Chapter 33

The tension in the air was palpable as Victoria Clarke made her intentions clear. Olivia Sinclair knew that even if she walked out of Gregory Thornton's studio right now, it wouldn't change anything.

Stepping forward, Olivia gestured her willingness to take on the repair job, asking if Victoria could open the paper bag to reveal its contents.

"What's she saying?" Victoria demanded rudely, unable to understand sign language.

Marcus Whitmore translated, "She said she can fix it and wants you to open the bag so she can see what's inside." His concerned gaze flickered between Olivia and Victoria before settling on the latter.

"Well, aren't you confident!" Victoria sneered, yanking open the bag to reveal a box bearing the Rowan logo.

"Is this supposed to be an antique?" Marcus frowned immediately.

"And why not?" Victoria lifted the lid with dramatic flair, exposing a pile of turquoise fragments barely recognizable as jewelry.

"These were matching bracelets - Rowan's very first products from one hundred ten years ago! Doesn't that qualify as antique?" Victoria declared with self-righteous satisfaction.

Gregory's studio had handled luxury antiques before, but these shattered pieces presented a far greater challenge than a vase with reference images.

Olivia moved closer, carefully examining the fragments.

"Five hundred thousand!" Victoria produced a black credit card with a flourish. "Full payment upfront. Your studio's reputation speaks for itself - I'm not worried about you running off with the money."

Marcus glanced at Olivia, his raised eyebrow asking the silent question.

Olivia nodded firmly. She signed to Marcus that she could handle the repair, but warned that Victoria clearly had ulterior motives. They needed to protect the studio's reputation.

Marcus assured her the team would handle everything else so she could focus solely on the restoration. They'd dealt with difficult clients before.

"Enough with the hand signals! Can you do it or not?" Victoria snapped.

"We'll take the job," Marcus replied coolly, locking eyes with Victoria. "Olivia will handle the restoration personally. No assistants. You're welcome to record the process or observe in person."

Victoria's lips curled into a sly smile. "That won't be necessary. I trust your studio's reputation. If you insist on no observers, I'll take your word for it. No recordings needed."

Olivia's instincts flared at Victoria's refusal. She knew documenting every step would be crucial for her own protection.

Before she could sign her concerns, Marcus produced a camera and contract. "Since you're paying upfront, we'll proceed immediately. Please review and sign the contract. The entire transaction will be recorded to document the items' condition before restoration."

Victoria's face darkened, but she complied. After a tense moment, she turned on her heel and left, while Olivia carefully gathered the fragments and returned to her workstation.

"Planning to take these home to work on them?" Marcus asked.

Olivia shook her head, explaining she lacked the proper tools at home and that Liam would likely disapprove if he saw her working on the pieces.

"Understood," Marcus said. "When you leave today, lock the bracelets in your cabinet and set a new password yourself."

It was obvious Victoria's appearance wasn't coincidence. Someone in the studio must have tipped her off, possibly planning to sabotage Olivia's work.

Olivia nodded in agreement.

Rather than diving straight into repairs, Olivia meticulously examined each fragment, photographing them from multiple angles to reconstruct their original form. She searched online for information about the historic bracelets. Though over a century old, the brand still existed, making it possible to find similar designs.

However, none of the reference images matched what lay before her.

As dinner time approached, Olivia decided to call it a day. She'd hoped to beat Liam home, but found him already waiting in the living room - not only home, but unusually early.

Startled, Olivia automatically offered him a smile.

"Did you go to Gregory's studio today? We agreed you wouldn't work." Liam stood, his expression stormy.

Olivia quickly explained she'd only gone to learn, not to work regularly - it hardly counted as employment.

"Don't go back," Liam commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Olivia's brows drew together, a spark of anger igniting in her chest. For the first time in years, she felt Liam was being unreasonable.

Previously, any disagreement made Olivia assume she was at fault. She'd always placed Liam on a pedestal, feeling unworthy of him. But now, for the first time, she believed he was the one being unfair.

For the first time, Olivia didn't immediately obey. Instead, she signed her question with deliberate movements, her brow furrowed in challenge. Why did he want her trapped at home when he was never there himself? What did he really think of her?

Liam's expression darkened further. "Olivia."

Rather than retreating, Olivia held his gaze, silently demanding an answer to what she truly meant to him.

Instead of responding, Liam suddenly closed the distance between them, cupped her chin, and kissed her.