CHAPTER TWELVE
Olivia knew Ryan's words were sharp, like little stinging insects. So, of course, his rudeness was going to prick her skin. Still, she followed him back to his large, imposing residence.
The moment they stepped inside, the sheer huge size of the place made Olivia whisper, almost to herself, "Where am I supposed to sleep?" She questioned.
Ryan didn't even glance her way. He offered no reply.
But his Beta gave a small smile and stepped forward quickly. "I would be happy to arrange that for you."
Ryan simply nodded, already turning his direction into another room. Olivia started to follow, but just as she reached the doorway, the heavy door slammed shut in her face with a loud thud.
A surprised, almost embarrassed chuckle escaped Olivia as she heard the distinct click of the lock turning from the inside. Slowly, she turned to face the Beta, Micheal. "Has he always been this... insensitive?" she asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
Micheal seemed hesitant, unwilling to speak ill of his Alpha. He cleared his throat and offered a neutral response. "Uhmmm... why don't you come with me?" he suggested, gesturing down a different hallway.
The room Micheal showed Olivia wasn't grand, but it was neat and tidy, with a pleasant atmosphere. A small window offered a view of the surrounding grounds.
Before Micheal could leave, the question that had been nagging Olivia slipped out. "Does the Alpha... spend more time awake or unconscious?"
Micheal paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "It's hard to say," he admitted. "The Alpha... he might be cursed. When he spends too much time awake, the curse can strike at any moment. But as long as you keep your distance and go about your business, I believe the Alpha wouldn't treat you badly. And if you have any... unruly thoughts..." He trailed off, his eyes flicking towards her.
"What do you mean by 'unruly thought'?" Olivia interrupted, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Wait, don't tell me it's because I might want to sleep with the Alpha? Is that what you consider unruly?"
Micheal looked genuinely shocked, his eyes widening slightly. "You..." he stammered, clearly taken aback by her directness.
Olivia raised her eyebrows, then sighed dramatically. "Why are you all acting so weird? We're all adults here. Can't we just stop making a huge deal out of something so... natural?"
Micheal had stood by Ryan's side for a long time, witnessing many women around the Alpha. But this was the first time he had ever heard a woman so openly and boldly declare her interest in sleeping with him.
Feeling completely out of his depth, Micheal decided it was best to end the conversation. "I... I should go," he mumbled, turning and leaving the room quickly.
Olivia walked over to the window, gazing at the scenery outside. Then, her eyes narrowed slightly, a serious look appearing in them.
The Moon Goddess hadn't presented her with a dead end yet, and Olivia intended to seize this opportunity with both hands. In the past, she had been too passive, allowing herself to be stepped on and walked all over. But she wouldn't dwell on that now.
Her stepmother and sister had controlled her life for far too long, and the hurt they had inflicted still lingered. But right now, Olivia felt a shift within her.
She believed their time of dominance was over. Their nightmare, she thought with a grim satisfaction, had just begun, and they should prepare to face the consequences.
THREE HOURS LATER
Ryan stared intently at the files displayed on his computer screen, his expression unreadable. Suddenly, he spoke, his voice cutting through the silence of the large office. "Tell me, have you checked it out?"
Micheal, who had been standing nearby, responded immediately, his tone brisk and efficient. "Yes, Alpha, everything has been thoroughly checked." He swiftly placed another document in front of Ryan. "This is Olivia's personal information, as you requested."
Ryan picked up the document and gave it a cursory glance. Her background appeared remarkably clean.
If it weren't for the murder charge hanging over her, she wouldn't seem like a bad person at all.
Micheal cleared his throat hesitantly. "In my opinion, Alpha, Olivia doesn't seem like a malicious person. But after what she did to Sarah earlier today..." He paused, unsure how to phrase his concern. "But Alpha, why are you still keeping her around? You obviously don't seem... interested in…"
Ryan's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "She will be useful."
