Chapter <b>109 </b>
“Alexander? I really need to speak with you about Ben Wilde.
It’s urgent.“‘
“Come in.”
Olivia sighed then pushed the door open. She stepped into the
room to find Alexander had changed from his business attire
into a casual button–down shirt and dark jeans. It made him
look more approachable, but Olivia was still wary..
“I’m sorry for disturbing you. But I received two messages from Steven regarding Ben Wilde. Ben suggested postponing today’s
scheduled events until tomorrow, and instead invited you to a
wine tasting at his private vi by 7pm. I came to inform you
earlier, but you didn’t answer.”
Olivia’s cheeks grew warm as she continued. She didn’t want it to appear like she was scolding her boss. But she needed him to
properly understand the situation.
“So I took it upon myself to have Steven keep Ben waiting for a response. He seems quite eager to meet.”
Alexander simply nodded. “I see what you’re doing. And you don’t need to worry about it, Olivia. You handled the situation
appropriately.””
Olivia instantly felt relieved. She’d been apprehensive of his reaction. With her boss, you never really knew what you’d get.
Alexander moved toward his dresser, pulled out a watch and
fastened it around his wrist. “Please let Ben know that I’ll be
there on time.”
Olivia hesitated for a beat. Alexander seemed to be in a múch
better mood. He wasn’t exactly smiling, but he wasn’t ring at
everything in sight either. Considering the fact that Ben’s antic’s
had put him in a sour mood, earlier, she worried that being in
the same room with Ben would bring him right back to that
ce.
But Alexander was an adult, and more importantly, he was
skilled when it came to reading people and situations. She had
learned to trust his judgment, and she would leave it at that.
“Of course. I’ll send the confirmation right away!” She reached
for her phone and typed a quick message to Steven. And when
her phone buzzed, she looked up at Alexander and said, “Done.
Steven will inform Ben.”
Alexander nodded, then moved toward the window. “Maybe a
walk before dinner is a good idea. You could clear your head.”
Olivia was shocked. The sun had disappeared, leaving behind
the shadowy look of the evening. How could Alexander suggest
that she go on a walk by herself? She didn’t know the area well.
She could get lost… among other things.
“I don’t think I’m up for it. Besides, going alone is…”
“I meant for both of us to go, Olivia. Together.”
“Oh…” she murmured, suddenly feeling foolish. “I… I see.” She didn’t want that either. But after her previous rejection, she
couldn’t exactly say no again. “Alright then. It’s a good idea.”
Still, she dreaded the activity. Alexander’s words were always
so difficult to understand. Every interaction felt like a reading
evening with him.
*Author*
Olivia had no choice but to head back to her room and change
into morefortable clothing. She settled for simple dark
jeans and the green sweater Ava didn’t want her bringing on
the trip. It was cashmere, it wasfortable, so it would just
have to do.
She joined Alexander by the door and together, they stepped
out into the cool evening air. They walked in silence for a
moment, with Olivia barely paying attention to the flowers that
marked the path. Instead, she couldn’t stop wishing for this
stroll to end soon.
“You know,” Alexander began, breaking the silence. “There’s an
old legend about this time of day. They say once dusk usually
Olivia suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she yed along, eyes widening as she moved a step closer to him.
“Demons? What do they want?”
“They call out people’s names. They manipte their voices so they sound exactly like someone you know and trust. Perhaps a friend, a lover, a family member. But if you answer, they will
devour your soul on the spot.”
“That’s terrifying. How do you know if it’s really a demon
calling your name or just… well, the person you think it is?”
Alexander seemed to appreciate how she seemed so engrossed
in the tale he was telling. “That’s just it. You can never be
certain. The only way to protect yourself is to never answer
any call at dusk.” He paused dramatically. “No matter how
familiar the voice sounds.”
Olivia nodded quietly. She wanted to keep him talking to see
how far he could spin this tale. But she eventually gave up and
they continued their walk infortable silence
Eventually, they reached a small pavilion right beside the
valley. They settled onto one of the benches, and for several
minutes, all they did was watch the sun descend. It was an
intimate moment, one neither of them intended to create.