Chapter 11
Restless and concerned about potential trouble from Mike, Olivia spent the entire afternoon in a state of unease. Clutching her laptop, she diligently submitted resumes to multiple companies, hoping for a new opportunity to come her way.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door again.
Startled, she immediately closed her laptop and stared at the door, not daring to open it.
Jack glanced back at her, sensing her fear. After contemplating, he took the initiative to get up and open the door.
“Olivia, I have brought you…” The man standing in the doorway suddenly fell silent, his eyes locked onto Jack, his voice resonating with a deep timbre. “Who are you?”
The man scrutinized Jack, and at the same time, Jack also assessed him. The man appeared to be in his early twenties, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. He had a crew cut, sharp eyebrows, and well-defined facial features.
Olivia approached and saw that it was her good friend Branden Melton. She immediately felt relieved and rushed forward to defuse the tension. “Branden, what brings you here?”
Branden shifted his gaze away from Jack’s face and handed her the fruit basket he was holding. “You mentioned wanting to eat lychees, right? Someone gave my grandfather two boxes, so he asked me to bring some for you.”
“Oh, I see,” she acknowledged, accepting the fruit basket. “Please, come inside.”
Seeing Jack still blocking the doorway, she said, “Branden, this is my colleague, Jack Shaw.”
Once more, her friend’s eyes locked with Jack’s. Jack offered a faint smile, yet Branden’s eyebrows subtly furrowed, sensing an imperceptible danger emanating from this man who stood before him. His intuition alerted him that Jack was distinct from the others who had pursued Olivia.
“Jack, let him in already.” Olivia tugged at his sleeve. “He is my childhood friend.”
Upon hearing her words, Jack stepped aside, making way for her friend.
Just as Branden was about to step inside, he seemed to have a sudden realization.
He said, “Olivia, apart from being your childhood friend…” As he spoke, he looked at Jack, “I am also your fiancé.”
Jack’s deep gaze narrowed slightly, and as their eyes met, it felt like an invisible gun smoke permeated the air.
Her hands trembled ever so slightly, causing her to release her grip on the lychees. She approached Branden and urgently pulled him inside, speaking in a hushed voice, “What are you saying? Why would you utter such words?”
He responded, “I am merely stating the truth.”
While the two of them had known each other for so many years, he had never said such words before. Moreover, he had said it should not be taken seriously when his grandfather and her grandmother joked about betrothing them. Therefore, she felt so embarrassed when he suddenly blurted out such a statement, especially in front of someone else.
He said expressionlessly, “I am worried that someone with ill intentions might deceive you.”
She rubbed her forehead, realizing that just because of what had happened with Blaine back then, he now thought that every man who approached her had ill intentions. Because of his worry that scammers or womanizers would deceive her, she did not have any male friends apart from him now.
“What are you talking about? He is my colleague.”
“I have met your colleagues before. How come I don’t remember this person?”
“He is new,” she said nervously.
“You bring a new colleague home? Don’t you have any awareness of self-protection?”
“Oh lord, you’re overthinking. I am not some wealthy lady. What can he gain from me? Say no more. I do not want anyone to hear it. It is embarrassing.”
Although the two of them seemed to be whispering, Jack, standing behind them, heard their conversation clearly. He smirked and casually said, “Should I leave you guys?”
She hesitated for a moment, then turned around and smiled awkwardly. “No need. He’s that kind of person. Don’t take it personally.”
Branden tightly pursed his lips, walked past her, and headed toward Barbara.
“Granny, how are you feeling?”
“I am doing well. Branden, what brings you here today?”
“I just came back from a business trip and wanted to see you and Olivia.”
Looking at him, Olivia could not help but sigh with melancholy. Every time he got angry, he would give her the cold shoulder!
Jack chuckled, “Well, your fiancé seems a little upset.”
She averted her gaze and said helplessly, “Don’t tease me. It was a betrothal made eight hundred years ago. I bet even Granny has forgotten about it.”
Moreover, she and Branden were so familiar with each other that even if they held hands, it would be like holding their own hands. There would be no chemistry between the two at all.
Branden, who always treated her like a sister, was more like a brother to her.
Therefore, the idea of him as a fiancé never crossed her mind.
“Is that so?” Jack clearly did not believe her words. He never misjudged people, and it appeared that Branden and Olivia were more than just siblings.
“Of course. If he really were my fiancé, I wouldn’t have brought you here at all.”
Jack nodded with a slight smile and did not say anything further.
Suddenly, she remembered something and asked Jack, “You have not bought your toiletries yet, right? Let’s head out and get you some later.”
Meanwhile, Branden suddenly looked up and stared straight at her. “What toiletries?”
Jack assumed control of the conversation, asserting, “Of course, mine. Mr. Melton, don’t you understand?”
“I am asking why?” Branden inquired, his tone laced with a hint of impatience.
Jack casually lifted his gaze. As though concerned about Branden’s ability to grasp his words, he enunciated each syllable deliberately and slowly, “Because I intend to reside here.”
Branden fixed his gaze upon her, his eyes reflecting a blend of astonishment and fury, causing her to experience an unsettling unease.
“Well…”
She was about to defend herself when a loud bang suddenly came from outside the door.
“Let me get the door!” She took the opportunity to end the conversation.
She reached the doorstep, grabbed the handle, and opened the door. She found half a dozen men with brightly colored hair standing outside. Meanwhile, they carried an intimidating aura and were clearly bad eggs.
Before she could speak, the group rushed in. The red-haired thug, leading the rest, pushed her aside, causing her to stumble and hit the wall behind her.
“Who are you?” She regained her composure and quickly stepped forward to stop them.
“Are you Olivia Greenwood?” the thug asked condescendingly.
“What do you want?” Seeing this group of people, she could tell that something terrible was about to happen.
The thug sneered and pushed her aside again. “That’s you.”
After saying that, the red-haired thug shouted, “Smash everything!”
