Chapter 389

Olivia found herself reluctantly drawn into the tense exchange, though every fiber of her being screamed to stay out of it. She turned to Daniel with a mixture of exasperation and concern. "Mr. Bennett, while your wife's words may be harsh, she does love you. Perhaps if you showed her more reassurance, she wouldn't feel so insecure."

Victoria's anger simmered, but Olivia's unexpected intervention made her pause. She turned, her gaze sharp. "You seem to understand more than Daniel ever could."

The compliment hung in the air, laced with something colder beneath—like the glint of a blade hidden beneath silk. Daniel absorbed Olivia's words but remained silent, his jaw tight with restrained frustration.

Olivia moved toward her car, adjusting Isabelle in her arms. "She's getting sleepy. I should take her home to rest. We can all have dinner together another time."

But before she could open the car door, a hand clamped around her wrist. Victoria.

Her grip was unyielding, as if she feared Olivia might vanish into thin air. "Why postpone? Let's go tonight. I shouldn't have spoken so harshly earlier. If you refuse, I'll assume you're still upset with me."

Olivia hesitated. "Another night, perhaps. Isabelle really needs to sleep."

Victoria's persistence was relentless. "You just don’t want to dine with me, do you? If Isabelle needs rest, let the housekeeper take her home. You have bodyguards. What could possibly happen?"

Daniel finally snapped. "Victoria, enough. Why are you forcing this?"

Her temper flared. "I'm merely inviting her to dinner. Why are you so defensive? Do you think I mean her harm? Daniel, if there’s truly nothing between you two, why object to a simple meal?"

The accusation was thinly veiled, and Olivia felt the trap closing around her. She knew this dinner was unavoidable now—some things needed to be settled.

Though she trusted Beatrice Ellington to be reasonable, Olivia had no intention of provoking the Kensington family. It simply wasn’t worth the trouble.

She brushed a hand over Isabelle’s hair. "Will you be alright going back with the staff?"

Isabelle nodded confidently. "Mommy, don’t worry. The bodyguards and Mr. Winston will take care of me."

Olivia smiled, pinching her daughter’s cheek affectionately. "You’re my brave girl."

Daniel clearly disapproved of Olivia’s acquiescence, but one glance at Victoria’s stormy expression kept him silent.

Victoria selected an intimate, upscale restaurant. "Olivia, I hope this suits your tastes. I heard you’ve returned to the Kensington family and are living quite luxuriously. It must be difficult to remember what normal life was like."

Olivia ignored the barb, responding with a light laugh. "Not at all. Luxury hasn’t made me forget my past. Though I suppose I can’t compare to you—raised in privilege, never knowing hardship."

She glanced at Daniel. "You should be more considerate of your wife. She was once carefree, utterly adored by her family."

The tension between them was palpable, an unspoken battle of wills beneath the veneer of civility.