The footage loads, grainy in the dim glow of her bedside lamp. She’s curled up in bed, tangled in her sheets, sleeping soundly. Untouched. Safe.
The tightness in my chest eases. It is enough to finally let sleep take me.
Morning comes and with it,the unbearable need to see Olivia.
I stand in front of the mirror longer than usual, adjusting my shirt, ensuring every detail is precise. I have never been a man who doubts his appearance—I know what I am, and I know theeffect I have on Olivia. But today, I want it to be undeniable. I want her eyes on me and nowhere else.
The navy shirt. The cologne she once admitted she liked, though she blushed furiously after saying it. The sharp cut of my coat.
I almost laugh at myself, but it would sound bitter.
What has Olivia reduced me to?
I have power, influence, control over things most people wouldn’t dare to dream of, and yet here I am, resorting to something asprimitiveas physical attraction, as if it will keep her tethered to me.
Perhaps it will.
I leave the penthouse without breakfast, the growing urgency in my chest making it impossible to sit still. I don’t tell Olivia I’m coming. I expect her to be ready for me, waiting.
She isn’t.
As I approach her dorm, my steps slow.
She isn’t alone. She’s standing with Landon.
I stop cold.
A sharp spike of irritation flares in my chest, but I force myself to remain still, to watch. I want to see how this plays out.
I step into the shadow of the dorm entrance, partially obscured by the flow of students moving in and out.
Landon looks hesitant but determined. Olivia looks startled at first, then…she softens.
My jaw clenches.
She isn’t cold toward him. She doesn’t walk away immediately. She doesn’t look like she regrets talking to him.
And then, the final betrayal—she reaches up to tuck her hair behind her ear.
I know that gesture. It’s an unconscious sign of openness, of vulnerability. That small movement tells me everything I need to know.
I don’t realize I’m gripping my car keys in my fist until my knuckles ache.
I could end this now.
I could step forward, remind Landon exactly who she belongs to. Watch the color drain from his face when he realizes.
But I don’t.
Instead, I step back further into the shadows, watching as they part ways. Olivia turns toward the dorm building, passing within feet of me without realizing I’m there.
I wait for a message. An explanation. Something.
Nothing comes.
She had the chance to tell me. She didn’t take it.
I exhale slowly, forcing myself to release my grip on my keys, turning my heel as I make my way toward the lecture hall. I will see her in class soon enough.
