The thought sends my pulse thrumming with something that feels dangerously close to panic. I have to find her.Now.
I move through the hallways with purpose, my eyes scanning every open doorway, every passing shadow. My mind flickers through the possibilities, my breath growing sharper with every second she remains unseen.
Then—voices.
Familiar. Feminine.
I follow the sound until I reach the entrance of my grandmother’s sitting room. My fingers curl against the doorframe as I take in the scene before me.
Olivia sits next to my mother on the antique loveseat. Their postures are relaxed, but their faces… It’s clear they’ve just shared an emotional moment. I can see it in Olivia’s eyes.
Although it was inevitable, the sight of them together sets me on edge.
My mother is my blood, my past. Olivia is my love, my future. I would have preferred to spend the rest of my life keeping them in separate corners of my existence, and yet, here they are, sharing something private.
Something about me, no doubt.
The mere notion of it is deeply unpalatable to me. Not because I don’t trust Olivia, but because I have no knowledge of what passed between them. What’s been shared in my absence. What conclusions have been drawn. Just then, Roger announces the arrival of the guests, forcing me to suspend my curiosity for now.
The grand foyeris already buzzing with the arrival of family, the low hum of conversation swelling as more guests trickle in, coats whisked away by the staff with quiet efficiency. The Caldwell estate has always been a stage for grandeur—flawless, polished gatherings where everything gleams just enough to remind everyone of the storied legacy that the family name carries.
The laughter and polite conversation of my extended family fill the space, as waitstaff in crisp uniforms move seamlesslythrough the room, balancing trays of champagne flutes and signature holiday cocktails.
But tonight, I’m not focused on the gilded surroundings or the murmurs of status-laden pleasantries.
No. Tonight, my focus is entirely on Olivia.
She stands beside me, stunning in the midnight-blue dress I zipped onto her body earlier, allowing my fingers to trail slowly up her spine as I memorized every dip and curve it accentuated.
Now, as she greets my family with poise, I watch with a mixture of pride and something darker—a heat that flares in my chest every time I catch one of my relatives looking at her for a moment too long.
Introductions are tedious, as expected.
My aunts, uncles, and other distant relatives are polite, though also assessing. Olivia handles it with grace, answering each question with confidence. She’s warm and attentive, deferential when courtesy demands it, but never small. She’s simply herself. And that alone is enough to command their attention.
I can see the approval growing behind their smiles, the way they mentally categorize her as someone worth noting.
“You’re such a beautiful girl,” Aunt Lydia says, reaching to grasp Olivia’s hand. “And so well-mannered. It’s wonderful that Nathaniel brought someone so lovely into our family.”
They are impressed. How could they not be?
It should please me. Instead, I find myself itching to pull her closer, to remind them all exactly who she belongs to.
Especially when my cousins join in.
“Lovely?” one of them cuts in. “That’s an understatement.”
I should have anticipated it. The moment they descend—grinning, smug, and entirely too at ease—my patience thins.
“If I’d known you’d bring someone this beautiful,” drawls Russell, the younger of my two male cousins, flashing Olivia a slow, appraising smile, “I’d have returned to New York sooner.”
I level him with a cool stare. “Good thing you didn’t, then.”
He smirks. “Honestly, Liv,”—I bristle at the nickname—“I have to ask, how did he manage to win you over? Because Nate has no game, and I can’t picture him begging.”
Olivia laughs, a sound that makes my stomach warm even as my jaw locks. “He didn’t have to beg at all,” she says lightly, glancing up at me through her lashes. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”
Something settles in me at that. A reminder that she has chosen me, willingly. Still, it doesn’t stop me from shooting a glare at Russell, one he ignores completely as he exchanges a mischievous glance with our other cousin, Andrew.
