He walked away?! Olivia's mind exploded. Genuinely, she should have felt happy that he walked away, but she was currently having mixed feelings. She knew he didn't even know what she looked like — so why did she feel neglected? While she was still dwelling on why she felt that way, Olivia heard the Great Elder speaking on the stage, with the second Bradford beside him.
"Good evening. I hope you're all enjoying the banquet. Without much further ado, I will now introduce my second grandson — Alexander Bradford." After he said that, the hall resounded with loud applause. Shortly after, the Great Elder continued.
"I know some rumors have been going around about him, but don't lose yourselves to the gossip. My grandson is healthy, and he'll be taking over the Bradford business in the country, while the first Bradford will be in charge of the business in Asia."
At his words, the hall went silent. A lot of people were already contemplating who would take over the Bradford empire in the future. The Great Elder giving the second Bradford control of the business in Country Z was a huge move, because the country served as the root of the Bradfords — it was like taking control of the source itself. Still, the first Bradford having control over the Bradford business in Asia was also major news. It was worth the competition — although not the root of the Bradfords, it was still a major lifeline for the family.
To the people at the banquet, it looked as if a secret battle line of inheritance had just been drawn between the brothers. People glanced toward the first Bradford, who had been handling the business up to this point, trying to gauge his reaction, but all they saw was blankness. The second branch of the family, on the other hand, felt bitter, since none of it had been given to them.
After the short silence and subtle whispering, the hall erupted again with even louder applause, and people went on to congratulate both brothers, thinking the Great Elder's announcements had ended — until he took the mic once more and tapped it.
"Well, I have one last thing to say," he paused, then continued. "The second Bradford got married a while ago, and I'll use this platform to introduce his wife. Olivia, please come up on stage."
As soon as he said this, the murmurs in the hall grew louder than before. The ladies felt heartbroken — their Mr. Perfect was gone, just like that. Who is that woman, lucky enough to marry the second Bradford before she'd even seen his true appearance? everyone seemed to think, glancing around the hall to spot where she'd emerge from.
The moment Olivia heard her name, she felt like sinking into the ground. Her palms grew sweaty; it felt as though her feet were glued to the floor. She was nervous. She was scared. Not knowing who'd nudged her from behind, she took a step forward, moving toward the stage.
As she walked, all eyes fell on her — some filled with envy, some amusement, some hatred, some sympathy. But the eyes that captivated her most were her husband's. Alexander looked at her with no emotion at all. It felt as though he were watching a block of wood walk up to him. His face was so calm that no expression could be detected. As she got closer to the stage, she met Amalia's eyes — though Amalia looked at her calmly, it felt as if she were looking at a lowlife, someone beneath her standards. Olivia looked away after a few seconds, uncomfortable, and walked on toward the stage to meet the Great Elder and her husband.
Seeing that Olivia had reached the stage, the Great Elder said, "This is Olivia Bradford, the wife of Alexander Bradford. I hope you'll all take note going forward." After saying his piece, the Great Elder walked off the stage, leaving Olivia standing next to Alexander — placing her in an awkward position.
After a while, she heard a smooth, cold voice beside her address the guests. "Thank you for coming. I hope you have a good evening." With that, he stepped off the stage, and Amalia went up to him, drawing him into conversation.
Not wanting to seem out of place, Olivia also climbed down from the stage and returned to her hidden spot. The banquet went on until 10 p.m., even though the second Bradford had left as soon as he stepped off the stage.
After the banquet, Olivia left the hall and returned to the mansion with a tired body and mind. She went to her room and drifted off to sleep the moment her head touched the pillow. She had a sweet yet unsettled sleep that night and woke up around 8 a.m. the next morning.
She freshened up right away and went downstairs for breakfast, still feeling a little hazy — until she saw a handsome yet cold man seated on the couch in the living room, reading a newspaper while sipping a cup of coffee. She also noticed bodyguards stationed at every corner of the mansion.
It finally struck her. Her mysterious husband had arrived the day before. She wasn't alone in the mansion anymore. Though she couldn't recall seeing him enter, she knew the true owner of the house was back.
She moved down the stairs silently, praying he wouldn't notice her until she'd made it into the dining hall. It looked like God had planned to answer her prayer but changed His mind at the last minute — because the moment she stepped onto the last stair, the man turned his head and made eye contact with her.
Oh God! Olivia exclaimed inwardly, her heart dropping.
"Go… good mo… morning," Olivia greeted him nervously.
"Hm," he responded, giving her another quick glance with his cold eyes before standing and walking toward the dining hall.
At this point, Olivia was debating whether she should have breakfast at home or just head to college on an empty stomach. After a hard internal battle, she decided to eat at home, since she wouldn't be able to get a filling breakfast at college given how late she already was. Still, she resolved to eat as quickly as possible.
By the time she got to the dining hall, Alexander had already started eating. He carried himself with the posture of an aristocrat — everything about him looked so composed, so perfect.
Olivia sat down across from him, at the seat farthest from his, and began eating her breakfast in silence. She finished quickly and was ready to slip away from her seat when she heard a voice — a voice she hadn't heard in a long while.