bChapter /b99

bOLIVIA’S /bPOV

I stood up from the couchb, /bmy footsteps bsoft /bagainst the floor bas /bI made my bway /bto the far corner of the room. I didn’t want them to hear this conversation, especially not now, when things were just starting to feel a little normal. I took a deep breath and answered the call, pressing the phone to my bear/b.

I didn’t bsay /banything bat /bbfirst/bb. /bI wanted him to speak. Let him be the one to break the silence.

“Hib, /bwhere bare /byoub?/bb” /bAdrian’s voice came through, calm but clipped–too calm for someone who rarely called.

“Should that be your concern?” bI /bshot back, my tone colder than ice. If he called just to y games or to assert control, he was going to get exactly what he bgave/b. I bwasn’t /bin the mood for his usual power bys/b.

b“/bbYes/b, I have bevery /bright to know the location of my wife,” he replied, his tone firm, almost defensive.

bA /bbitterugh escaped me before I could stop it. I didn’t even realize I’dughed aloud until I turned around and caught my mother and Julian staring at me with curious expressions. Their eyes were sharpb, /battentive–they could probably sense the shift in my energy.

“I know you didn’t call just to find out my location, Adrian. So, what do you really want?” bI /basked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“I need you back home,” he said without hesitation, like it bwas /bthe most natural request in the world.

“I’m busy where I am right now. When I’m done, I’lle back,” I replied coolly.

“Cancel whatever you’re doing ande back home. We don’t have all day,” he ordered, the authority in his voice turning the heat in my chest into pure irritation.

“No, I can’t do that,” bI /bresponded firmly. “You haven’t even told me why you want me back bso /burgently. And I’m sure bit’s /bjust another one of your ridiculous deals you expect me to smile through. Whatever it is can wait until I get home. We live in the same houseb, /bremember? I’m not running away.”

“Here’s the thing,” he said, his voice turning sharp. “Like I said, it can’t wait. And I wasn’t asking. That bwas /ban order.”

My grip on the phone tightened. I bit down on my lower lip to hold back the stream of words bubbling at the edge of my tongue. The way he talked to me, like I bwas /bone of his employees or a contract he could just dictate terms to—it made my blood boil.

“Fine,” I said bat /bbst/bb, /bmy voice tight with restraint. “At bleast /bgive me an hour. I’ll be back in an hour.”

“Not more than an hour,” he replied, and then–just like that—the line went dead. No goodbye. bNo /bexnation.

I stared at the phone for a second, my hand trembling slightly from how hard I’d been gripping it. I wanted to scream, bor /bthrow the phoneb, /bbor /bbjust /bdisappear for a day. bMaybe /ball three.

“With that look on your bface/b, I’m guessing that bwas /bAdrian,b” /bJulian’s voice broke through my storm of thoughts.

I turned bslowly /band bgave /bba /bbsmall /bnod.

b“/bbAnd /bwho’s bAdrian/bb?/bb” /bmy mom asked, her brows drawn together bas /bshe looked from me to Julian.

“My bdarling /bbhusband/b,” I said,cing bevery /bword with bsarcasm /bso thick you could cut it with a knife.

“The same bperson /bwho bis /bcheating on youb?/bb” /bshe basked/b, her bvoice /bcold and her bposture /bstraightening with fury.

“Unfortunatelyb, /byes,” I sighedb, /bbcopsing /bbback /bonto the couch beside her.

b“/bbSo/bb, /bwhat did he bwant /bthis btime/bb?/bb” /bbJulian /basked, arms folded as he bleaned /bforward, bhis /bbexpression /bunreadable but clearly bconcerned/b.

I bstared /bat the floor bfor /bba /bmoment bbefore /banswering. b“/bHe wants bme /bhome. bImmediately/b. Said bit /bcouldn’t waitb. /bAnd bof /bbcourse/b, he didn’t bother telling me why.”

