CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42

Olivia’s POV

Maxwell leaned forward, his expression growing more serious as he tapped against his desk. "I’m going to find this bastard, Alex. I don’t care what it takes or how much it costs."

"Absolutely," Alex said firmly, moving to sit in the chair across from Maxwell’s desk. "This is serious, Max. Someone who’s willing to physically attack you isn’t just going to stop. Your life could be in danger."

*Oh please,* I thought, arranging some files on my desk behind the door. *Your life was never in danger. My stranger just wanted to teach you a lesson.*

"I’m already putting together a security team," Maxwell continued, wincing as he reached for his coffee again. "Private investigators, bodyguards, enhanced building security. This psycho made a huge mistake when he decided to mess with me."

*The only mistake here is that you still haven’t learned your lesson. And if you talk too much, I’ll release him on you again.*

Alex nodded approvingly. "Good. And you should probably vary your routine - don’t leave the office at the same time every night, use different entrances, maybe stay at a hotel for a few days..."

"I’m not going to let some hooded thug drive me out of my own home," Maxwell said arrogantly. "But yes, I’ll be more careful."

That’s when Alex seemed to notice where I was sitting for the first time since he’d entered the office. He turned in his chair, his eyebrows rising as he took in my setup behind the door.

"Oliver," he said, sounding confused. "What are you doing back there? Is that... is that your office?"

Before I could answer, Maxwell jumped in immediately. "I’ve delegated that corner to Mr. Hopton. It’s the most efficient arrangement for his new role as my personal assistant."

Alex looked between Maxwell and me, clearly uncomfortable. "But isn’t that going to be... I don’t know, cramped? Uncomfortable? There’s barely any natural light back there, and the door’s going to be hitting..."

"Mr. Hopton will be fine," Maxwell interrupted dismissively, not even glancing in my direction. "You shouldn’t worry about Hopton right now, Alex. You should focus on me - I’m the one with the bandages and the sling, remember?"

I watched Alex’s face, seeing the uncertainty there. He obviously wanted to object to my working conditions, but Maxwell’s injuries had him prioritizing his friend’s wellbeing.

*How convenient for Maxwell to use his attack as an excuse to dismiss any concern for his employees.*

"Right, of course," Alex said reluctantly, turning back to Maxwell. "Speaking of which, will you be strong enough to attend my engagement party on Saturday? Because if you need to rest..."

"Are you insane?" Maxwell said, looking almost offended. "I wouldn’t miss your engagement party if I were in a full-body cast. Vanessa would kill me if I didn’t show up to celebrate with you two."

*Vanessa. There’s that name again.*

"Good," Alex smiled, looking relieved. "I was hoping you’d say that. Though I have to ask..." His expression grew more uncertain. "Do you think Gabriel will be there?"

Maxwell raised an eyebrow. "That depends. Are you actually going to invite him this time?"

Alex sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "I want to. I mean, I should, right? But considering everything that happened with Vanessa..."

My head snapped up so fast I nearly knocked over my coffee cup. *Wait, what? What happened with Vanessa?*

"He’s still holding a grudge against you," Maxwell said dryly.

"Can you blame him?" Alex asked quietly. "I mean, I did steal his girlfriend."

*WHAT?!*

I felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach. Gabriel had been dating Vanessa? Alex had stolen Gabriel’s girlfriend?

*Holy shit. Holy actual shit.*

My mind started racing, trying to piece together this insane puzzle. So Gabriel had been dating the gorgeous blonde woman I’d seen in Alex’s car that night. Which meant Alex had somehow swooped in and taken her away from his own twin brother. And now Alex was marrying Gabriel’s ex-girlfriend while Gabriel was... what? Taking me on dates as some kind of rebound?

*How fucking messed up were these people?*

Alex continued, his voice heavy with guilt. "But we’re twins, right? How hard could it be to convince him to come? I mean, we used to be close. Before... everything."

"Before you fell in love with his woman and she chose you over him?" Maxwell said bluntly.

"Max," Alex warned.

