Chapter 184

Chapter 184

Olivia's POV

On my last day in the hospital, I finally heard from Damien that Owen had woken up.

I reacted before I could think, grabbing his wrist as a surge of excitement rushed through me. "Really? You mean Owen's actually awake?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Damien picked up my suitcase and nodded toward the bag on the bed. "I talked to the doctor. As long as you don't overexert yourself, you're fine to leave. Pack up. I'll take you to see him."

I stared at him, wide‑eyed, half convinced I'd misheard. "Do I need to bring anything?"

My voice tangled over itself. "Thank you. I seriously don't even know how to begin thanking you, I—"

"Save it for later. Just come with me."

Maybe it was my imagination, but there was a tension about Damien that I couldn't quite account for. 

I glanced sideways at him, unable to read his expression, though something in his manner felt lighter than usual, as though a quiet relief had settled over him.

I followed him out to the car. After winding through a stretch of narrow roads, the sports car came to a stop in front of a private clinic.

"This isn't…"

"The place where you had your prenatal checkups."

Damien completed the sentence for me and drew an arm around my shoulders in one smooth, protective motion as he guided me inside.

"Since we're already here, I'll have them run a check on you, too," he said as we walked. "The hospital did fine, but I'm still not entirely at ease."

I tilted my head, looking up at the sharp line of his jaw. For a moment the question sat right on the tip of my tongue—why wasn't he at ease? Didn't he only care about the baby?

If the baby was safe, what else was there to worry about?

But I swallowed the question back, too afraid of an answer I wasn't ready to face.

He kept me close as we entered a quiet, sealed‑off room.

Owen looked as though he had only just regained consciousness, his eyes still unfocused as they turned toward me.

My throat tightened. Tears nearly spilled.

"Easy," Damien murmured beside me, his voice low and steady — the kind that could quiet a racing heartbeat. I looked at him, breathed a little easier, and walked to Owen's bedside.

Owen's coloring looked better than I expected.

He reached a hand out to me. "Olivia. I owe you for this."

I stared, startled, then shook my head quickly. "No, it was Damien who arranged the surgery for you. I—"

"I know," he interrupted gently. "But without you, he never would've lifted a finger."

His gaze drifted toward Damien.

I watched their eyes move between each other, trying and failing to read whatever was passing silently between them.

Then Owen said, "Olivia, could you step outside for a moment? I need a word with Damien."

I blinked at him, caught off guard. They hadn't spoken alone at any point during all this time?

I'd finally managed to visit, and he wanted to spend that time with Damien instead.

I pressed my lips together, quietly annoyed but with no ground to argue from.

I stepped out and pulled the door shut behind me, then found myself standing there, watching their silhouettes shift behind the frosted glass. 

Damien's brow would tighten, then his mouth would press into that thin, flat line he wore when something genuinely weighed on him.

What on earth were they talking about that could put him in that state?

I almost pushed the door open to tell Owen not to stress him out. Just as I reached for the handle, the door opened from the inside.

Damien looked at me. "Come in. We need to discuss something."

"I'm allowed to hear it?"

He gave a small nod and stepped aside so I could pass.

I settled beside Owen, and he took my hand immediately, patting the back of it with a long, weary exhale.

I knew he was thinking about Ethan. So I waited.

After a stretch of silence, he said, "I'm planning to revoke Ethan's inheritance."

"What?" My head snapped toward Damien. He wasn't surprised at all. His hand settled on my shoulder as if urging me to stay calm and keep listening.

My mind buzzed. "Did you talk to Ethan about this? He'll lose it when he finds out."

Owen closed his eyes for a brief moment, disappointment settling into the lines of his face. "If I hand the entire family estate to him, it'll collapse in no time."

He wasn't wrong. Ethan wasn't capable of handling something that big.

But if he removed Ethan, who did he expect to take over?

I looked at Owen. "You'll still need to choose a successor. A family this large can't just be left to fall apart. And I'm not saying you're incapable—it's just that your health is…"

I didn't finish the sentence, but we all knew what I meant.

He had just come out of a major surgery. His time was limited.

He must have been discussing the future heir with Damien earlier.

When Owen's gaze lifted toward Damien standing behind me, a loud, impossible thought slammed into my mind without warning.

I swallowed. "You're not planning to make Damien—"

"What are you thinking?" Owen cut me off, almost offended. "I'm not handing my life's work over to someone outside the family."

Relief moved through me so quickly my shoulders dropped with it.

It wasn't that I wanted the inheritance for anyone else—it was simply hard to imagine such a massive empire being signed away. No matter who it went to, it would feel like a loss.

Owen's grip on my hand tightened. He looked as though he wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come to him easily.

He hesitated long enough that Damien finally stepped in. "You should just tell her. She needs time to prepare. And she'll need to know how to deal with your son."

I stared at them both, completely confused.

Owen took a deep breath. "Olivia, Ethan can't handle this family. All I want is for him to live comfortably—food, shelter, stability. Nothing more."

I frowned. "You really shouldn't be telling me this. You should be talking to whoever your next heir is going to be."

Then it clicked.

I followed his gaze, the realization arriving like a cold current through my chest. "You're not saying…"

Seeing that I had finally understood, Owen let the last of his restraint go.

"No matter whether the baby you're carrying is a boy or a girl, they can inherit everything. But this will only take effect after I'm gone. Ethan is still my son, and I want to give him one last chance. If he truly proves he can't handle it, the will becomes valid."

He paused, a flicker of guilt crossing his expression.

"Olivia, it's unfair to put this burden on you. You'll have to carry the weight of this family and still look after Ethan. But there's no one else I trust. Not like I trust you."

"I… I can't do that, Father. You should choose someone else. You can definitely find someone better suited than me."