Chapter 70

"What's wrong with you?" Liam demanded, his expression stunned by Olivia's violent reaction. His fingers tightened around her designer handbag, his other hand clamping down on her wrist like a vice. "Have you completely lost it? My mother said you've been behaving oddly at the estate! Explain yourself!"

Olivia remained silent. When Liam grabbed her, pure instinct took over - she sank her teeth into his hand without hesitation.

The overwhelming need to protect her secret pregnancy consumed her. She couldn't risk Liam discovering the truth, not when she knew exactly how dangerous that knowledge would be.

"Jesus Christ!" Liam jerked back, staring at the bite marks in shock. This wasn't the docile Olivia he knew. Seizing the moment, she yanked her bag free from his grasp.

"You're hiding something," Liam accused, his eyes narrowing. Then realization dawned. "It's true then? You actually cheated on me?"

Olivia quickly checked her bag's contents before meeting Liam's gaze with icy defiance.

"You're taking me back to our childhood," Liam murmured, his voice softening unexpectedly. "Remember our first real fight?"

The memory flashed through Olivia's mind unbidden. As a child, her fiery temper had been legendary. It was that same passionate spirit that had first drawn Natalie to her.

There had been an incident where Liam stole something precious from her, and young Olivia had launched herself at him with the fury of a hurricane.

Liam, several years older, had been raised with the old-fashioned rule about never striking girls. He'd endured her pummeling without retaliation, even as Henry chuckled in the background, amused by Liam's poor decision to provoke someone as fierce as Olivia.

"Haven't seen that side of you in years," Liam commented, an odd smile playing on his lips. "Still as wild as ever."

But Olivia remained unmoved by his nostalgia. The memory only reminded her of old wounds that never properly healed. She recalled overhearing Liam complain about how he disliked strong-willed women, specifically citing her once-fiery personality as unattractive.

In her desperate attempts to win his affection, Olivia had carefully tempered her spirit, molding herself into someone softer, more pliable. And still, it hadn't been enough.

Suddenly, Liam moved with startling speed, snatching the bag from her grasp. With one fluid motion, he upended it onto the bed. His eyes immediately locked onto several folded documents among the scattered items.

Snatching one up, Liam unfolded it quickly, his expression darkening as he read. He whirled toward Olivia, brandishing the paper like a weapon. "You carry divorce papers with you on business trips now?"

It was an exact copy of the documents Olivia had sent him weeks ago.

Olivia stood perfectly still, her face an unreadable mask, but her hand drifted unconsciously to cradle her stomach in a protective gesture that spoke volumes.

"Olivia," Liam said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as he stepped closer. "You're already my wife."

He reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his touch deceptively gentle. "You belong to me. Forever. Do you understand?"

Olivia met his gaze squarely, her eyes blazing with silent challenge that seemed to ask, "Yours? On what terms?"

Before Liam could respond, Olivia's gestures became sharp and emphatic, making it clear she was neither his pet nor his possession - she refused to be controlled at his whim.

Liam's face twisted in confusion and irritation. "What the hell are you saying?"

Olivia didn't retreat. Her hands trembled slightly as she signed rapidly, accusing him of treating Evelyn as his lover while keeping her like some prized show dog, with no regard for her feelings.

This marked the first time Olivia had ever been so brutally honest about their twisted relationship.

"A pet?" Liam scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You begged for this marriage. Now you want out? It doesn't work that way!"

With that final declaration, Liam slammed the door behind him, leaving Olivia alone in the ringing silence.

For what felt like hours, Olivia remained frozen. Eventually, she moved to gather her scattered belongings. Hidden in a secret compartment of her bag was the crumpled pregnancy test - mercifully unnoticed during their confrontation.

Despite Liam's accusations, Olivia knew the truth. She'd never forced him into marriage. He'd chosen this path willingly.

The next morning at precisely nine, Olivia and Isabella arrived at the filming location. While this marked Olivia's first professional shoot, she felt an unexpected calm beneath her nervous excitement.

That calm shattered the moment they entered the studio. There, lounging comfortably in the director's chair as if she owned the place, sat the last person Olivia wanted to see: Evelyn, all smiles as she chatted up the director.

"Who invited the uninvited guest?" Isabella muttered under her breath, her displeasure evident.

"She's just here for a screen test," a familiar male voice remarked casually from behind them.

Olivia's stomach dropped as Liam appeared. She closed her eyes briefly, a bitter smile touching her lips.

Natalie had always told her to do her best and let fate handle the rest. But here was proof that sometimes, no matter how hard you tried, certain people would always interfere.

Even here in Newport, Liam's influence reached like dark tendrils.

The director, despite his prestigious reputation and the authority he'd displayed during yesterday's casting, suddenly seemed diminished in Liam's presence.

"Does she even know the first thing about antique restoration?" Isabella snapped, her frustration boiling over. "If this is going to be some kind of joke, we shouldn't have wasted our time!"

"Now, now, no need for rudeness," Evelyn said, rising gracefully from the director's chair with a practiced smile. "I actually have acting experience, and I'm looking to return to the industry. This project seemed like the perfect opportunity."

The director coughed awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with Evelyn's transparent excuse.

Everyone present could see through the charade - this university promotional shoot had simply become another stage for Evelyn to upstage Olivia.

And Liam, doing nothing to stop it, appeared to be endorsing the whole farce.

Turning to Olivia with a saccharine smile, Evelyn proposed, "Since restoration isn't my expertise, I'll handle the establishing shots. Olivia, perhaps you could manage the detailed close-ups?"