“Oh no, that is no longer byour /bhomeb,/b” my mom said firmly, bher /bbvoice /bcold with disapproval

I sighed, running ba /bhand bthrough /bmy bhair /bbbefore /brespondingb. /bb“/bbAs /bbmuch /bas I want to leave that house, I bcan’t/bb… /bnot just byet/bb./bb” /b

She looked bat /bme with disbeliefb. /bb“/bWhy bnot/bb?/bb” /bshe askedb, /bher btone /ba mix bof /bconcern and bfrustration/b.

b“/bbWell/b, let’s just say he has her tied downb,/bb” /bbJulian /bchimed in from beside bme/bb, /barms crossed. b“/bbIn /ba bsort /bbof /bckmail situation. And nowb, /bshe bcan’t /bleaveb. /bNot until bwe /buntangle that mess.”

b11:35 /bbAM /b

My mother’s beyes /bflicked between us, clearly upset by bwhat /bshe was hearing.

“It’s breally /bplicated, Mom. But Julian’s been working on it. And I’m bsure /bhe’s doing his best to get me out of thereb, /bright?” I turned to look bat /bhim, silently pleading bfor /bsome breassurance/b.

Julian bgave /bme a nod. “Of bcourse/b. We’re almost there. There’s bjust /bone more person we need to get–someone who holds a key piece of the puzzle. Once we bhave /btheir confession, Adrian won’t be able to hold anything over you anymoreb.” /b

The relief that flooded through me bwas /bindescribable. After all the chaos, all the bfear /band silence, hearing that bgave /bme a flicker of hope. And now that I had found my biological family, I felt stronger, no longer alone.

“Who’s this bperson /byou’re after? And why is their confession so important?” my mom asked, clearly trying to piece everything together. bHer /bexpression had shifted to that of ba /bprotective lioness.

“I’d love to fill you in on everything, really,” I said apologetically, checking the time on my phone. “But Adrian only gave me an hour to be out. bMaybe /bJulian can exin it all while I’m gone?”

My mother nodded slowly, but then a soft smile tugged at her lips, surprising me.

I tilted my head. “Did I say something funny?”

She shook her head gently, her smile widening. “When you were little, you and Julian couldn’t stand each other. Well, you didn’t like him, to be more specific. You cried every time he tried to bcarry /byou. We used tough so much because we couldn’t figure out why. Even when you could barely speak, you made it known–loud and clear–that you didn’t want to sit next to Julian.”

I blinked in surprise and looked at Julian, who raised an eyebrow bas /bif to say, Well, that exins ba /blot.

“Really? I didn’t like him?” bI /bbasked /bwith a chuckle. “I mean, what’s not to like about this guy? He’s fun, smart, and always ready to help. Honestly, anyone who doesn’t like Julian bis /ban enemy of the state.b” /b

Julian rolled his eyes yfully, and my mom let out ba /bwarmugh. It bwas /bone of those rareb, /bgenuine family momentsb–/bsomething I had never experienced growing up.

“And how did you two meetter on?b” /bshe basked /bcuriously, folding her arms bas /bshe leaned in a little.

I smiled at the memory. “It’s actually kind of funny. We ran into each other three times–like fate kept throwing us together. The first time was bat /bthe airport. I swung my handbag a little too hard and identally hit him. I bhad /bno idea he bwas /bstanding behind me.”

Julian chuckled at the memory.

“The second time bwas /bbat /bba /bcoffee shop. I bwas /bin a rush and identally grabbed his coffee binstead /bof mine. bI /bbwas /balmost out the door when he came up to me and told me. Weughed about bit/b, and eventually, bwe /bexchanged numbers. I never imagined that I bwas /babout to be best friends with my brother.b” /b

My mom looked between the two of usb, /bbtears /bglistening faintly in her eyes. “bIt’s /bincredible… watching you two nowb, /bbafter /ball this time apart. bYou’ve /be bback /bto each other like pieces of the same soul.”