Olivia’s POV

    “They’ve been all over each other every moment when you aren’t looking,” Olivia said. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice. You are usually more perceptive than this. Although, with Amber, you’ve always seemed to have a blind spot.”

    Julian looked at her with a nk expression. Despite knowing him for a long time, she’d never been great at reading his expressions. As he was always so stone–faced, she couldn’t tell if he was eating up every word she said or was entirely in disbelief.

    “I’m sure this was just one of their spats. I’ve heard that happens with whirlwind romances,” Olivia continued. “Theye in hot, the passion can be intense, in both love and anger…”

    Olivia chose her words carefully, hoping to elicit some of Julian’s rage or any kind of flicker of emotion.

    Instead, he just stared back ndly.

    “You’ve had to have seen the spark between them,” Olivia pressed.

    Julian looked away. “I don’t know what to think,” he said, his voice devoid of all emotion. “Excuse me.” He turned from her then and started to walk toward the nearby road, ducking straight the parking lot,

    opposite of where his car was parked.

    “Where are you going?” Olivia called.

    She wasn’t really expecting an answer, knowing Julian could be a statue when he wanted, and didn’t like answering to her even on the best of days.

    This time however, surprisingly, he called back. “I need to clear my head.i” /iHe continued walking then, to the sidewalk that stretched along the road, and he started to follow it.

    Olivia watched him until he was out of sight, unsure if the suspicions she’d been purposefully trying to impose in Julian’s mind actually took hold. The not knowing made the frustration inside of her grow. As she wasn’t keen on ming herself for what happened, that left only one other candidate.

    Chase.

    The fool was still standing on the edge of the parking lot, clutching that damn stuffed animal. What did he think looking at it was going to solve?

    He was so ipetent, such a hot mess. It was a miracle that Olivia even continued to entertain him. Though, seeing him like this, she knew she had to move fast to bring him back in line or she might lose him as well to Amber’s charms and those of her daughter.

    Olivia truly didn’t know how Amber could aplish such influence. As far as Olivia could tell, the

    woman was entirely ordinary. Yes, she was an aplished healer, but what did that have to do with

    love and romance? Why did that have Julian and now Chase falling over themselves for her?

    What did Amber have that Olivia did not? By all ounts, other than healing ability, Olivia had

    everything Amber did, and then some. By a lot.

    The more Olivia thought about it, the angrier she became, until she was iso /ienraged that she walked up to

    Chase and pped him cleanly across the face, knocking the dumb expression he wore right off of his

    features.

    He winced, reacting at once, as he lifted his hand up to his cheek.

    “What the hell, Olivia?” he asked.

    She stared back at him, allowing her fury and frustration to burn in her eyes. “You fumbled this yet

    again,i” /ishe snapped. “How many chances do I have to give you until you start taking this seriously? You

    better start being careful or so help me –”

    “I’m out, Olivia,” Chase said.

    She stopped. Blinked. “What the hell are you talking about?”

    He clutched the plush animal with both hands. “I’m done. I’m not going to do whatever you want anymore. This was thest time.”

    Who the hell did this asshole think he was, to deny Olivia anything?

    “And what will you do for money, huh?” Olivia asked, her eyes narrowing, her hands turning to fists at her

    sides. “You think any of the other women of the pack will be as generous as I have been?”

    “I don’t care,” he said, but there were worry lines beside his eyes now. “I’ll figure it out.”

    “And who do you think is going to pay for your medical bills? You think Amber is going to cut you a break

    after what you just did? She’s curing your heart defect, isn’t she? I bet such a thing is expensive. There’s

    probably lengthy treatments and medicine you have to take for the rest of your life.”

    He paled, his face growing whiter the more she talked. “I’ll find a way…” he said, but sounded less

    convinced now.

    Olivia knew she was winning, and continued pushing forward. “Sure, Chase. If you want Amber to stop the treatments and your lifespan to be shortened once again, who am I to stop you?”

    Sighing, he looked down at the plush animal.

    Though Olivia was no expert on reading Julian, she knew Chase’s expressions quite well, as the man did little to hide his actual emotions. Everything, he wore clearly on his face.

    So she knew she had won.

    He had entirely given up, just as she wanted.

    He gently cupped the plush bear’s face, before steeling his face and returning his gaze to Olivia.

    “What’s the n now?” he asked.

    Looking at that plush animal, Olivia tried to plot my next move. The very sight of it made her so angry.

    Why did Amber get to have everything? A sessful career, Julian’s affections, as well as Julian’s child…

    Wait.

    Perhaps that was the answer, the true way to separate Amber and Julian permanently.

    What if Olivia stopped going after Amber, and started focusing on the child…?

    Yes.

    Alice was the new target.

    Alice’s POV

    As soon as the car parked, Alice flew out from the backseat and ran to the door of the house.

    Unfortunately, it was locked. Alice didn’t want to talk to her mother tonight, not after what she had done.

    Kissing Chase?

    How could she do that to Daddy?

    Maybe her mother hadn’t seen the look on Julian’s face when she kissed Chase, but Alice sure did. She knew the sight of it had hurt him. It hurt her too! She wanted her mom to be with the man she had chosen

    to be her dad.

    Though she liked Chase, it was more as a friend or uncle. She didn’t want him for a dad! That spot was already filled.

    Mom came to the door slower than Alice did, taking her time on the stairs up to the porch.

    “Alice, we should talk,” Amber said.

    “I don’t want to talk,” Alice told her. “I just want to go to my room.”

    “But –”

    “Why would you kiss him?” Alice asked, tears rising in her eyes. “He’s not Daddy!”

    Amber’s face looked stricken for a moment, but she swallowed hard, moved to the door and unlocked it.

    Alice immediately pushed her way inside, then rushed to her room. Behind her, her mom called out for her, but Alice ignored her.

    Mom had messed everything up tonight.

    Julian was her dad and that was that!

    Alice decided, if her mother wouldn’t tell Julian that, than Alice herself would have ito/i.

    In her room, she immediately began preparing, packing a few necessities into her backpack – a nket, a couple of snacks, her notebook. Whatever she might need.

    Because tonight, she was going to sneak out and run away to see her dad.

    Chapter b138 /b