Page 25 of His Cruel Billionaire Scorecard

The tension between them seemed to hang in the air, but they were determined to handle it with maturity.

“It won’t be as bad as your expression suggests Olivia,” he said, trying to keep his voice gentle and reassuring. “Let’s focus on the reason we’re here and make the best of the circumstances. We’ll get through the night and sort things out in the morning.”

Olivia nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. “You’re right, Mr. Roman. This is just another thing we’ll handle professionally and ensure it doesn’t affect our… working relationship.”

They set about organizing their belongings and settling into their temporary shared space. The atmosphere remained a little tense. Roman stepped out of the shower and sat on the other side of the bed, going through his phone.

He got a text from a blocked number saying:

I’ll be seeing you soon.

But he chose to ignore it.

This was not the first time someone got a hold of his number and texted him.

He might have to change his number soon.

As the evening progressed, the two tried to keep it casual, engaging in stiff, polite conversation about the day’s meetings and sharing light-hearted anecdotes. Gradually, the tension dissipated.

The night grew quieter, and fatigue set in. They bade each other goodnight and slipped into their respective sides of the partition.

Roman lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and acutely aware of the proximity between him and Olivia. She was awake, waiting for him to fall asleep.

But as time passed, exhaustion took its toll on Olivia, and soon her breathing became steady and rhythmic, indicating that she had fallen fast asleep.

In the dimly lit room, a sense of tension and unspoken desire hung in the air. At least for Roman. He’d seen her get into the shower and come out dressed in nothing but a cotton shirt and shorts. A shirt that did nothing to hide the outline of her nipples.

He glanced at her peaceful form, the steady rise and fall of her chest, her features softened by sleep.

In that instant, a myriad of emotions raced through his mind. She was attractive. No doubt she intrigued him too, there was an undeniable chemistry that had surfaced between them, but he wouldn’t. Couldn’t.

She was his intern, and his relationships with women always ended badly.

He turned to the other side, and before he knew it, he had also fallen asleep into a vivid dream.

But his dream wasn’t as peaceful as Olivia’s.

He tossed and turned. It was always the same dream; a vision of fire, gunshots, blood, and screaming.

Begging the attacker to stop.

In his dream, he was covered in blood and with cuts all over his body from the shattered window.

“No, no, please,” he begged, but the gun pointed to his sister’s forehead.

Roman leaped to wrest the gun from the attacker, and the weapon fired.

“No, no… Lily...” he sobbed, holding his sister close as red fluid pooled under her, turning the floor scarlet.

“Mr. Roman. Mr. Roman, please wake up.”

Someone was shaking him awake; the frightened, gentle eyes above his and the reassuring hands on his shoulders shook ever so slightly.

Roman opened his eyes, now completely at attention, feeling hot. Sweat was running down his body in rivulets.

The delicate eyes of concern above him were Olivia’s.

How did she get here?

---