Chapter 306

The murmurs of the dispersing crowd still carried to Olivia's ears like poisonous darts.

"Honestly, if I were Liam, I'd rather disappear than show my face here. What a disgrace."

"What's his game anyway? Defending Olivia? After everything that happened between them?"

"Open your eyes. With Olivia's growing power, he's clearly trying to get back in her good graces. Pathetic, really."

"How the mighty have fallen. That arrogant prince finally got his comeuppance. I'd pay to see his face right now."

Olivia felt a strange tightness in her chest. Liam must have heard every cruel word. Yet his expression remained as unreadable as ever, those sharp aristocratic features betraying nothing. The whispers might as well have been distant thunder for all the reaction they provoked.

She knew Liam Blackwood better than these vipers ever could. His pride was legendary, unbreakable. The idea that he'd debase himself to curry favor was laughable. There had to be another reason for his intervention today, something hidden beneath that impenetrable facade.

Keeping her distance, Olivia studied him from across the room. The gulf between them now seemed wider than the ocean. She'd learned the hard way to put herself first, to build walls where bridges once stood.

When Liam finished speaking with Donovan, their eyes met across the crowded space. For one fleeting second, Olivia thought she saw something raw and vulnerable flash in those dark eyes - then it was gone, locked away behind his usual mask.

With one last unreadable glance, Liam turned and walked away. The finality of his departure struck Olivia with unexpected force, leaving behind an ache she couldn't explain. Some instinct told her this might truly be goodbye.

Alone in her suite later, Olivia finally opened the package Liam had sent. Her breath caught at the contents - a black credit card with no spending limit, the kind reserved for royalty.

But that was nothing compared to the bank statements and checks totaling ten million dollars. Beneath them lay a bundle of letters - some from Henry, her grandfather, others... from Liam himself.

The letters from Henry were old friends, cherished words she'd left behind at the Winslow estate during her hasty departure. She knew each line by heart, those comforting phrases that had sustained her through countless lonely nights.

Liam's letter was the shock. After everything, she never expected to hear from him again. Her hands trembled as she unfolded the crisp stationery, the familiar scent of his cologne faint on the paper.

"Henry always said you were too kind for your own good," the letter began. "That you needed armor to match your gentle heart. He wanted to give you these when you were ready to fight back."

"I believed you'd always stay with the Winslows, protected by family ties. I was wrong. Now I see you've grown into the woman Henry always knew you could be."

"These were always meant to be yours. I've merely been their keeper. The time has come to return what's rightfully yours."