Chapter 49

"Look who decided to show up - the queen of manipulation herself!" Natalie scoffed as Evelyn appeared, her perfectly manicured fingers tightening around her coffee cup.

Evelyn's flawless smile faltered for just a second before she regained composure. She slid into the booth with practiced grace, her designer purse landing with a soft thud beside Olivia. "I couldn't help overhearing your little chat. Olivia, darling, is it true you're leaving Liam?"

"Which part of 'private conversation' don't you understand? Or are you just that desperate to insert yourself where you don't belong?" Natalie shot back, her eyes flashing with irritation.

Olivia felt her pulse quicken. How much had Evelyn actually heard? And more importantly - how had Liam shared something so personal with her already?

Evelyn leaned forward, her voice dripping with false concern. "You've already served him divorce papers, haven't you?"

The confirmation stung. Of course Liam would run straight to Evelyn with their marital problems. Those two had no boundaries. But having Evelyn confront her about it? That was a new low.

"You really shouldn't go through with it," Evelyn continued smoothly.

Natalie nearly choked on her latte. "Excuse me? Who asked for your opinion? Get lost!"

Ignoring Natalie's outburst, Evelyn kept her predatory gaze locked on Olivia. "I heard you're doing this for my sake. How noble. But darling, I don't need your charity. I've always gotten exactly what I wanted without anyone's help."

The truth in her words burned. Everyone knew how much Liam spoiled Evelyn.

"And you," Evelyn's manicured nail tapped the table pointedly, "haven't touched a cent of his fortune. So why the sudden change of heart?"

Natalie opened her mouth to protest, but Olivia was quicker. Her fingers flew across her phone screen before turning it toward Evelyn. "Even if I leave him, the Blackwoods would never accept you. Not with your... reputation."

The unspoken word - mistress - hung heavy between them. Evelyn wore the title like a badge of honor in their circles, but Olivia knew the truth. The Blackwoods valued pedigree above all else.

Evelyn's smile turned brittle as she read the message.

Olivia typed again, her fingers steady despite the pounding in her chest. "And when they arrange Liam's next marriage? His new wife won't be as tolerant as I've been."

The barb hit its mark. Evelyn's carefully constructed mask slipped, revealing the venom beneath. "You think you'll fare better? At least I have his heart!"

Unfazed, Olivia typed her final blow. "Don't worry about me. I'll always be Henry Winslow's beloved granddaughter."

Evelyn's nostrils flared. Before she could retort, Natalie snatched up a water glass. "Last warning, Hartley. Get out before I redecorate your designer dress."

"You wouldn't dare!" Evelyn scrambled up so fast her chair screeched across the floor. With one last venomous glare, she stormed out, her stilettos clicking angrily against the tile.

Natalie turned to Olivia, eyes wide. "How the hell did she find out? Did Liam really tell her everything?"

Olivia exhaled slowly. She hadn't expected Evelyn to take the bait so easily. The truth was far more complicated - as the current head of Blackwood Enterprises, Liam could marry whomever he pleased. The family's objections wouldn't stop him if he truly wanted Evelyn.

Apparently, Evelyn didn't know that. Or maybe her insecurities ran deeper than Olivia realized.

"Olivia, listen to me," Natalie said gently, reaching across the table. "This decision is yours alone. Don't let anyone - not Liam, not Evelyn - pressure you into anything."

The sudden ringing of Olivia's phone cut through the moment. Ryan Carter's name flashed on the screen - she'd saved his number during her last hospital visit. Why was he calling now?

Her blood ran cold the second she answered. "Mrs. Blackwood, you need to come to Mercy Hospital immediately. Liam collapsed. We're running tests now."

Collapsed? The same mysterious illness that had claimed Henry's life? The thought sent Olivia bolting from her seat, her coffee forgotten.

"Olivia! What's wrong?" Natalie called after her.

But Olivia was already halfway to the door, frantically signaling for her driver. "Mercy Hospital. Now." Her voice shook as the car peeled away from the curb.

She practically tumbled out before the car fully stopped at the emergency entrance, sprinting through the automatic doors. Ryan's text guided her to the correct floor, each step heavier than the last. The possibility of losing Liam - really losing him - made her chest constrict painfully.

She burst into the private suite, her breath coming in ragged gasps, only to freeze in the doorway.

There sat Liam, perfectly alert in his hospital gown, frowning at a tablet balanced on his knees. He looked up at her sudden entrance, his eyebrows lifting in surprise at her disheveled appearance.

"Someone's eager to see her husband," Ryan teased from behind her, his smirk audible. "I'd say this qualifies as true love - rushing here in record time."

Olivia's cheeks burned as she stood rooted to the spot, suddenly aware of how her frantic dash might be misinterpreted. Especially by the man currently studying her with an unreadable expression.

The realization hit her like a bucket of ice water - she'd just revealed far more than she'd intended.