"What? I’m just stating the obvious. Gabriel isn’t exactly the forgive-and-forget type, especially when it comes to matters of the heart."

I sat there trying to process this information while maintaining my Oliver facade. *So let me get this straight: Gabriel was dating Vanessa. Then Alex came along and somehow Vanessa chose Alex over Gabriel. Now Alex and Vanessa are engaged, Gabriel is apparently heartbroken and holding grudges, and I’m caught in the middle of this family drama, dating the rejected twin while disguising myself as a man to work for their bestfriend.*

*And that wasn’t even including my mysterious stranger who was fucking me in dark alleys and apparently attacking my boss on my behalf.*

I let out a deep sigh without thinking, and both men turned to look at me.

"Something wrong, Mr. Hopton?" Maxwell asked with that fake concern he did so well.

"Just... processing some paperwork, sir," I said quickly.

*Processing is right. I’m processing the fact that my life has become a soap opera that even daytime television would reject for being too ridiculous.*

I was lost in my thoughts when Alex suddenly turned toward me again.

"Oh, Oliver! I almost forgot - you’re still planning to come to the engagement party on Saturday, right? Vanessa was so excited about meeting more of my colleagues."

*What?*

The blood drained from my face so fast I probably looked like I’d seen a ghost. *The engagement party. The engagement party where Gabriel might be. Where Alex and Vanessa will be celebrating their stolen love. Where Maxwell will be plotting his revenge against my mysterious stranger. Where I’ll be pretending to be Oliver while potentially running into Gabriel, who knows me as Olivia.*

*How could I possibly be in the same room with all three of these men without my entire double life imploding?*

"I..." I started, my voice coming out higher than usual. I cleared my throat frantically. "I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it, actually."

"What?" Alex looked disappointed. "But Vanessa already planned for you to be there. She’s been looking forward to it."

*Great. Now Perfect Vanessa is involved in my potential downfall.*

Maxwell was watching us, his green eyes moving between Alex and me like he was watching a tennis match.

"Mr. Hopton," Maxwell said slowly, "surely you wouldn’t want to disappoint Alex and his lovely fiancée? Especially after everything Alex has done for you recently?"

*The manipulation in his voice was so obvious I wanted to throw something at him.*

"It’s not that I don’t want to..." I started desperately.

"Then what’s the problem?" Alex asked, leaning forward with concern. "Is it work? Because Max, you could give Oliver Saturday evening off, couldn’t you?"

Maxwell’s smile was pure evil. "Of course. Mr. Hopton deserves some time to socialize with his colleagues. I don’t even bug him on Saturdays, so I insist he attends."

*He insists? Why the hell would he insist? What was he up to?*

"That’s settled then!" Alex said happily, "Oliver, I’ll text you the details. It’s going to be at the Sunflower Gardens - you know, that gorgeous venue with all the outdoor space?"

*The same venue Vanessa had been gushing about in Alex’s car that night. The same venue where she’d specifically invited me, not knowing I was actually Olivia - the girl who was crushing on her fiance and going on dates with her ex-boyfriend.*

My head was spinning with the impossibility of it all. How could I meet Vanessa again without feeling intense hatred for her - I mean she’s getting engaged to my lifelong crush. How could I be in the same room with Gabriel, who was expecting to see me as Olivia for our second date? How could I face Alex, knowing how I felt about him? And how could I survive an entire evening under Maxwell’s suspicious gaze while all of this was happening?

*This was a disaster waiting to happen. This was a complete and dangerous disaster.*

But Alex was looking at me hopefully, and Maxwell was practically daring me to refuse, and I couldn’t think of a single excuse that wouldn’t sound completely insane.

"That... that sounds lovely," I managed weakly.

"Perfect!" Alex beamed. "I can’t wait for you to see the venue. And Vanessa has this whole vision for the evening - cocktails, dancing, beautiful flowers everywhere. It’s going to be magical."

*Magical. Right. More like suicidal.*

Maxwell leaned back in his chair, with a satisfied smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.