For me.”
That did it.
Lucas spun halfway back, panic flashing across his face. “Olivia, stop. You’re drunk,” he said firmly, reaching out but stopping himself before touching her. “This isn’t you. Sit down, okay? Let’s just—let’s slow down.”
He tried to soften his tone, grounding himself, grounding her.
“Hey,” he said quietly, forcing calm. “Look at me. Nothing needs to happen tonight. We’ll talk when you’re sober.”
She swayed slightly, frustration and hurt twisting her features—
And then—
RING. His phone rung.
Olivia lunged toward the stand.
“Don’t answer that,” she said quickly, reaching for his arm, her voice sharp with panic. “Lucas, please—just ignore it.”
That was it.
Lucas snapped.
He pulled his arm free, eyes dark, voice rising for the first time.
“Stop it,” he said harshly. “What is wrong with you?”
She froze.
“You’re drunk,” he continued, anger edged with disbelief. “You came here like this, saying things you don’t mean, doing things you’ll regret. This—” he gestured between them “—this is desperate, Olivia.”
The word hit her like a slap.
Her face crumpled for half a second before she masked it.
Lucas exhaled sharply and turned toward the door. “Enough.”
He pressed the intercom. “Security.”
A moment later, the guard’s voice came through.
“Have someone drive Miss Olivia home,” Lucas said firmly. “Safely.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. “Lucas—”
“Not tonight,” he cut in, back turned to her. “We’ll talk later.”
Two guards appeared at the doorway.
Olivia stood there, shaking, humiliation burning through her veins as they gently but firmly guided her out.
Behind her, the study door closed.
Olivia ripped her arm free the moment they stepped outside.
“Let go of me,” she snapped, eyes blazing. “Or you’ll lose your fucking job.”
The guards exchanged a quick glance.
“Miss Olivia, Mr. Brooks said—”
“I don’t care what Lucas said!” she screamed. “Touch me again and I swear you’ll regret it.”
The hesitation was enough.
She won.
Olivia stormed toward her car, heels slipping slightly as she fumbled with the keys, hands shaking—not weak, just furious. She yanked the door open, slid in, and slammed it shut.
The engine roared to life.
She drove.
Miles blurred beneath her tires. Red lights. Empty streets. Neon signs she didn’t register. She had no idea where she was going—and she didn’t care.
Her grip tightened on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.
“I swear, Blair…” she whispered, voice breaking, venomous. “I’m gonna—”
The words dissolved into a choked sob.
Tears streamed down her face as rage and humiliation tangled in her chest.
“That bastard,” she spat, slamming her palm against the wheel. “That bastard is Lucas’s.”
Her laughter came next—sharp, ugly and unhinged—cutting through her tears.
“Oh, you planned it so well, didn’t you?” she cried. “Five years, hiding in plain sight.”
The road stretched endlessly ahead.
And Olivia drove on, fueled by jealousy, obsession, and a promise she didn’t yet know how she would keep—
But fully intended to.
The scream tore out of her throat a second before the world exploded.
Headlights.
A sharp turn.
Metal shrieking against metal—
Then pain.
Glass shattered.
The steering wheel slammed into her chest.
Everything spun, flipped, went weightless—
And then—
Darkness.
\---
Olivia woke up to the steady beep… beep… beep of a monitor.
Her head throbbed. Her body felt heavy, wrapped in something stiff .
The smell of antiseptic filled her lungs.
She blinked.
White ceiling.
Hospital lights.
Her fingers twitched—and pain shot up her arm.
“Oh—she’s awake!”. A soft female voice exhaled.
She turned her head slowly.
Two women stood by the bed, dressed neatly—maids from the Brooks mansion. She recognized them instantly.
Her throat felt dry. “Where…?” she croaked.
“You were in a car accident, Miss Olivia,” one of them said gently. “The doctors said you were lucky. No internal bleeding. Just a concussion and some bruises.”
Memory rushed back in violent fragments—
the shouting,
the driving,
the rage—
Lucas.
Her heart skipped painfully.
“Lucas,” she whispered. “Where is he?”
The maids exchanged a glance.
One of them stepped closer, hesitating before speaking. “Mr. Brooks couldn’t make it,” she said softly. “He had an early morning business meeting.”
Olivia stared into the blank white space above her, eyes unfocused.
“Can I… talk to him?” she asked quietly.
The maids hesitated again.
“The doctor advised that you shouldn’t be stressed, Miss,” one of them said gently. “You need rest. No emotional strain.”
Olivia’s jaw tightened.
“I’m fine,” she said flatly. “Give me the phone.”
They tried once more. “Miss Olivia—”
“I said give it to me.”
Reluctantly, one of them placed the phone in her hand.
Her fingers trembled as she dialed.
Ringing.
Once.
Twice.
No answer.
Her chest tightened. She tried again.
Ringing.
Again.
Nothing.
She swallowed hard, blinking back tears that refused to fall.
\---
Across the city, Lucas stood by the window of his office, phone in his hand.
The screen lit up.
Olivia Calling.
It rang.
He watched it.
His thumb hovered… then stilled.
He didn’t answer.
The ringing stopped.
Silence filled the room.
Lucas exhaled slowly, eyes dark.
Blair knocked softly before pushing the office door open.
“Your coffee, sir.”
Lucas turned from the window just as she stepped forward.
And then—
Her heel caught the edge of the rug.
“Ah—!”
The cup tilted.
Coffee sloshed dangerously.
Instinct kicked in.
Lucas moved fast, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward him to keep the hot liquid from spilling.
The cup fell harmlessly onto the desk, but Blair didn’t regain her balance.
She collided with his chest.
Hard.
For one suspended second, neither of them moved.
Her palms pressed flat against him.
His hand was still wrapped around her wrist.
Their breaths tangled.
Too close.
Blair tried to pull back immediately. “I—I’m sorry—”
That was when Lucas saw it.
Just above her collarbone, where her blouse had shifted slightly—
A faint scar.
His eyes locked onto it.
Without thinking, his thumb lifted.
It brushed over the mark.
Blair stiffened instantly, breath catching.
The touch sent something sharp and electric through her
Lucas’s brows knit together, confusion flashing across his face.
“Where did you get this?” he asked quietly.