WITH YOU- I Never Had A Choice ✔️

CHAPTER SIXTY

DYLAN

"How is this one?" Olivia points at a tie she is looking at for Dad.

"It's good, " I answer, faking a smile and she gets busy looking at the other designs. My mind is really not here. It is going to the places I don't want to visit. I can't imagine anything happening to Olivia. Mike said that Julie was intentionally overdosed on the last day. The person's idea was to kill her and make it look like an accidental suicide.

I look at Olivia. She is leaning over the glass frame to take a good look at the designs. She always has a hard time choosing. My lips curve into s small smile. The way she bites her lower lip when she is concentrating on something, the way she frowns at every small detail. Everything like that makes me want more of her.

I was always worried about her. But the fear wasn't this strong. She had been through two attacks. I can't even imagine what would happen if the first time Melissa and the second time Jason and Rob didn't reach her. Even the thought causes goosebumps to rise all over my body.

It has something to do with me. Then again I knew that, but I didn't care. For me, all that mattered was keeping my mom happy. Now, here I am regretting every single thing. I can never regret meeting Olivia, falling in love with her but her safety is more than any of that. I can't bear it if she gets a small scratch. Let alone something big. I wouldn't be able to live knowing that I was the one who did this to her.

Whoever the person is, doesn't want me to be with Olivia or anyone else. That only means one thing. I have to take the hardest decision. "Dylan?" She calls me, pulling her head up. "Which one do you like?" I stare at her blankly for a moment before taking in a deep breath and walking towards her.

Pointing at a brown tie with thin golden stripes, I say, "this one."

She snorts in response. "You have a terrible choice."

"Hey, I chose to marry you," I say, pretending to be offended and trying to lighten the mood so that she misses the chaos going on in me.

"You didn't choose to marry me. You had no other choice but to marry me." I let out a small chuckle.  She rolls her eyes and stomps towards the other end. I shake in silent laughter. Slowly as my laughter dies, I straighten up. My jaw hardens with distress.

I pull out the phone and move to stand beside a wall where no one would disturb me. I have skipped a few calls today, not very important but I still need to talk to Madelyn. Pulling out her number, I press call. "How is everything there?" I ask as soon as she answers.

"It's alright sir," she answers.

"Okay, I might be there within an hour or two. Don't reschedule any other meetings unless I say so." I tell her.

"Okay, sir," she answers.

"And I need a favour..." I tell her. I have to do this.

After getting done with the phone call, I walk back towards where Olivia went and the bodyguards followed her. She is looking at a watch right now. A small frown plays in between her eyebrows. She is playing with her lower lip between her teeth like she always does. I take in a deep breath trying to calm down. When I saw Julie's condition today, it really scared me. I can never imagine walking into a hospital room to find Olivia in that way. 

She turns her head and catches my eye. Her frown deepens probably at my grim expression. I quickly ease out and smile a little at her. She gives me a confused look. I silently pray for her not to ask me about it. However, she turns around and focuses on buying the gifts while I stand there watching her.

She lifts her head and looks around. I can say that she doesn't want the watch. She has a hard time choosing between stuff. And I love to see her get confused. She once told me that she hates when Mrs Griffin asks her what she wants to eat. A sad smile starts forming on my face until I see her stiffen with her head turned towards the other side. She visibly freezes.

The smile wipes off my face and a frown takes its place. I take a few steps to get closer to her and follow her gaze. My eyes land on another woman on the left end of this room. A middle-aged woman, blonde. She keeps talking to the guy in front of her, probably inquiring about whatever it is in her hand while Olivia remains stuck to her place not moving. I can feel her start to shake slowly. Panic starts to build inside me.

Just as I am about to reach out to touch her, the woman turns around and freezes as soon as she sees Olivia. I see her open her mouth slightly as her eyes keep their wide gaze fixed in my wife. Olivia sucks in a sharp breath and shudders. I quickly touch her arm. She spins around to face me, wide-eyed. Her face red, flushed. Her breathing has accelerated and I can see her chest heaving up and down due to her rigorous panting. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I want to go home," she says, breathless and pushes past me. My mouth opens but she is already rushing towards the exit. My eyes drift to the blonde woman. Her eyes are now fixed at me and from this far, I can see the shocked expression on her face. Removing my gaze from her face, I run behind Olivia.

She reaches the parking lot, not once stopping to look back. "Olivia!" She stops right in front of our car and turns around cautiously. "Who was that?" I touch her shoulder and gently squeeze.

She closes her eyes briefly and mutters, "no one."

"Then why are you running from her? Who is she?" She opens her eyes and looks at me blankly as if she wants to say a lot but at the same time, nothing at all.

"No, one. I just forgot about something. It's important, " she says with a tight smile. Her eyes betray her words though. I see the fear and anxiousness building in her widened pupil. Considering her silent plea, I step back. If it is something that she wants to tell me, she will. I will never push her, I just know that much.

"Okay. You want to go home then?" I ask softly. She nods and turns around to get into the car. I jog around and get in from the other side. Throughout the whole ride home, she doesn't say a word. Doesn't even look at my face. I wonder who that woman was. By any chance is that Marcus' mom? I cannot tell. I haven't seen his picture or his parent's picture. Almost all the time his topic used to come up, Olivia used to run off to the graveyard.

"Dylan?" Olivia's little voice calls me. I look at her. Her head is still turned towards the window. "I need time." She doesn't look at me or turn her head around. She didn't want to lie.

"It's ok, " I whisper and sit back. As the car pulls in through the metal gates, I say, "I have to go to the office for a few hours but I'll be back soon."

She finally looks at me and waits a minute, as if considering my words and then nods and opens the door. I watch till she climbs the front stairs and reaches the door. Jason got down with her and Rob drives me off. As soon as the car leaves the compound, I let my head fall back with a groan. My head is a mess right now. I can't think straight.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I lift it to my face.

Madelyn: I talked to him, sir. It'll be arranged.

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Just wanted to remind y'all that I love you, my sweet potatoes aka honey bees. (I like the name hehe)