Chapter 95 Olivia

Chapter 95 Olivia
OLIVIA'S POV

"I… I don't understand," she finally stuttered, her voice shaking, her eyes darting from me to Kellan in utter confusion. "This… this is some kind of mistake, right? Olivia can't be here. She's… she's dead."

I took another step closer, my voice so cool and level, whereas inside, all hell was breaking loose. "No, Sharon. I'm very much alive.”

Her eyes grew wide as she began to freeze with the weight my words burdened her with. Her mouth popped open to say her peace, and I afforded her none.

"You really did think you got away with it, didn't you?" My voice was high. "Thought you could just push me off that cliff and erase me from Kellan's life forever?”

Sharon stepped backward, her hands shaking. "No," she said, the words tumbling hastily from her lips as she shook her head. "That's not what happened. You've got it all wrong. It was an accident—"

"Don't you dare," I snapped, my voice sharp as a whip. "Don't you dare to stand there and lie. I remember everything now. I remember the day you had your men kidnap me. I remember you dragging me into that car. I remember you telling me how much you hated me, how jealous you were. And I remember you, standing there, watching as they pushed me off the edge.”

Sharon's hands flew to her face as though to ward me off, while I felt mine fly with incredulity. "Olivia, please," she now begged, "I did not mean any of this to take place, and while angry, yes, but I never wanted you dead.”

"Stop lying!" I cut in. My voice shook with my anger. "You wanted me gone because you couldn't stand it that Kellan loved me and not you. You were so obsessed with him that you would kill to have him."

Kellan stepped forward, his clenched jaw tightly bunched at his sides. "Don't even try to deny it, Sharon," he said low, dangerous.

Sharon's eyes darted to him, her face twisted in desperation. "Kellan, you got to believe me," she pleaded-so very different now. "I loved you, still do. Everything I have done was for us-for the life we could've had together.”

His voice was cold, even devoid of the slightest trace of laughter in this humorless laugh of his. "Love? You call this love?" he said, shaking his head, while a tone thick with disdain oozed out of him like paste from a tube. "You don't know anything about love, Sharon. You just do not hurt people that you love, and sure as hell you don't ruin somebody over jealous or obsessive pretexts.

Before Sharon could utter one word, one of the officers moved forward and pulled out a handcuff pair from his waist belt. "Sharon Bliss, you are under arrest for the kidnapping and attempted murder of Olivia Eastom. You have a right to remain silent—"

"No!" Sharon shrieked, trying to move further away from the officer. "You can't do that! It isn't fair!”

Her gaze darted wildly around the room before landing on me again. Her expression twisted into something ugly, her desperation giving way to rage. “This is your fault!” she screamed, pointing a trembling finger at me. “You’re ruining everything, Olivia! You’ve always ruined everything!”

“Enough!” Kellan snapped, stepping between us.

But Sharon wasn't done yet. Anger burst the dam, surging out in a torrent of accusation and venom. "You don't deserve him," she spat, her voice shaking in her anger. "You never did. You're nothing, Olivia. Nothing! Kellan only ever settled for you because he felt sorry for you. You were just a placeholder until he realized who he really belonged with.”

Her words cut deeper, far sharper than any blade, and she didn't get to see her satisfaction. I straightened my spine and met her gaze head-on. "You're wrong," I said, trying firm when there was a huge lump in my throat. "Kellan chose me because he loves me, and no matter what you do, you will never be able to take that away from us.”

The police officers closed in around her, reaching to clutch Sharon's arms as they tugged her toward the door. Sharon resisted the clutches and screamed the head off while being dragged out of the house.

"This isn't over!" she exclaimed, spitting the words out venomously. "You'll see! He'll leave you, Olivia. He'll leave you just like everybody else does!”

Just the way she just lets it hang there, for like a second, but forever in time, finally letting go of that heavy air between us, slammed through the front door.

I hadn't realised I was shaking until Kellan's arms had wrapped themselves around me, pulling me against his warmth. And it was at that exact second, wrapped in that warmth, the dam would break and tears began, fast and hard, burrowing into his chest in sobs.

"I've got you," he whispered softly, low and soothing. "It's over now, Olivia. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

"But she…she said…", I tried to say, but the words choked in my throat.

"Don't," he said firmly, pulling back just enough to look me in the eyes. "Don't listen to anything she said. None of it was true. You're the only one I've ever loved, Olivia. The only one.”

But as much as his words were reassuring to this beaten heart of mine, haunting and terror still stuck with me like a leech. "What if…what if she shows up again?" I muttered in a shaking tone. "What if she tries to hurt all of us once more?”

“She wouldn't,” Kellan vowed. “I won't let her. Sharon and Carl will pay for what they have done and never be able to hurt you again. I promise you that.”

His arms had clutched me closer, and I clung onto him as to some anchor that kept me real. Finally, the rest of the family, one by one, found their place around us, faces showing different stances of relief but with loads of sadness.

First to speak up was my mother, whose eyes brightened with welling tears. "Oh, Olivia," my mother said, her voice breaking with emotion. "We're so, so sorry it all happened to you. We ought to have been there to protect you.”

I nodded, unable to speak, and she pulled me into a gentle hug. My father followed, his touch awkward but sincere. “You’re safe now,” he said gruffly, his voice thick with emotion. “That’s all that matters.”

Kellan's hand found mine, tugging me gently from the group and into the silence of the study. The door swung shut behind us, and for one endless moment we just stood-there underneath the weight of everything that had brought us to that particular spot.

Then he fell onto one knee, and my breath caught within my throat.

“Olivia," he started in a clear, deep voice with a shade of emotion, "I will never know how I ever managed to deserve you in my life, but one thing is for sure-I'll never let you go anymore. I promise to be your shield and protection, to love and cherish, to always be there to stand with and for you. You're my heart, my home, my everything."

His hand reached for mine, his eyes locked with mine, as if he wanted to see all the emotions. "I know I have messed up a lot, but I promise you, Olivia, for all my life I will pay it. So would you trust me again and let me love you in a manner that you deserve?”

I nodded, my voice catching in my throat. "Yes," I was just barely able to whisper. "Yes, Kellan.”

He got to his feet and pulled me into his arms, his lips finding mine. His kiss was both tender and passionate at one and the same time. It wasn't a kiss, but an oath, a vow, a statement of what brought them together, where they were now, and how much still stood.

And for the first time in a very long time, I felt the waves of peace rise and churn inside me, comforting me. I was safe. I was loved. Deep in my soul, I knew we were going to make it.