Chapter 261

Chapter 261

Hearing Andrew's out-of-nowhere comment, Benjamin had the urge to roll his eyes. He stepped forward, draped an arm over Andrew's shoulder, and softened his tone.

"How could we forget Mr. Anderson? It's a family dinner, but we can always set an extra place. After all, someone has pretty thick skin, always chasing after my sister."

Benjamin's remark was a pointed jab. The two of them had been dancing around each other for so long, the tension practically begging to be addressed.

Yet neither of them seemed to think much of it — Andrew especially.

Everyone at the table caught the meaning. Olivia took the chance to slip away. The way things were right now suited her just fine — easy, low-pressure. If Andrew actually said what was on his mind out loud, things between them could get awkward fast.

"Mr. White is always generous, but that mouth of yours is something else. I'm not going to spar with you — your words are sharp enough to cut."

Andrew said it while keeping one eye on Olivia's expression. The room livened up.

Even though it was a family dinner, Olivia had still brought gifts. The butler had been watching the time and waiting by the door. It wasn't long before a black business car pulled up. As expected, it was Olivia who stepped out from the back.

"Ms. Smith is back. Mrs. White has been waiting."

"I brought a few things. Get some people to carry them in."

While they were talking, Scarlett, who had heard the commotion, came out from the living room. When she spotted Olivia standing there, she still couldn't quite believe her eyes.

"Mom."

Olivia turned and saw the figure lingering in the doorway, too hesitant to step closer. She made the first move.

"You're back. How's Nina? Does she miss me?"

Scarlett's eyes were full of warmth, even if her words came out calm and measured.

"Everyone's good. Once Nina's school break comes around, I'll bring her back with me."

"That'd be nice."

It had only been a few days together, but Scarlett already missed Nina terribly — the way grandparents always do.

After the greetings, everyone moved to the dining table.

From the moment Olivia walked in, Stella had been avoiding looking her way. At the table, there was nowhere left to hide.

"Olivia, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for everything. I shouldn't have thought of you the way I did."

Olivia hadn't expected Stella to gather this many people just to apologize to her.

"It's fine. You were doing it for the family. Don't worry about it."

By the time the gathering ended, Olivia felt completely drained — even talking took more out of her than usual.

Andrew, who had been sitting beside her the whole time, noticed right away.

"Tired?"

Olivia gave a small nod.

"I want to go home."

When Scarlett had mentioned Nina earlier, it hit Olivia that she hadn't seen her daughter in a long time. The longing came all at once.

Andrew had already figured that was why. He tapped at his phone for a moment, then looked over at Olivia.

"There's an early flight tomorrow morning. Get some rest tonight."

Olivia's eyes widened slightly — she hadn't expected things to move that fast.

"Andrew, how are you this efficient?"

What neither of them realized was that these small, easy moments between them looked, to everyone else, exactly like two people in the middle of falling in love.

Back home, Olivia reached out to the Johnson family right away, only to be told Nina had gone to summer camp and didn't have a fixed return date.

Olivia settled in at home to rest — and ended up staying in for three days straight.

She was stretched out on the sofa enjoying an afternoon tea when the doorbell rang. She glanced at the work group chat out of habit. All quiet.

The moment she opened the door, a small, soft voice tumbled in. A tiny figure launched herself at Olivia's legs, little hands gripping her knees tight.

It was Nina.

The little girl tilted her face up — round and soft and pale — eyes faintly red, looking up with a pout, her voice small and sweet.

"Mommy, I missed you so much."

Michael stood in the doorway in a simple dark coat, composed and warm, his gaze resting gently on Olivia. He offered the reason for the visit in his usual unhurried way.

"She just got back from summer camp. When she heard you were home, she wouldn't stop until we came."

Looking down at the little girl clinging to her, all the exhaustion and unease that had been weighing on Olivia for days quietly fell away.

Nina ended up staying with Olivia for a while.

Around that same time, the Starpoint Urban Design Competition — the most talked-about event in the city — kicked off as scheduled. It brought together the best design teams in the industry, and the competition was fierce. It was the most prestigious event in the field.

The proposal Gavin had led the team to develop over months took a different path — stepping away from flashy, overcomplicated design and weaving human warmth into the real fabric of the city. Their riverside public space design left everyone floored. They made it all the way to the top and took home the gold.

Once Olivia had fully recovered and shaken off the fatigue, she came back to Lantine Jewelry's design department looking every bit her sharp, composed self — ready to dive back in completely.

The first person to cheer at her return was Lily, who had been carrying the whole team's workload while she was gone.

Winning the top prize sent Lantine Jewelry's reputation soaring. Collaboration orders poured in from both home and abroad, and the company's business grew to a new high, firmly placing it among the top names in the industry.

"You all did a wonderful job on this competition. Every one of you made this happen."

Olivia followed through with real, meaningful rewards. Gavin and Lily, who had followed her closely and given everything they had, were promoted to department heads. The whole team was thrilled.

On the night of the final, the award stage blazed with light, the spotlight landing squarely on the Lantine Jewelry team.

Olivia stood at the front of the group in a clean white blazer, calm and poised, and accepted the heavy gold trophy. The crowd below erupted in applause, the cheering going on and on.

Down in the front row of the audience, Andrew's eyes never left her. The pride on his face was open and unguarded.

He had watched her grow every step of the way. She had been more than capable of standing on her own for a long time.

Andrew had come prepared with a bundle of pure white roses, fingers wrapped tight around the stems, counting down the moment the ceremony ended so he could walk up on stage, hand her the flowers, and say what had been on his mind — right there, in front of everyone.