Micheal didn't dare to question his Alpha's decision. The outside world often labeled Ryan as a lunatic, but Micheal knew better. Beneath the surface, Ryan was sharp and calculating, always with a purpose.
To Micheal, Ryan was a perfect Alpha, an Alpha both powerful and unpredictable. Those who became his targets rarely found a happy ending.
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Olivia had remained in her room, and as evening approached, she still hadn't been summoned for dinner. She had ventured downstairs several times, her stomach rumbling with increasing urgency, but there had been no sign of any meal being prepared for her. She rubbed her belly, wondering if she was intentionally being starved.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was half past eight in the evening. Finally, unable to bear the hunger any longer, she walked out of her room. As she made her way down the hallway, she caught a tantalizing scent – food. Following the aroma, she found herself in a large dining room. Ryan was sitting alone at a massive table laden with numerous dishes, yet he hadn't touched any of them. His attention was completely absorbed by a tablet he held in his hands.
Seeing her enter the room, Ryan's brow furrowed in annoyance. "What are you doing here? I don't recall inviting you to eat with me." His tone was cold, unwelcoming.
"Exactly," Olivia replied, her voice surprisingly cheerful. "So I had to invite myself, My Alpha. I forgive you for forgetting to call me for dinner.
Moreover," she added with a playful wink, "I wouldn't hold a grudge since I arrived just in time."
Ryan stared at her as if she had suddenly sprouted another head, utter confusion etched on his face.
Olivia casually adjusted a chair and pulled it out, settling herself at the large table. She reached for a fresh plate and fork. "So, what's your ritual before eating? Do you say a blessing, perhaps thank the Moon Goddess for such a lovely meal?" As she spoke, she had already filled her mouth with a fluffy baked bun, her eyes closing in apparent enjoyment.
The servants who were present exchanged bewildered whispers. They couldn't fathom where Olivia had found the audacity to sit down and eat without the Alpha's explicit permission.
They knew Ryan's meticulous nature, his aversion to messiness during meals, and his strong dislike of eating food that others had touched. If any of those boundaries were crossed, he would likely refuse to eat the entire spread.
A shiver of apprehension ran through them. They wouldn't be surprised if Olivia was soon dragged out and offered as a meal to the dangerous creatures that roamed the nearby woods.
The veins in Ryan's forehead began to throb visibly. He abruptly put down his tablet, his gaze now fixed on Olivia. "Olivia!" he exclaimed, his voice sharp with irritation.
This was the first time he had actually called her name since she had started brazenly helping herself to the food. "Ughh!" Olivia mumbled around a mouthful of some sort of savory pastry.
Ryan's control finally snapped. "I want you to get out," he stated firmly, his eyes blazing with anger and strong disbelief at her attitude.
Olivia looked up at him, her cheeks still full. "Why... why should I leave?" she asked, her tone laced with mock innocence. "You're sitting at this enormous table with a mountain of delicious food, yet you seem more interested in staring at your tablet than actually eating. You need to stop being so greedy."
A collective gasp swept through the room. Everyone present was acutely aware that Ryan suffered from an eating disorder, a condition that kept his weight dangerously low. They understood that his reluctance to eat wasn't out of mere pickiness, but a genuine struggle. Olivia's blunt accusation, they feared, was akin to poking a caged beast with a sharp stick.
"Why don't you try this?" Olivia said, scooping a generous meatball from her plate and offering it towards Ryan. He completely ignored her gesture, instead grabbing a few pieces of roasted chicken and began to eat them.
"You should have just told me that's what you wanted, My Alpha." Olivia continued, undeterred, "and I would have happily given them to you instead of leaving my hand hanging in the air for so long. That's clearly not Alpha like…" Another wave of shocked gasps rippled through the entire room.
They knew Olivia was not just testing the waters, she was deliberately provoking the Alpha, awakening the fury that lay dormant beneath his controlled exterior. They were certain she was signing her own death warrant.