Chapter 18 · Five Years Later, Mr. Walker Loses Control Again

Olivia took the takeout box. When her fingers brushed his, they trembled slightly.

Alex's eyes darkened.

Late that night. Olivia stayed by her brother's bed until he fell asleep, then quietly slipped out of the room.

At the end of the hallway, Alex was leaning by the window smoking.

The moment he saw her, he crushed out the cigarette. "What did Nathan say to you?"

Olivia walked up to him and looked straight into his eyes. "Alex, I'm going to ask you one question. You only need to answer yes or no."

Something flickered between Alex's brows. "Ask."

"Five years ago, when you got close to me and started dating me, did it have anything to do with Horizon?"

The air in the hallway went still. Alex stayed silent for a very long time. Long enough for Olivia's heart to sink inch by inch.

Then he finally spoke. "Yes."

That single word hit Olivia like a knife through the heart. Her body swayed, and she had to brace herself against the wall. "So what Charles said was all true?"

Alex's eyes were dark beyond reading. "Not all of it."

"Then what was true? And what was a lie?"

Alex reached out to steady her, but she dodged him. His hand froze in midair. "Olivia, the first day I met you five years ago, it really was because I found out you'd interned at Horizon.

"At the time, Horizon was secretly shorting our company's stock, and I needed a way in. Your internship happened to involve some internal procedures in Horizon's legal department."

Olivia's voice shook. "So you got close to me because of that? You made me fall in love with you? Was the whole thing an act from beginning to end?"

Alex's voice came out low, rough, and urgent. "No.

"Olivia, no.

"I admit my original motive wasn't pure. But once I was with you, I shut down the whole investigation within a month.

"I told you before, the thing I hate most in this life is deceit. There's no way I could keep using you while telling you I loved you.

"What I felt for you was real."

Olivia looked at him.

She remembered the warm, bright young man from five years ago, blushing so hard his ears turned red the first time he struck up a conversation with her in the library.

She remembered the first time he cooked for her, when he mistook salt for sugar and they both spat out the first bite before laughing until they couldn't breathe.

She remembered the first time he said, "I love you," his voice shaking from nerves.

Had all of that been an act?

"What about that photo?" she asked. "The one with you and that woman in the hotel room, what was that about?"

Alex frowned. "What photo?"

"The one Charles showed Nathan. The one where you were holding some woman in a hotel room."

Alex's gaze turned razor-sharp. "Olivia, I've never taken any woman into a hotel room. Ever. Except you."

He pulled out his phone and made a call. "Joe, look into something for me. Three years ago, Charles showed Nathan a photo and claimed it was me with a woman in a hotel room. Trace where that photo came from."

When he hung up, he looked back at Olivia. "Give me three days. I'll bring you the truth."

"But before that," he stepped forward and gripped her shoulders. "You're not allowed to disappear on me again. You're not allowed to sit there alone and overthink. And you're not allowed to say 'this is where we end' ever again."

Tears slid down Olivia's face. "Alex, I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"That everything I've held on to these past five years was a joke."

Alex pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "It wasn't a joke. Olivia, listen to me. No matter what my reason was at the start, my love for you was never fake. Not even for a second."

The hallway fell quiet, leaving only Olivia's muffled sobs and the steady, powerful beat of Alex's heart.

Inside the hospital room, Nathan lay awake staring at the ceiling.

His phone screen was lit up with a new text from an unsaved number: [Your sister's relationship with Alex is built on lies. If you want the whole truth, meet me at the old place tomorrow at 3 p.m.]

Nathan clenched the phone so hard his knuckles whitened. His gaunt face reflected in the screen, along with the darkness buried deep in his eyes. Then he deleted the text and closed his eyes.

Chapter 18

Olivia took the takeout box. When her fingers brushed his, they trembled slightly.

Alex's eyes darkened.

Late that night. Olivia stayed by her brother's bed until he fell asleep, then quietly slipped out of the room.

At the end of the hallway, Alex was leaning by the window smoking.

The moment he saw her, he crushed out the cigarette. "What did Nathan say to you?"

Olivia walked up to him and looked straight into his eyes. "Alex, I'm going to ask you one question. You only need to answer yes or no."

Something flickered between Alex's brows. "Ask."

"Five years ago, when you got close to me and started dating me, did it have anything to do with Horizon?"

The air in the hallway went still. Alex stayed silent for a very long time. Long enough for Olivia's heart to sink inch by inch.

Then he finally spoke. "Yes."

That single word hit Olivia like a knife through the heart. Her body swayed, and she had to brace herself against the wall. "So what Charles said was all true?"

Alex's eyes were dark beyond reading. "Not all of it."

"Then what was true? And what was a lie?"

Alex reached out to steady her, but she dodged him. His hand froze in midair. "Olivia, the first day I met you five years ago, it really was because I found out you'd interned at Horizon.

"At the time, Horizon was secretly shorting our company's stock, and I needed a way in. Your internship happened to involve some internal procedures in Horizon's legal department."

Olivia's voice shook. "So you got close to me because of that? You made me fall in love with you? Was the whole thing an act from beginning to end?"

Alex's voice came out low, rough, and urgent. "No.

"Olivia, no.

"I admit my original motive wasn't pure. But once I was with you, I shut down the whole investigation within a month.

"I told you before, the thing I hate most in this life is deceit. There's no way I could keep using you while telling you I loved you.

"What I felt for you was real."

Olivia looked at him.

She remembered the warm, bright young man from five years ago, blushing so hard his ears turned red the first time he struck up a conversation with her in the library.

She remembered the first time he cooked for her, when he mistook salt for sugar and they both spat out the first bite before laughing until they couldn't breathe.

She remembered the first time he said, "I love you," his voice shaking from nerves.

Had all of that been an act?

"What about that photo?" she asked. "The one with you and that woman in the hotel room, what was that about?"

Alex frowned. "What photo?"

"The one Charles showed Nathan. The one where you were holding some woman in a hotel room."

Alex's gaze turned razor-sharp. "Olivia, I've never taken any woman into a hotel room. Ever. Except you."

When he hung up, he looked back at Olivia. "Give me three days. I'll bring you the truth."

Tears slid down Olivia's face. "Alex, I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"That everything I've held on to these past five years was a joke."

Alex pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "It wasn't a joke. Olivia, listen to me. No matter what my reason was at the start, my love for you was never fake. Not even for a second."

The hallway fell quiet, leaving only Olivia's muffled sobs and the steady, powerful beat of Alex's heart.

Inside the hospital room, Nathan lay awake staring at the ceiling.

His phone screen was lit up with a new text from an unsaved number: [Your sister's relationship with Alex is built on lies. If you want the whole truth, meet me at the old place tomorrow at 3 p.m.]

Nathan clenched the phone so hard his knuckles whitened. His gaunt face reflected in the screen, along with the darkness buried deep in his eyes. Then he deleted the text and closed his eyes.