"David!"
Aiden, who had been right behind her, stopped in his tracks. His brows knitted tightly as he watched Olivia practically run toward a tall man leaning casually by the counter. His jaw tensed when she threw her arms around the stranger in a hug, laughing softly.
Aiden's frown deepened.
"Olivia…" he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing.
She pulled back from the hug, her expression glowing with pure joy. "What are you doing here? I didn't expect to see you at all!"
David chuckled, patting her head the way only an older brother could. "I heard this place had great desserts, so I thought I'd come by to try some. Maybe even bring a few back for you."
"You should've told me you were coming! I could've joined you." Olivia pouted dramatically, but her eyes still sparkled.
Though all three siblings lived in the same city, their schedules were so demanding that running into each other like this was rare—so rare that Olivia could count the number of times it happened during workdays on one hand. Seeing David tonight felt like an unexpected gift. Olivia was genuinely happy to see him; it had been a month since she last saw him.
David tilted his head, looking her over with a curious smile. "And what about you? What are you doing here?"
Olivia grinned. "Having dinner, obviously."
Before David could respond, a shadow loomed beside Olivia. Aiden had closed the distance, his tall frame radiating authority. He stopped just at her side, standing close enough that David instantly noticed the protective stance. His gaze, sharp as glass, locked onto David.
"Who is he?" Aiden asked, his tone clipped and serious.
Olivia blinked, realizing her mistake. "Oh—uh… this is David," she said, gesturing vaguely. "David, this is Aiden."
David stared at her for a beat, then sighed deeply. He raised a hand and flicked her forehead, making her yelp.
"Ow! David!"
"Introduce people properly, even if you're not in the mood," David scolded, shaking his head. "How many times do I have to remind you?"
Olivia puffed her cheeks in a childish pout, rubbing her forehead. It was such an unguarded, innocent reaction that Aiden froze, taken aback. This was the first time he had ever seen Olivia act so… childishly. Usually, she was composed, serious, and maybe sarcastic at times—but never this soft. Something about the way her lips jutted in a pout made her look unexpectedly cute.
Aiden's gaze lingered a second too long.
David, catching the subtle shift in his expression, smirked knowingly. His eyes flicked between Olivia and the man standing beside her.
Deciding to break the tension, David extended his hand toward Aiden. "David Bennet," he said with a confident smile. "Olivia's brother."
For a moment, Aiden hesitated, his sharp eyes flicking to Olivia. Brother? That explained the familiarity… and the hug. Still, he hadn't expected this. Slowly, he reached out, his grip firm.
"Aiden Ashford," he replied evenly. "Her boss."
David blinked, momentarily stunned. "You're the boss?"
"Yes," Aiden confirmed, his expression unreadable.
David let out a low whistle, glancing at Olivia. "So you're the devil who keeps making her stay late and complain to us. Interesting. You don't look like you're at war, though—eating out together, huh?"
Olivia flushed. "David!" she hissed, tugging on his sleeve.
Aiden's lips quirked faintly at the corner, though he quickly masked it.
David chuckled. "Relax. I was just teasing." He slid his hands into his pockets.
Aiden's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he said, "How about you join us for dinner?"
Olivia beamed. "Yes, come with us! Aiden already booked a private room."
David nodded, and the three of them headed upstairs to the reserved space. When they entered, the server quickly took their order. Aiden remained composed, watching silently as Olivia and David chatted across the table.
When the food arrived, the atmosphere softened. They ate together, David occasionally sharing bits of conversation with Aiden.
By dessert time, Olivia found herself stuck staring at the menu.
"There are too many choices," she muttered, biting her lip. "I don't know which one to pick."
"Typical," David teased. "You always take forever when chocolate's involved."
After much deliberation, Olivia finally settled on a chocolate-based dessert, making David chuckle.
"See? Still the same as when we were kids."
That was all it took for David to launch into a round of sibling stories.
"Did you know," David told Aiden with a grin, "that Olivia once tried to bake cookies at age twelve? She misread the recipe and added salt instead of sugar. John and I nearly choked trying to swallow them."
Olivia groaned, covering her face. "David, stop!"
David ignored her, continuing. "Or the time she got stuck on top of the school gate because she thought climbing it would be faster than waiting for the janitor to unlock it. She cried for thirty minutes before I came to get her down."
Aiden glanced at Olivia, who was glaring daggers at her brother, her face pink. But he couldn't help it—a soft chuckle escaped his lips.
She turned to him, startled. "Don't laugh!"
"You climbed a gate?" Aiden asked, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"I was young and reckless," she defended herself, pouting again.
David leaned back with a satisfied smile, clearly pleased that Aiden was seeing this side of his sister. "She's always been like this. Strong-headed, stubborn, but soft when it counts."
Olivia shot him a glare, but Aiden's gaze lingered thoughtfully on her.
After finishing dessert, they left the restaurant together. At the entrance, David clapped Aiden lightly on the shoulder.
"It was nice meeting you, Aiden. Let's do this again sometime."
"Likewise," Aiden replied.
David smiled warmly. "Come to the house, too. Our mom will love you."
For the first time that evening, Aiden's expression softened into a genuine smile. "I'll keep that in mind."
After parting ways, Aiden and Olivia walked to the car. The silence hung for a moment before Aiden spoke.
"Your brother seems… interesting."
Olivia sighed, sliding into her seat. "He's annoying, that's what he is. Always telling embarrassing stories."
Aiden glanced at her, his lips curving slightly. "They weren't embarrassing. Just… revealing."
"Revealing what?" she asked warily.
"That beneath all your composure, you're still the same girl who'd climb a gate out of impatience."
Her cheeks warmed, but she crossed her arms. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"
"No," he said simply, starting the car.
The drive home was filled with light banter. Olivia, half-exasperated and half-amused, kept trying to change the subject, while Aiden found himself surprisingly entertained by her flustered reactions.
When they reached her apartment, as always, he pulled up to the curb.
"Goodnight, Olivia," he said softly.
She glanced at him, her earlier annoyance replaced by something gentler. "Goodnight, Aiden."
She slipped out of the car, waving once before heading inside. Aiden waited until the door closed behind her before driving off, his thoughts replaying the image of her smiling so openly at her brother… and the way her pout had made her look irresistibly human, even vulnerable.
For the first time, he wondered just how much more there was to discover about Olivia.