Page 52 of Wicked God
Chapter 24
Olivia
I’ve always been good under pressure. The higher the stakes, the clearer my mind becomes.
Tonight is no different.
At a glittering, expensive downtown hotel, Alexander and I step through ornate double doors, and despite the flutter in my chest, I feel that familiar calm settling in. His hand finds the small of my back as we navigate through the crowd of Empire Heights’ elite.
“Ready to charm them all?” he murmurs close to my ear.
“Born ready.”
And I mean it. Hand in hand, we approach a cluster of impeccably dressed strangers whose laughter cuts through the classical music. I straighten my spine, chin lifting slightly.Scrutiny I can handle. It’s the deception weighing on me that’s new.
“Alexander! There you are,” calls a distinguished gentleman with silver temples, raising his crystal flute in our direction.
“Mark, good to see you,” Alexander says. “I’d like you to meet someone very special.” His gaze softens as it lands on me. “This is Olivia Jackson, my fiancée.”
Fiancée.The word rings in my ears as I extend my hand.
Mark’s eyebrows climb toward his hairline. “Fiancée? Now that’s unexpected!” He shakes my hand with surprising vigor. “My congratulations. Our Alex has kept the city’s most eligible women hoping for quite some time.”
I produce a laugh that sounds almost genuine despite the tightness in my throat. “Thank you, Mark. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
As Alexander presents me to a parade of associates, I can’t help wondering how many smiles hide calculations about what the Carter-Hawthorne merger means for their portfolios. The Carter name carries weight, after all.
“And here’s Jennifer from our marketing division,” Alexander gestures toward a willowy blonde. “Jen, meet Olivia.”
Jennifer’s gaze drops immediately to my left hand, zeroing in on the ring. “Oh my, what a stunning piece! Alex, you’ve outdone yourself.”
I angle my hand so the diamond catches the light. “It is beautiful, isn’t it? He certainly knows what suits me.”
His arm encircles my waist, drawing me against him. “I’m just lucky she said yes.”
For the next two hours, I float through conversations with Alexander’s colleagues, laughing at jokes and somehow finding the perfect question for each stranger. Alex’s palm remains warm against my back, guiding me through the room like we’ve rehearsed this a thousand times.
At midnight, my clutch buzzes. Tiffany’s name illuminates my screen alongside a message that makes my stomach drop:
Tiffany
Olivia, are you ENGAGED? What’s going on???
“Darling,” I murmur to Alex, forcing my lips into a smile. “I need to step away. It’s Tiffany.”
His forehead creases, but he squeezes my fingers. “Take all the time you need.”
I brush my lips against his cheek, cologne filling my lungs. “Back in a moment,” I promise, already backing away.
My heels click against the polished floor as I make my way toward a deserted hallway. In a shadowed alcove, I dial with unsteady hands.
She answers immediately. “Olivia? What’s happening?”
I press my forehead against cool wallpaper. “Tiff, I’ve been meaning to call—”
“Have you?” Ice coats her words. “Because I just learned my sister is engaged from the headline ‘Hawthorne Heir Engaged to Unknown Carter Sister.’”
“I wanted to tell you myself, face to face—”
