The rest of the festivities went on that night long after the ceremony was over. Chatter and music livened up the atmosphere, keeping the energy of the hall alive.

    It was nearing midnight when Grandma Lin called it a night, grabbing Auntie Martha''s attention as the latter spoke with Queen Isla.

    Olivia took it as her chance to escape from her mom''s clutches who never let Olivia out of her sight since they walked hand in hand down the stage.

    Assisting Grandma Lin and Auntie Martha out of the hall, Olivia was left standing in the lobby once the older Lin ladies boarded their car.

    The pair of red taillights soon joined the rest of the cars in the bustling streets of the metro. Olivia took it as her cue to pivot on her spot and rejoin the remaining guests in the hall.

    As she approached the double doors, she stiffened. Her spine straightened, adding a few inches to her five foot four height.

    She could pretend that she didn''t see Henry Lin, but her animosity towards the man would be really obvious to the prying eyes if she blatantly ignored him, so Olivia did her best to tug the corner of her lip in a silent acknowledgment instead.

    "See me in my office on Monday. I had Gail clear your schedule too."

    Stopping to a screeching halt, Olivia pivoted in her heel. Who gave this loathsome man the right to boss around her secretary?

    "I haven''t approved of your request, so I''ll let you know if I could spare you a second of my time."

    Henry Lin scoffed, shaking his head. "Talk down on me when you don''t have those nightmares anymore and end up calling daddy, Olivia."

    "Excuse me?"

    "You heard what I said. I won''t repeat it again."

    "I heard you mention the word nightmares. My nightmares to be exact."

    Dipping his hands inside his pocket, Henry Lin closed his eyes as if contemplating. "A birdie told me you sought medical advice for your nightmares. I assume it''s the same thing you had since you were little."

    "A little birdie? Or you paid someone to steal my medical file? And for what reason? You know what? Forget about it."

    On the outside, Olivia looked calm and collected, her posture oozed with elegance, and the smile on her face showcased her perfectly aligned pearly whites.

    It was a different story deep inside her thoughts though, because the gears in her mind were on the brink of conking out for overthinking the hidden meaning in Henry''s words.

    Her eyes scanned left to right as she studied her father''s face, and her knuckles turned white when a slow smirk curved his lips.

    "Glad my tragedy paved the way for your award, Mr. Lin," Olivia sniped in derision. Her anger laced the words which rolled off her tongue. It didn''t matter if Henry Lin fed through her anger or misfortune. "Waiting for the day that I would take the glory on yours...daddy."

    With a mocking smile on her lips, Olivia turned about face and tuned out whatever Henry Lin was spouting behind her back.

    The following day, Olivia sprang up from the bed in shock when Maxen jerked his leg and brushed against hers.

    In reflex, her hands swiped the knife under her pillow but immediately dropped it on the floor with a thud when she realized she was not in any danger.

    Closing her eyes, she let her body drop back on the bed, burrowing her face in Maxen''s c.h.e.s.t.

    "Rise and shine," Maxen uttered, his hoarse voice painted a smile on Olivia''s face.

    Maxen''s morning voice sounded funny like a croaking frog, yet it oddly felt warm like home.

    "Five more minutes," Olivia pleaded, tightening her coil on Maxen''s waist.

    "Mmm," Maxen hummed his reply. He combed his fingers on Olivia''s hair and pressed a kiss on top of her head.

    Peering up, Olivia smiled at Maxen before inching a bit up so her lips could plant a kiss on his.

    With the pad of his thumb, he dusted Olivia''s lips, highly tempted to steal more of her sweetness through her lips akin to a cherry waiting for a bite.

    "Do you want me to call Aila Zhang? Maybe she can prescribe something," Maxen offered, taking up the chance of bringing up awareness in her mental health, front and center.

    "It''s okay. Nobody''s immune to nightmares, Max. I just have to toughen up every time it visits me."

