Chapter 16
Sebastian
I stood, lost in thought, barely aware of my surroundings. The sunlight was warm against my skin, but it did nothing to ground me. My grip tightened unconsciously, and the memory of Olivia–her smile, her body, her voice–played over and over in my head like a broken record.
I couldn’t believe how much she had changed.
Was she always this..radiant? Just the thought of being without her annoyed me.
I want to speak to her every second of every day. She intoxicates me more than alcohol–her body, her curves, her perfection.
It wasn’t just physical. There was something in her presence that distracted me. The Olivia I knew was cold, and she could never stand me. Even when I was being nice, she hated everything about me.
I’d loved her since childhood. Back then, Olivia was a complete menace–always chasing me around the neighborhood, asking for help with the simplest things just to be near me, and boldly declaring she’d marry me one day because I was “too handsome to go to waste.”
I was older, sure,
, but that didn’t stop my heart from falling for the adorable little troublemaker.
Then my grandfather shipped me overseas to prepare for the family legacy. I promised I’d marry her when I came back—and since our parents were close, we got betrothed.
But when I returned, she didn’t remember a damn thing. Like our childhood never happened. And to top it off?
She’d gone and fallen for Philip Morris and she abhorred the idea of getting married to anyone that wasn’t him, our married life was hell, until
now.
The Olivia I saw now, though, was everything I had ever dreamed of. I finally had her–my first and only true love–and she feels the same way.
I’d never felt this much joy in a while.
I’d always pictured a perfect life with Olivia, where it would only be the two of us–happy.
It didn’t start that way, but I’m so glad things are finally turning around.
I’d finally get the chance to love her properly.
“Bro, did you just slice that into the trees?”
Tyler’s voice snapped me out of my daze.
I blinked, realizing I’d completely missed the shot. My ball had veered sharply to the right, vanishing into the edge of the green where the trees thickened.
Tyler and Mason–both clients from our startup investment branch in San Diego–started laughing. “Man, Sebastian never misses,” Mason teased, clapping me on the back. “What’s got you so out of it?”
I gave a half–smile and brushed it off. “Just… something on my mind.”
“Hope it’s not stocks again,” Tyler said, grinning as he lined up for his own shot. “Because if you’re worried, I’m cashing out.”
I forced a chuckle and adjusted my grip, trying to shake the thoughts of Olivia–but she clung to me like perfume on skin.
I just needed her by my side–to kiss those tender lips of hers, to touch her in the delicate places that made her moan my name.
God, I was going crazy. Going crazy for the same woman who had hurt me countless times, always considering herself over everyone. But something was certainly different about Olivia. And it couldn’t just be because Phillip had cheated on her. No.
She was different in so many ways. But still…there was something, and I couldn’t quite place my hands on it.
But I liked this new version of her–compassionate, thoughtful, goofy, and so beautiful. Her beauty had the ability to light up an entire room. The thoughts of “what if“what if this was still a trap she and Phillip cooked up—crossed my mind. I shook my head immediately. Olivia wouldn’t do that. No, she wouldn’t. Would she?
I believed her. And I would stand by her.
I saw the genuineness in her eyes when she spoke to me. I had never seen her so truthful–it was hard not to believe her.
Chapter 16
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But if this was a trap, then this would be what finally ends me, because I had fallen too deep for this woman. And if she hurts me again, she would have finally succeeded in destroying me.
After a few more swings and teasing jabs from the guys, we finally called it a day. The deal had gone well enough. They were happy, which meant my work here was done–even if I had no idea how I got through it half–aware.
I lingered near the parked golf carts, sipping from a chilled bottle of water, when I saw my best friend striding toward me across the lawn, still dressed in his blazer. His steps were sharp, his expression tighter than usual.
Tony didn’t say a word. I just noticed his hand in his pocket, an unreadable expression spreading across his pale face.
“You follow me around like a fly on eyebrow.
a
hot day, Tony. Didn’t you say you weren’t playing golf today?” I shot him a smug look, raising an
But his expression remained serious. His eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, and nostrils flared as silent fury radiated from him.
“Can you just tell me what’s going on? I really don’t see the need for this unnecessary drama.”
Tony had always been a good friend–the best actually, right from when we were in college. But being a successful businessman now, I thought he would’ve dropped the flair for drama. Guess not.
“Sebastian, what is wrong with you?” “Sebas
I shot him a look–I didn’t understand what the hell he was talking about.
“Are you so blind you can’t see when you’re being used?”
“Tony, can you stop speaking in parables and go straight to the point?”
“You run a successful business empire, yes. You come from a wealthy home but chose to make a name for yourself honorably. But why do you have to keep living with that slut Olivia?!“.
His words were sharper than knives. I knew he had my best interest at heart, but no one had the right to insult my wife.
“Mind your words, Tony. That’s my wife,” I said, my tone colder.
“Are you kidding me right now?” His brows lifted, eyes narrowed in disbelief, lips curled in a slight, incredulous smirk.
“Dude, listen to yourself. You’re married to a woman who cheats on you with her true lover on a daily basis–and you still remain faithful?” He pulled out his phone and dropped it on the small glass table beside our golf bags.
“Take a look at that. Your precious wife is with another man.”
I picked up the phone. In the photos, I saw Olivia and Philip holding hands and laughing. I clenched my fists.
I understood–this was part of Olivia’s plan, and I had asked her to keep Philip close. But still, I wanted to kill him for putting his hands on her. She was mine, and mine alone.
As I stared at the pictures, so many different ways of killing Philip appeared in my head–but I trusted Olivia. She knew what she was doing.
I pushed the phone back and leaned against the golf cart, showing no sign of annoyance.
“She’ll come around eventually. It’s not a big deal, man.”
“Sebastian, is that all you’re going to say?”
I could see Tony starting to get even angrier–but this time, at me.
“The woman you call your wife goes out to frolic with another man, and you sit here believing that one day she’ll love you? Why are you so delusional?”
“I’m married to her, and I’m going to make sure our marriage works out.”
At this point, Tony couldn’t believe what he was hearing, his nostrils flaring as he turned red from exasperation.
“What has Olivia got on you that’s got you eating from her fingers? For God’s sake, Sebastian!”
I didn’t reply to him.
We stood in silence for a while before he finally spoke again.
Chapter 16
“Well, this is me backing off from whatever has to do with you and Olivia’s marriage,” he said, raising a hand in surrender.
“You know Stella would have treated you better, right? She’s always loved you,” Tony said, leaning forward in the chair he sat in.
“Drop it,” I shot him another look, stopping the conversation before it could start.
His sister cared about me, but I never saw her that way.
“Fine, fine,” he said, raising his hands in defeat.
After Tony had left, I lingered a little longer under the sun, lost in the quietness. Then her call came in–Olivia.
“Hey,” her voice was low, a sweet tone that drowned me in.
“Hey… heard you were with Phillip today. That means we have a score to settle.”
She let out a soft laugh. “Jealous already?”
“Very,” I said without hesitation. “Especially when
out there smiling at someone who isn’t me.”
“Mmm, maybe I was just trying to make you come claim what’s yours.”
My grip tightened slightly on the phone, her doing dangerous things to
“Careful, Olivia. I might just show up at home and do exactly that.‘
”
my self–control.
“Then what are you waiting for?” she whispered, her voice like silk. “Come and settle the
