Olivia reached out to the wine bottle. "You're right. I should raise a glass to them."Almost instantly, Keith and Everly stopped her and warned her sternly, "No. You can't drink.She looked at Everly pleadingly. "I'll only take a sip. It's fine."Everly let go of Olivia's hands when she read the determination in her friends' eyes. Olivia poured herself a glass of red wine and made her way to the couple while Keith looked on with hesitation. With a smile, she said, "Mr. Miller, Ms. Carlton, I wish you a happy marriage. I'll drink this toast whether you like it or not. Please consider this my congratulations in advance. I will not attend your engagement party."Then, she downed the glass of wine like the guest before her without looking at Ethan and Marina. Ethan knew she was a lightweight who'd get tipsy from a glass of wine. Marina stood up with her glass and beamed. "Ethan and I will be happy. Thanks for your blessing." In what seemed to be a competition, she poured herself
Marina stared at Ethan's side profile throughout the confrontation. Ethan did not like publicizing his relationship with Olivia, especially after the divorce. However, she noted that Ethan was triggered by Keith's act of drinking on Olivia's behalf.She turned her resentful gaze to Olivia when she realized divorce was not enough. It turned out that Olivia still had a place in Ethan's heart.Meanwhile, Keith was stuck in an awkward situation. A heavy silence hung in the air; none of the guests dared to make a move that might provoke Ethan. Keith knew that Ethan wanted to force him to give up on Olivia. Any man would have buckled under Ethan's threat, but little did Ethan know that Keith had fallen too hard for Olivia. It was love at first sight. She was a wholly different person when they were younger. But he was too occupied with college and studying abroad to make the relationship happen.When he returned to the country, he learned that she had quit school to get married. He wa
Knowing Ethan's character, the Fordhams were lucky to only suffer bankruptcy from their involvement in the death of Ethan's sister. However, Keith might not be as fortunate. Olivia shook her head. "No, that's not it. Keith, you shouldn't get yourself into this mess."As Keith had brought her out from the venue in a hurry, she didn't have time to grab her jacket. Noticing that, he draped his jacket on her and held her firmly at the shoulders. "Olivia, I know he has hurt you a lot. It's not my intention to force you into dating me. I just wanted to keep you company in your final days. So, please give me a chance to look after you, even if it's just as a friend. Okay?"She felt conflicted at his plea. He was nice to her, which made her more reluctant to get him into trouble. "Keith, I know you're doing this out of good faith, but he …"Halfway through their conversation, she saw a figure standing not far away out of the corner of her eye. Ethan was shooting death glares at them a
Olivia freed herself from Ethan's grip after Keith left. She replied flatly, "Oh, I'm doing just fine." After a few days of rest and recuperation, her complexion looked healthier, a huge contrast to her previous sickly self. He mumbled under his breath, "Right. You've always been as fit as a fiddle."She secretly snickered at him but did not attempt to add any explanation. Taking his jacket off, she said, "Mr. Miller, don't worry. I will stick to the terms of our agreement. I shall not remarry."Ethan had poured his heart into drafting their divorce agreement. Even though he gave her wealth, he destroyed her future by adding a clause to the agreement. It prohibited her from remarrying.If she ever did, she would need to pay him ten times the settlement he provided her, which would stand at ten billion. Still, she signed the agreement without flinching because her days were numbered anyway.The alcohol in her stomach made her sick. Attacked relentlessly by the sharp pangs of p
The cold touch of Ethan's fingertips traveled down her cheek like a serpent. It didn't matter what they were fighting over, for he was in one of his episodes again. When they first dated, he wanted her to promise him three things: no cheating, no touching other men, and no leaving.She saw hints of his extreme possessiveness from the beginning. After all, he had killed off a family and turned them into ashes just because they slapped her. He'd also be cross when she shined at school. Once, she fell during sports day, and a member of the organizing committee had to carry her to the health center on his back. It was that night she witnessed Ethan's dark side as he ordered her to wash herself clean. Despite her explanations, he forced her to stand under the shower through the night. Despite his craziness, she was hopelessly in love with him. For him, she took an academic leave to keep herself out of the public eye. She didn't expect his madness to worsen after the divorce. Alth
"What if I died?" Olivia's almost inaudible mumble bounced off the walls of the bathroom, taking him by surprise. "You won't die because you have me."Sure, he might have endless power and wealth one could wish for, and he had access to the top medical resources in the world. But no doctor would guarantee success in treating late-stage cancer. Ethan might appear omnipotent, holding power over the life and death of other beings. But he was a mere mortal at the end of the day and powerless to save her from the hands of the Grim Reaper. She chuckled. "Ethan, since my family owed you a life, shall I atone for that with my death?""Liv, I would have taken your life two years ago if I wanted to. I hate you, but I love you at the same time. That's why I'm keeping you alive to punish you.""Did you just say you love me?" She snorted. "If that's true, you wouldn't have betrayed me. I told you I wanted to build a mega-hospital with express access for the needy. So, you built a hospital wo
Gently, Ethan loosened his grip on her body. "Liv, remember the punishment from today.""Ethan, I'm begging you. Just come at me if you're angry. Don't you do anything to the Rogers Family! Hey, untie me. Don't leave me alone here! I'm scared! Ethan, turn off the shower. I'm freezing, and I can't fall sick now …"She saw him leaving and heard the click of the door shutting behind him. "Don't leave me alone! I'm wrong. You can torture me in any way you want, just don't leave me alone here. I'm feeling cold. Please let me out! I'll listen … No, don't turn off the lights! I'm scared!"There was a moment when he almost caved in after hearing her desperate pleas, but it was a fleeting feeling. He lazily changed into a new outfit and gracefully made his way to the lobby. There, Marina was searching around for him. She felt relieved when he showed up without Olivia by his side. "Ethan, where were you? I was looking high and low for you.""I went to the restroom for a bit. Why?" Ethan
Everly's first reaction upon seeing Ethan was to cower. She might have been bold and outspoken at the event, but she was only bolstered by the effect of alcohol and Olivia's presence. She bore witness to Ethan's deep love for Olivia, and she knew that he could be deeply cruel toward outsiders. Two years ago, she brought Olivia to a bar. When Ethan picked up Olivia, he shot Everly an icy look when Olivia wasn't looking and warned, "This is the last time."She was drenched in cold sweat when Ethan left, and she was haunted by the look in his eyes for a few nights in her dreams.Back to the present, Ethan shut the lighter and casually glanced at her, but it was enough to make her tense up. She gulped and said in a hushed voice, "Um, Mr. Miller, I'm looking for Liv. I'll excuse myself now."He shook off the cigarette ashes and gave her a look from the corner of his eye. "Let's chat."She knew it wasn't going to be a casual chat, and as a result, she was reluctant to engage with h