    Olivia broke their eye contact and focused her sight on the sculpted ridges on Maxen''s c.h.e.s.t.

    She wasn''t dodging the topic, and she knew Maxen just wanted to see her well, but sometimes, there were wounds so deep that even when it healed, the scars would never fade.

    Silence ensued as the husband and wife let their heartbeats do the talking. Their five minutes was up, yet Olivia craved for more. "Five more," she said, biting her bottom lip.

    Giving in to his wife''s demands, Maxen exhaled an okay. Soon the two watched the duvet move in waves as their feet sparred against each other.

    "Let me win!" Olivia contested, elbowing Maxen''s solid physique.

    With one last fight, Maxen locked Olivia''s legs and rendered her trapped in his hold. "Not today."

    A shriek then echoed in Notios Estate, alarming the security details standing guard outside the bedroom.

    Armed and ready to shoot, one guard signaled to his buddy, holding two fingers up.

    One. Two. The two guards silently stormed inside the room to catch the perpetrator off-guard.

    Not to everyone''s surprise, a portrait of the prince pinning down his wife on the bed welcomed them.

    He was holding her wrists hostage above her head whilst his face buried in the crook of her neck.

    "Maaaax! That tickles! Stop it! Okaaaay you wiiiiiin," Olivia pleaded, her legs kicking up in the air as Maxen''s day-old stubble tickled her skin.

    Temporarily relieving Olivia from her misery, Maxen lifted his head and faced the two security detail.

    Winking at them, he said, "You''re dismissed, gentlemen. Thank you for your service."

    The two security details bowed and excused themselves, and just as they closed the door of the bedroom, another hair-raising shriek reverberated in the hallways, rendering one guard scratching his head, while the other just shrugged.

    Later that morning, the chief doctor in the psychiatry department of Notios General Hospital welcomed Maxen and Olivia like he always did every Saturday morning when the two would pay Amelia a visit.

    "You''re lucky, Ms. Olivia. Mrs. Lin is in a good mood this morning unlike two weeks ago when she had to be sedated."

    Olivia swallowed and remembered that day. Her mother was inconsolable as she begged for Henry Lin upon Olivia''s arrival.

    Half an hour later into their visit two weeks ago, Amelia was in a complete meltdown, scratching Olivia''s arm which prompted the nurse to administer sedation on Amelia.

    Snapping Olivia back to reality, she peered at her and Maxen''s entwined hands. His grip on hers tightened the closer they got to the door.

    From the way Maxen stanced, it was as if he was ready to shield her from another attack.

    "I honestly came in prepared to lose a limb," she mused to lighten up the mood. Instead of a smile, she saw Maxen''s shoulders tensed up, and his jaw ticked.

    When the double doors opened to the psychiatric ward''s garden, Maxen tugged Olivia''s hand backwards, shielding half of Olivia''s body with his own. "Disobey me and we''re heading straight home."

    Olivia didn''t retort. She knew full well how Maxen kept his word. She could understand where his apprehension stemmed from.

    It''s not just the incident two weeks ago which vexed Maxen, but the other visits they had as well.

    Diagnosed with schizophrenia, the once esteemed Amelia Lin was long gone. The doctors did their best, providing cutting-edge treatment and medicines on her, yet Amelia couldn''t seem to pull herself out of the rabbit hole in which she spiraled down.

    "Alexa! My daughter Alexa is here," Amelia gasped in excitement. Even when her eyes twinkled in delight, her hollowed cheeks and darkened eyelids made her look frail and ghostly in her white hospital gown.

    Olivia choked a sob when her own mother didn''t recognize her. Her only consolation was Amelia''s calmness, a rarity in the last visits she had.

    She freed her hand from Maxen''s clasp and met her mother halfway, welcoming the hug Amelia was giving for Alexa—just like what she always did during her visit. Nodding her head, Olivia said, "Hi, mom. Yes, it''s me, Alexa."