Chapter 86: Chapter 86
Olivia’s POV
"David, I can explain," I tried to reason with him as I realized my cover was entirely blown and I didn’t know what else to do.
My heart hammered with fear as I watched his face turn dangerous. "Oh, you’re going to explain, sweetheart. Starting from why the hell you’re dressed like a man at my cousin’s engagement party." He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. "And if you don’t spill everything in the next five minutes, I’ll make sure everyone at that party knows exactly who Oliver Hopton really is."
I felt the blood drain from my face, but one word stood out from his threat like a light in darkness.
"Cousin?" I gasped, staring at him in dazed shock.
"Yeah, cousin," he replied with a smirk. "Alex is my cousin from my mother’s side. We recently started keeping in touch after years of family drama. Small world, isn’t it?"
The car suddenly felt like it was spinning. I gripped the door handle, feeling like I was going to be sick.
How is this even possible? How are all the men in my life connected to each other?
Maybe this was a sign from the universe that I needed to pack up and leave New York immediately. Perhaps I could disappear to some small town in the middle of nowhere where no one would ever recognize me, where I could start fresh without disguises and fake identities.
David must have noticed my shock because he suddenly asked. "How do you know Alex anyway? And why the hell did you have to dress like a man to attend his engagement party?"
"We’re... friends," I replied quickly, not wanting to give David any solid information he could use against me later. The bastard had a talent for weaponizing people’s weakness and using it against them.
But I needed to get control of this situation, and fast. Thinking quickly, I changed tactics and flashed him my most dazzling smile.
"You know, David, you look strikingly handsome tonight," I literally purred, hoping it’ll have the same effect on him like it always did. "Did you do something different? You’re practically glowing."
David’s chest puffed up slightly, and that proud satisfying expression clouded his face.
"Well, since you asked," he said, running a hand through his beautifully styled hair, "I enrolled for this exclusive skincare therapy retreat while in France. They use these rare Mediterranean minerals and..."
"Wow... It really shows," I interrupted with another compliment, watching as his ego inflated. "Your skin looks absolutely flawless. Like, model-level perfect."
David practically preened, as he delved into the story of his various skincare treatments, the celebrity aesthetician he’d hired, and the custom vitamin regimen he was following.
But just as I thought I might have successfully derailed his interrogation, he suddenly stopped mid-sentence and fixed me with a sharp look.
"Oh no, you don’t," he said, wagging a finger at me. "Don’t you dare try to change the fucking subject with your little compliment routine. I invented that move, sweetheart."
Damn it.
I sighed in defeat. "Fine. Look, I was desperately in need of a job at the time, okay? Wellington & Sons was the only company that would hire me." I looked out the window, trying to instill more pitiful emotions in my voice. "They have this archaic policy of only hiring men. So I... I adapted."
David said nothing. He just sat there, studying me with calculating eyes as Roy drove us toward what looked like an abandoned warehouse. The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable, and I felt panic starting to claw at my chest.
David was unpredictable on his best days, but when he got quiet like this? That’s when he was most dangerous. It was impossible to determine what was going on in that twisted mind of his.
The car finally stopped in front of a large, building. Before I could react, David had grabbed my wrist in a painful grip and was pulling me out of the car.
"David, I can walk perfectly fine on my own," I protested, trying to pull away from his grasp.
"I’m not giving you that chance to run," he muttered, dragging me toward the building. "I know how slippery you can be."
Just as we reached the entrance, David suddenly stopped and turned back toward the car.
"Roy!" he shouted. "Go into town and get a beautiful lady’s dress. Something elegant and perfect for her. Make it fast."
"Why the hell do I need a dress?" I asked in confusion, as another round of panic flooded me.
But David was already pulling me through the building’s entrance, completely ignoring my question.
Inside of the building was mostly empty except for a few chairs and sofas covered in protective plastic sheeting. It looked like a storage facility or maybe a warehouse that was being renovated. The kind of place where anything could go wrong.
Trust David to have a warehouse for his shitty dealings.
"Sit," he ordered, gesturing to one of the covered sofas.
I reluctantly complied, sitting on the edge of the plastic-covered cushion. The material crinkled loudly under my weight.
David stood in front of me, hands clasped behind his back like a general addressing his troops. When he spoke, his voice was deadly serious.
"Listen to me very carefully, Olivia. You’re going to quit that damn job with Maxwell Wellington and come work for me instead."
"What?" I shot to my feet immediately, my body trembling in rage. Is he fucking crazy? Why would I want to work for someone as deranged as this guy? "Over my dead body, David! I’ll never do that. I rather stay at home unemployed than work for you."
A slow, devilish smile spread across his face. "Well then, I guess we’ll just have to wait for Roy to come back with that dress." He settled into a chair across from me, looking too pleased with himself. "Because we’re going back to that engagement party tonight. But this time, you’re going as Olivia... to confess all your sins to everyone there."
My knees went weak with panic. "You wouldn’t."
"Try me, sweetheart," David said, his smile widening. "I’ve got nothing to loose, but you? everything."