Page 4 of Ivory Sins
“It's settled then. Marco resumes work immediately,” Father says, patting my shoulder before heading out. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”
Matteo and Father exit my office, leaving me to my spiraling thoughts—my pain and hurt. Just when I thought I was getting over what Marco put me through, this happens.
As they leave, Marco stands outside my office as I hold the door open, glaring at him.
He tries to speak, but I'm not interested in hearing anything he has to say, so I slam the door shut in his face.
3
Marco
She'smadatmeand with good reason—I dropped out of her life without warning three years ago. I’m not proud of it, and if only she'd give me a chance to explain myself, I'll gladly clear the air.
However, Olivia won't even look at me, let alone listen to anything I have to say. She hates me, I can tell. I can see it in her eyes—the same eyes that once held nothing but love for me. How ironic!
I took this job and came back into her life because she might be in danger, and I won't live with myself if anything bad ever happens to her.
This is my chance to make things right—to fix the mess that I made—but it’s turning out to be quite harder than I thought.
She's seated on a plush couch with her legs propped up on a cushion, her open laptop balanced on the armrest. The soft flicker of the screen casts an ethereal glow across her features, her sharp brown eyes sparkling behind her designer medicated glasses.
Her shoulder-length, straight black hair cascades down her back like a waterfall as her skin simmers in the soft light. She's still as beautiful as I remember—hot and ridiculously attractive.
I swipe a palm over my face, my eyes drinking in the curvy shape of the body that was once mine. She has on an oversized shirt which hangs loosely off her shoulder, showing her cleavage. Her alluring thighs draw my attention, stealing my focus for a moment.
In a split second, my gaze meets hers and I look away immediately, my heart drumming in my chest. I can't stand the look in her eyes—the hatred and disdain. It makes my stomach turn.
I'm supposed to be setting up my tools, but I keep getting distracted by Olivia's insanely hot body. Knowing that she used to be mine didn't help at all.
I heave a sigh and decide to at least try to do my job. If someone is indeed after her, then I mustn't take this for granted. Her life is more important to me than anything else in the world. That's a fact.
I move with swift precision, my eyes scanning every inch of her penthouse as I set up my security system. As I work, the quiet beeps of motion detectors and the soft hum of cameras fill the air.
As I install a sleek, silver panel by the entrance, its touchscreen glowing with a soft blue light, I steal another glance at Olivia. She's just sitting there, staring at her blank screen. She’s quiet and focused, but she's not typing. Why?
I can't help but sense her unease. Is it because she's in the same room with me, unarguably her least favorite person in the world? Or is it something else?
She turns in my direction and her face contorts into a frown, one I find rather beautiful. “What're you looking at?” she snarls, her eyes narrowing.
Again, I look away.
Her gaze lingers on me for the next few seconds before I no longer feel it.
Something's bothering her, I can tell.
I've known Olivia for a while and I know when she's upset, nervous, and afraid. Right now, she's these things.
She appears to be in control, but she's not. Her trembling hands give her away. They betray her composure. Her chest heavesslowly. And beneath the fury in her eyes is a glint of something terrified.
I haven't seen her so spooked in a while. Something tells me she knows more about her stalker than she’s letting on.
In no time, the security system is online, and everything is in place. Perfect. As I straighten up, my eyes roam the living room, taking in the elegant furnishings and elegant artwork that adorn the walls. I sight a bookshelf to my right, and I notice a mismatch in the alignment of the books on one shelf.
My instincts kick in along with my curiosity, leading me toward the almost imperceptible seam in the wall. I halt in front of the bookshelf, then push. It swings open, revealing a hidden safe. My eyes narrow as I stare at the combination lock glinting in the lights.
“What the fuck?” Olivia's voice snaps from behind me.
I turn around and there she is, on her feet with an intense glare that makes my skin crawl.
