Page 30 of Rivals Next Door

She watched me over her glass as she sipped, a clear challenge in her eyes. “So… let’s get this over with.”

“Can’t wait to get rid of me?” I asked.

“Something like that…”

I twirled my glass in my hand as I stared at her. Finally, I said, “I’m sorry about the way I behaved the other day. What I said?—”

Her eyebrows dipped. “I thought you were here to tell me you’re giving up your pursuit of my company and that you’d leave me alone forever.”

I set my glass down. “I’m not giving up, Olivia. You’re going to lose but that doesn’t mean I can’t go about my victory in a professional manner.”

The seething look she gave me could have melted me on the spot. “That arrogance… some things never change. Well, I’m still not handing over what’s mine, so good luck.”

“I think you’re the one who needs luck, but back to my apology…”

Her jaw tightened, and she took a gulp of whiskey.

“I shouldn’t have brought your family into our battle. I have nothing against all Brentwoods.”

Olivia’s eyes squinted into annoyed slits. “What the hell is this, Alex? You hate me, and I think you’re a royal pain in the ass. Now, we’re having a tête-à-tête in my living room. Do you really expect me to believe you dug up my address to come here and apologize for hurting my feelings?” She held up a finger. “Which were not hurt, by the way. You have no power over my emotions, Alex.”

I lifted an eyebrow and continued to watch her in silence. The more riled up she got only confirmed how much I’d hurt her feelings, and God help me, I felt bad. I’d set out with determination to take her down several notches. I wasn’t supposed to give a fuck about her feelings. Clearly, I couldn’t go about this whole misguided mission as ruthlessly as I thought I could…

“And now you want to be professional after you pulled your underhanded shit to steal my investor.” Her derisive snort hung between us. “Fuck you, Alex.”

My lips tilted up at the corners with sheer amusement. Goddamn, she was still hot when she was pissed. That mouth of hers… the things I used to do to it when she got all sassy. The things I still wanted to do to it… to her.

Oh, no. I really shouldn’t have come here…

“Will you pipe down, woman?”

“Don’t woman me!”

“I’m trying to apologize, and you interrupt to berate me. Typical, Brent?—”

My jaw clenched and unclenched as I reminded myself that I was about to do the very thing I was remorseful about. This was about Olivia and what she did to me. Her father, who despised the idea of me dating his daughter, was long dead, so there was only one Brentwood whom I resented.

“Typical, Olivia,” I finished.

As we glowered at each other, amusement took its time and seeped in. For the love of my sanity, if we still got to each other like this… what did it mean? As if realizing that we were on our way to a heated argument as if we still cared what the other thought, she sighed.

“If you aren’t here to announce that you’ll stop being a thorn in my side, you can save your apology.”

“You’re getting it anyway. I’m sorry for taking low blows, and I’m sorry for letting you think I have something against the Brentwoods in general. Your mother and brother are good folk. How are they, by the way?”

Her scowl gradually disappeared and her shoulders relaxed. However, she still eyed me warily. “Are you trying to get intel to launch another attack on me or something?”

“I said I’d get BioTech fair and square from now on.” I still had that chip on my shoulder, after all. I still had something to prove… to her.

“So you admit that you haven’t been fair?” She peered at me. “How did you know about Thomas Greggory?”

“I haven’t done anything unethical.” I locked eyes with her. “Sure, I’ve been aggressive, but it's all been above board.”

Olivia leaned back. The suspicion was still clear in her eyes, but the edge of hostility had softened. “So, what? We’re strictly business rivals?”

“Precisely… except we have history and you can tell me about your family…”

She rolled her eyes and huffed, but still mumbled, “Liam is… well, still Liam.”

---