Chapter 186

Chapter 186

Olivia's POV

Ethan's head snapped up, disbelief written all over his face, his fingertips actually shaking. "Dad? Is this really your decision? I'm your son. Your own son. And you're going to hand the company to a stranger?"

"Who says she's a stranger?" Owen caught my hand, his voice turning hard with authority. "Starting today, she's my daughter."

Then he looked at me, solemn and steady, like he was sealing something that couldn't be undone.

Before I could even react, Owen continued, "Ethan, you two are getting divorced."

Owen had promised me before that he'd make Ethan divorce me. I just hadn't expected it to come this fast.

My mind buzzed like something had shorted out. I turned to Ethan without thinking.

His mouth hung slightly open, his feet shifting unsteadily, like his body hadn't caught up with what he'd just heard.

After a long beat, his voice came out cold, but it shook anyway. "Are you serious? If we divorce, then the company really will end up in an outsider's hands."

Owen closed his eyes. I knew he was struggling. Just as I was about to refuse to take over the company, he nodded firmly and said, "You've made so many mistakes. How can I trust you with the company?"

His gaze pinned Ethan in place, unbothered by whatever Ethan might feel. "If you'd shown even a little backbone, I wouldn't have had to make this call."

Then Owen lifted his hand in a weary, dismissive wave. "It's settled. Don't come looking for me about it again. As your father, all I can promise now is that you won't starve."

Owen wrapped up the meeting quickly. While I stood there, still stunned, Ethan came up beside me, his voice iced over. "You're really something. You got my father to hand you the whole company."

I couldn't be bothered to entertain his sarcasm. I shrugged, my face calm. "That's his decision. If you think it's unfair, go argue with him."

Ethan stared at me like I was his enemy.

His broad frame blocked my way, cutting off my view of everything else, like he could physically stop me from moving on.

I pushed his arm aside, my voice stiff. "Just like Owen said. If you'd actually stepped up, he wouldn't have gone this far."

Ethan froze, blank for a second, and when he looked at me again, there was something restrained in his eyes, something he was forcing down.

I opened the door and walked out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophia come up to him from nowhere and pat his back lightly.

The two of them leaned in, heads close, whispering. I couldn't hear a word, but I could tell it wasn't anything kind.

Still, Owen was awake now. I didn't have much to worry about.

After what happened last time, he had know how to protect himself.

The tight stone in my chest finally loosened, dropping slowly, like it had been hanging there for days.

The second I stepped outside the company building, Damien was already coming toward me, a smile on his lips and a kind of restless urgency in his stride.

Seeing him move faster and faster, I thought something had gone wrong. Instinctively, I opened my arms and caught him when he reached me, then tipped my chin up to look at him. "What is it? Did something happen at the company again?"

Damien looked downright happy, and before he could stop himself, his hand lifted to my cheek, brushing it with a tenderness he usually tried to hide. He was holding back, but his eyes and the way his thumb lingered told on him.

His mood pulled mine along with it. "So what is it?" I asked again, more impatient now.

What could make him look like this?

And why did it feel like it had something to do with me?

Damien's voice dropped, warm and careful. "The prenatal checkup results came in."

I blinked up at him, still not understanding how a set of results could make him this happy.

"It's twins," he said.

My eyes went wide. The sun was harsh overhead, and my vision blurred fast, tears gathering before I could stop them. My voice shook as I grabbed his hand. "You're serious?"

Damien hooked a finger under my chin and leaned down, pressing a kiss to my lips. "Do you really think I'd lie to you about that?"

His gaze lowered, slow and reverent, settling on my stomach like it was the most important thing in the world. "You're showing more every day."

His fingertips brushed over the curve, a gentle sweep that made my breath catch. I couldn't read what was behind his expression, so I lifted a brow, silently asking.

After a moment, he spoke so quietly it was almost swallowed by the street noise. "Find a time to meet my family. When do you want to do it?"

I went still, convinced I'd misheard. "You want me to meet your family?"

Damien didn't flinch. He slid an arm around my shoulders and guided me into the car, looking at me with a steady, sincere focus. "We've been together this long. We have kids on the way. Meeting them is normal. Unless you don't want the babies to have a legitimate place in the open."

"How could you say that?" I shot back automatically.

Of course, I wanted my children to be acknowledged the moment they were born.

But more than that, I needed to know what he meant. I caught his arm, careful but insistent, and asked softly, "Have you really thought this through? If I meet your family, that means…"

"I don't need to think it through," Damien cut in, firm.

In his eyes, I saw a kind of certainty I'd never seen from him before, like he had already crossed whatever line he used to hesitate at.

For one unguarded second, I wanted to throw my arms around him and tell him everything I'd been holding back.

But I was afraid that saying it out loud, all at once, would scare him off.

So I swallowed, reached for his hand instead, and squeezed, my fingers trembling just a little. "Whatever you want. I'll follow your lead."

Saying it made it real. My breath caught, and nerves lit up under my skin.

Damien laced his fingers with mine, his smile gentle. "Don't worry. They won't make it hard on you."

On the way back, I stayed in a daze, like the only way to prove it wasn't a dream was to keep looking at Damien's profile, the calm set of his jaw, the quiet steadiness in the way he drove.

At the entrance to the villa neighborhood, Damien reached into a pile of shopping bags on the console and pulled out a paper bag holding a dressy outfit like he had known exactly where it was. "Go upstairs and try it on. I've got a meeting in Valeria tomorrow. You're coming with me."

I looked at him, surprised. "Me? Is that okay?"

Damien's hand settled on my shoulder, grounding me. "If we're meeting my family, then being around my business is normal, too."

As he spoke, he nudged me forward and walked me into the room. From the bag, he took out a set that looked expensive even at a glance: a black suit with a relaxed cut, tailored in a way that would hide my stomach without making me look swallowed by the fabric.

After I changed, Damien nodded in clear approval. "Wear flats tomorrow. I don't want anything happening to you when we're out."

I could've said no.

The words hovered at the back of my throat.

But thinking about everything Damien was doing—pulling me into his world, making space for me in his family, I couldn't bring myself to refuse. And if I were honest, I wanted to go with him. I wanted to see what his life looked like out in the open.

I nodded, looking at myself in the mirror. "Okay. I know. I'll be careful. I won't cause you any trouble."