CHAPTER 34: DISMISSAL

[Reid Mansion — Olivia’s Private Lounge]

The soft click of Olivia’s heels echoed down the marble hallway before silence swallowed it whole.

She had managed to keep a calm composer but the moment the front door closed behind her, the mask fell.

Her smile, the one she had worn so flawlessly at Reid Enterprises, vanished.

She dropped her clutch onto the table with a sharp *thud*. The diamonds on her wrist glinted under the chandelier as she tore off her earrings one by one.

"Ungrateful," she hissed under her breath, pacing the length of the room. "Arrogant, cold, insufferable boy."

The sheer audacity of Alexander’s indifference scraped against every nerve in her body.

She had tried charm, flattery, civility and he met all of it with that infuriating composure. It was the same detached calm that reminded of how neglected he felt when Benjamin was around Pauline.

And it burned.

She paused before the tall mirror, staring at her own reflection. Not a single hair was out of place, her lipstick still perfect but her eyes betrayed her fury.

For years, she had tolerated Alexander’s quiet defiance. The boy had always refused to acknowledge her authority in the house and never once called her mother.

And the worst part, he didn’t even hate her. He dismissed her.

Olivia could live with hate as hate was power and attention. But indifference? That was worse than contempt.

Her hands curled into fists.

All these years, Benjamin had worshipped Pauline’s ghost. She was the perfect wife and the graceful martyr.

And Alexander, of course, had inherited all of her decency, her dignity and her godforsaken moral compass. While Jack was pliable. He was weak and eager for approval.

He had been easy to mold just like she wanted.

But Alexander?

He was his father’s spine without the father’s vices and that made him dangerous.

And the way Benjamin treasured Alexander scared her and also made her blood boil.

When she first married Benjamin, during the initial years, she tried her best to bear children but she couldn’t get pregnant.

Not being able to give Benjamin an heir was something Olivia regretted a lot.

She crossed the room, grabbed a glass from the bar counter and poured herself a drink.

As she lifted it to her lips, her phone buzzed on the table.

She glanced at the screen. Benjamin.

Her lips curved into a faint smile. "Speak of the devil," she murmured, before answering.

"Benjamin," she said smoothly. "I was just thinking about you." Her voice now was soft and honeyed.

"Were you?" His tone was mild and amused. "I heard you dropped by the office today."

Olivia moved to the window, swirling the drink in her hand. "I did. You weren’t there."

"Clearly."

"I ran into Alexander instead," she said, trying to sound casual but failing to hide the irritation threading through her tone. "And you would be very interested to know how he spoke to me. He was cold, dismissive and utterly disrespectful. You have really spoiled that boy."

There was a pause. Then Benjamin said, almost lazily, "Alexander doesn’t respond well to provocation. You should know that by now."

Olivia’s jaw clenched. "Provocation?" she repeated incredulously. "I was being civil. He treated me like a stranger in my own husband’s company. And that friend of his—" She gritted her teeth. "Lucas, I don’t know what he thinks of himself."

Benjamin made a small sound which was part sigh and part chuckle. "Olivia, you are not new to this game. Don’t waste energy trying to win him over. He will be polite in public and that is the most you will get from him. Just accept it."

Her nails tapped against the glass in her hand. "It’s not about winning him over, Benjamin. It’s about respect."

"Then earn it," he said simply.

The words landed sharper than they sounded. For a fleeting moment, her composure cracked. "I don’t need to earn anything in this family," she snapped. "You made me your wife."

"Yes," Benjamin replied. "And you have spent twenty years trying to prove it was the right decision."

The silence that followed was too heavy.

Olivia forced a soft, brittle laugh. "You know, for someone who claims to value peace, you do enjoy cutting with precision."

Benjamin didn’t rise to the bait. "Was there something else you wanted?"

Olivia’s grip on the glass tightened. "Your son—" she said finally in a low and deliberate voice. "You might want to pay attention to his extracurricular activities. He was on a date with Evelyn Carter the other day."

"I am aware," Benjamin said immediately.

That stopped her cold. "You knew?"

"I know everything that concerns my family," he said. "And Alexander’s personal life doesn’t concern you."

Olivia blinked, caught off guard. "I thought you had at least—"

"Be outraged? For what?" Benjamin cut in. "He is a grown man. If he wants to have dinner with someone, let him. It’s not your business, Olivia. Stop interfering in things that don’t belong to you."

The words hit their mark and for a moment, she couldn’t speak.

Benjamin’s tone softened slightly, though it was more patronizing than kind. "You have made quite a hobby of meddling lately. Try to rest and focus on something that makes you look good."

Olivia swallowed the rising heat in her throat and decided to change the topic all together. "Speaking of which—" she said carefully, "the charity event is tomorrow night and the club is hosting it and your presence would make a statement. People notice when you attend these things with me."

"Hmmm—" Benjamin’s reply was noncommittal. "I will check with my assistant and let you know."

Her smile faltered. "It’s tomorrow, Benjamin. You don’t need your assistant to tell you your schedule."

He didn’t respond to that. Instead, he said, "I’ll see you later, Olivia," and the line went dead.

Olivia lowered the phone slowly.

The man who had once chased her across every ballroom in the city now couldn’t even commit to a single evening beside her. And the boy she had spent years trying to win over wouldn’t even look her in the eye.

Her fingers tightened around the glass until she heard it crack faintly.

"Well then," she whispered to the empty room. "If none of you will play by my rules, I will simply change the game." Her voice was calm but laced with venom.

She took a slow sip of her drink and her lips curled into a smile that was anything but warm.

Tomorrow night’s charity event would give her the stage she needed and she would make sure that everyone, especially Alexander and Evelyn, remembered who truly ruled the Reid circle.

.....