Page 74 of His Cruel Billionaire Scorecard

She was relieved to see her mother on the road to recovery; her day had not been a waste after all. Exhausted, she contemplated a quiet evening, treating herself to some pizza and much-needed rest. Just as she was about to hail a cab, her phone chimed with a text notification. It was Roman.

“Meet me where it all truly began. The skate park. I need to talk to you,” the message read.

Her heart skipped a beat as memories of their first encounter flooded her mind. She hesitated for a moment, debating whether to respond.

Finally, she typed a quick reply: “Okay, I’ll meet you there.”

Arriving at the skatepark, Olivia found it deserted, which was usually occupied when night fell.

Olivia spotted Roman standing near the edge of the rink; his hands stuffed in his pockets. Their eyes met, and a mix of emotions washed over her—confusion, apprehension, and a flicker of hope.

Her footsteps echoed in the quiet skate park as she approached him.

He turned to face her, a mixture of relief and sadness in his eyes.

“You’re here,” he began softly. “You look so beautiful, Olivia.”

Her heart skipped a beat at his words, but the somber expression on his face gave her pause. She took a seat beside him, her stomach knotting with anticipation and worry.

“What’s wrong, Roman?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “You look troubled.”

“I’m sorry,” he began. “I shouldn’t have let things get so complicated. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Olivia crossed her arms, her eyes searching his face for answers. “What’s going on, Roman? Why did you ask me to meet you here?”

He took a deep breath, his words laced with vulnerability. “Scarlett, she’s been blackmailing me with old pictures and videos. She wants me to end things with you.”

Olivia’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “Why would she do that?”

He took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. “Scarlett... She’s determined to ruin me if I don’t get into a relationship with her.

She’s threatened to go to the press. I only have a few more days to consider this, or my company’s finished for good.”

Olivia’s eyes widened, her mind racing to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

“What about me?”

“I’m…I’m afraid we’ll have to call this off. It was never a real relationship, anyway.”

Chapter 29

OliviastaredatRoman,her heart sinking at his words. The pain in his eyes mirrored her own, but the coldness in his tone sent shivers down her spine. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“End our relationship?” she repeated, her voice trembling. “You want us to break up?”

Roman nodded, his gaze fixed on the ground. “It’s for the best, Olivia. With the scandal surrounding us, it’s only a matter of time before it affects the company. We need to protect each other, even if it means being apart.”

The ground became blurry; her emotions were a whirlwind of anger, confusion, and sadness. She wanted to understand since they weren’t in a real relationship, anyway.

“You can’t be serious; you don’t have to protect me like this,” she whispered, her voice trembling. Roman refused to meet her eyes, choosing to wander over the rinks instead.

But only images of him catching her as she fell came to him. How did this get out of hand? He’d been in numerous short relationships that ended without any lingering feelings, at least for him.

“I don’t want to, Olivia. But I can’t bear to see you suffer because of me. I know Scarlett won’t stop until she destroys me completely and everyone standing in her way.”

Tears welled up in Olivia’s eyes; her voice shook with anger and heartbreak. “So, what? We’re just supposed to pretend like none of this ever happened? Avoid each other at work like strangers?”

Roman’s voice grew colder, his walls going up. “It’s the only way to protect ourselves, Olivia. It’s the only way to salvage what’s left.”

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