CHAPTER 529: THE DINNER

Olivia’s POV

Eight hours.

Eight long, choking, torturous hours since I looked Levi in the eyes and gave him a deadline.

Eight hours since I told him the words that made his wolf tremble:

"Twenty-four hours. Tell me where Lennox is... or you won’t like what I do next."

And still...

Nothing.

Not a single message.

Not a single knock.

Not a single attempt to explain.

He was avoiding me, hiding in corners, shifting between rooms like a guilty coward.

He thought I was bluffing.

He thought I was emotional, overwhelmed, that the old Olivia, the one who forgave, who trusted too easily, was still here.

He thought I would cool off eventually.

Maybe cry.

Maybe calm down.

And forget.

Levi Luciano...

Should know better.

He grew up with me.

He knew the kind of person I was before all the heartbreak, before the tears, before the four years of forced silence.

He should know that when Olivia Parker says something...

She means it.

And if she is angry?

She means it twice.

But Levi seemed determined to pretend my threat was nothing.

He seemed to believe I would cry a little, calm down, and let it go.

He truly thought I was the girl from four years ago.

But I wasn’t.

Not anymore.

And by the time the sun began to set, the fire inside me was so strong I could barely sit still.

Only one person could calm me.

Only one Alpha who never lied to me.

Alpha Damien.

My phone was still silent.

He hadn’t called back.

Not once.

And I understood.

Damien and Levi had an unusual relationship.

They respected each other.

They stayed out of each other’s business.

Maybe Damien didn’t want to stir trouble.

Maybe he was trying to decide the safest way to tell me what I already feared:

Where Lennox was...

was somewhere secretive.

Or worse...

Somewhere Levi never expected me to reach.

Whatever Damien was thinking, I couldn’t depend on him anymore.

I couldn’t depend on Sir Damon.

I definitely couldn’t depend on Levi.

I only had myself.

And I would burn the entire Pack House to the ground if that is what it took to reach Lennox.

---

Evening came.

And while Levi stayed silent...

Lady Fiona, his mother, had been the only one knocking on my door.

She came twice.

Once with tea.

Once just to sit silently near me on the floor.

She didn’t speak much.

Only whispered small things like:

"Olivia... please calm down."

And...

"Levi does love you. He did everything he did for your good."

I wanted to speak rudely to her, tell her she was a bad mother, which mother will stay away from her son and be this comfortable?—but I held back my tongue. I did not want to spill words out in anger.

But one thing was certain. I didn’t trust anyone in this house anymore.

Lady Fiona touched my shoulder before leaving the second time and said:

"Please trust Levi."

I didn’t answer.

I knew my words would not be nice if I spoke.

---

By evening, I felt like the walls were closing in.

Sir Damon knocked gently and asked me to join them for dinner.

I didn’t want to go.

But the look on his face, guilt, shame, fear, forced me to follow him.

The dining hall was quiet when I entered.

Lady Fiona sat near Sir Damon, her expression troubled as she watched me.

Louis sat at one side, stiff and nervous.

Levi sat across from Louis, tense, shoulders tight, jaw clenched, guilt dripping from every movement.

He didn’t even try to meet my eyes.

Good.

Because I would have ripped him apart with just one look.

I took a seat at the far end of the table, away from everyone, away from their guilt and excuses.

The tension in the room was heavy, thick like someone had stuffed cotton into the air.

Luckily the boys were out for their evening training, so they didn’t join. If not, they could have noticed the awkwardness.

No one touched the food.

No one dared to speak first.

I checked my phone under the table.

Nothing from Alpha Damien yet. He was still silent.

Louis cleared his throat gently. "Olivia... are you alright?"

I stared at him.

He flinched.

He should.

"Don’t," I said quietly. "Don’t pretend you don’t know what the hell is going on."

Louis swallowed hard. "Olivia..."

"Don’t lie to me."

He shut his mouth instantly.

Sir Damon rubbed his face, exhausted.

Lady Fiona looked between us, worried, as if understanding her family was falling apart one truth at a time.

Levi shifted in his seat.

And a tense silence hung in the air.

Louis spoke again. "Olivia," he tried again softly, "you haven’t eaten. You should..."

"Louis," I said, without looking up, "if you speak one more word to me, I swear on every moon goddess alive, I will flip this entire table onto your head."

Louis froze.

Sir Damon covered his mouth to hide a cough.

Levi swallowed hard.

Good.

Let them all feel uncomfortable.

Let them all feel afraid.

Let them all realize I wasn’t playing anymore.

I opened my mouth to speak, to remind Levi that the clock was still ticking...

When suddenly...

A scent hit me.

A scent that burned every cell in my body awake.

A scent that made my wolf scream.

A scent I hadn’t breathed in four years...

but could never forget.

I shot to my feet so fast the chair screeched backwards and slammed into the wall.

My heart stopped.

My breath caught.

My legs trembled.

Because that scent was... Lennox’s.

The doors at the far end of the dining hall opened slowly.

Everyone turned.

Louis gasped.

Sir Damon grabbed the edge of the table.

Lady Fiona exclaimed in shock.

Levi choked on his own breath.

But I...

I stopped breathing entirely.

Because there he was.

My Lennox.

Pale.

Scarred.

Thin.

Hollow-eyed.

Alive.

But not standing.

He was being pushed into the room

in a wheelchair.