SWNOVELS Chapter 31
Chapter 31
The door to the upstairs study was open, Olivia approached the door and leaned in to listen for a moment, and when she heard no sound, she knocked a few times. "Mr. Sullivan, do you need help?" The silence persisted, unbroken.
A knot of worry formed in Olivia's chest, the fear that he might have lost consciousness gnawing at her. Without a second thought, driven by a mix of concern and urgency, she decisively pushed the door open. The study room unfurled before her, grand in its expanse. Tall bookshelves laden with volumes of knowledge lined the walls, their natural wood grain gleaming softly under the ambient light. Directly across from her, to the right, a majestic desk held its ground. Its polished surface was home to a sleek computer and an organized stack of important-looking documents.
At her initial glance, the room seemed devoid of human presence. But as Olivia's eyes adjusted and scanned the room more meticulously, a subtle detail caught her attention.
He was there but almost camouflaged. Nestled by the bay window, his silhouette was masked by the heavy, dark curtains, making him appear as if he was a part of the drapery, a shadow blending into the night.
Olivia walked over.
An overturned solid wood chair lay askew on the floor, hinting at a recent disturbance. Daniel Sullivan was seated gracefully by the bay window, one leg casually crossed over the other, exuding an air of nonchalance despite the evident chaos.
From Olivia's vantage point, she could discern the telltale hues of blue and purple marring his toes. The implication was clear: the chair must have fallen on his foot, causing the bruise. "Are you okay?" Olivia bent down, asking with concern.
It seemed as though Dániel was lost in his own world, unaware of her presence. When he finally noticed her, his eyes showed a momentary look of bewilderment. He stared blankly at her for a few heartbeats as if trying to piece together the situation before recognition slowly dawned on his face.
"I'm sorry, the noise must have startled you," he said.
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His tone was polite, starkly contrasting to his previous sarcastic demeanor, as if he were a different person.
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Olivia's nature was to be assertive with the strong and gentle with the weak. Seeing Daniel, clearly injured, still concerned about whether she was startled, her fondness for him grew.
"It's fine. How's your injury? Is it serious? Do you need to go to the hospital?" she asked.
Daniel shook his head. "No need. A bit of ointment will do. Thank you, Ms. Taylor."
"You're too kind. I didn't really help much," she replied.
Daniel lowered his gaze, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, an apologetic look in his eyes. "Actually, I owe you an apology, Ms. Taylor."
Olivia looked up, a hint of confusion in her eyes, which sparkled beautifully.
Her innocent appearance made one wish to pull her close and plant a fervent kiss.
Daniel turned his head with effort, using all his strength to maintain composure. "It's about the other day."
Olivia understood. He apologized for his odd behavior a few days ago.
Daniel explained. "Many women have tried to get close to me through Andrew. Andrew is my son, and I value him greatly. So, I've been cautious. I'm sorry."
Olivia remained silent. While his explanation was understandable, treating every woman as if she was trying to latch onto him wasn't fair. Daniel's gaze was calm as he glanced at Olivia. Seeing her lack of response, he quickly shifted his tone and gave an example. "Last year, a lady got along well with Andrew. He really liked her, always calling her 'sister' and frequently contacting her."
That lady also liked Andrew, giving him many gifts. Andrew mentioned to me a few times, hoping that 'sister' could become his new mother."
Hearing the words "new mother," Olivia instinctively furrowed her brows, feeling a sudden discomfort...
This unease came suddenly and inexplicably.
Daniel continued, his voice captivating, speaking with deep emotion, "I mostly thought this lady wanted to get close to me through Andrew, to
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marry into the Sullivan family. But who would have thought..."
He paused, and Olivia felt a sudden tightness in her chest, a bad premonition forming.
Her premonition quickly became a reality as Daniel's magnetic yet calm voice continued, "Her ambitions were even greater. She was sent specifically to woo Andrew, intending to kidnap and use him to threaten me."
Olivia had been calm, but upon hearing this, her eyes suddenly burned, her heart feeling as if it was being squeezed, causing her to shudder. Unable to control herself, she squatted down, leaning close to Daniel, looking up at him, "What happened next? Is Andrew okay?" Daniel's gaze lingered on her face, but he remained silent.
The more he stayed silent, the calmer his expression became, making Olivia's heart race, feeling a tightness in her chest, struggling to breathe.
Daniel was initially pleased with the fabricated story he had told, which explained his previous odd behavior. However, seeing Olivia so engrossed in a mere fictional tale, showing immense concern for Andrew but disregarding his own injury in front of her, irritated him.
He became incredibly agitated.
Did this woman only care about her son and not her husband?
Did she think he was dead?
Daniel maintained a sorrowful and concerned expression despite his internal displeasure, portraying the image of a caring father.
He knew Olivia too well. She responded to kindness but not to force. Even though he didn't know how she had forgotten him entirely, causing him endless distress, her character remained unchanged. When he found out yesterday that she had forgotten him, Daniel
struggled to control his emotions, wanting to confront her and tell her everything.
He wanted this woman, who had abandoned her husband, to see what she had truly done.
But thankfully, he restrained himself.
If he had revealed everything, she surely wouldn't have believed him. She might even have turned against him, fighting for custody of Andrew.
So, Daniel took a more roundabout approach.
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He wanted her to rediscover everything on her own, the way she had forgotten.
Of course, Olivia was unaware of Daniel's series of emotional shifts, but she suddenly understood him.
Putting herself in his shoes, she would also be on high alert if Andrew were her child and someone with ill intentions tried to get close to him to threaten her.
With this realization, Olivia felt a sense of relief and could accept all of Daniel's previous oddities.
She took a deep breath and asked Daniel earnestly, "What happened next? Was Andrew hurt?”
Always caring about Andrew!
Didn't she see his bruised toes? Was she blind?
Daniel gave her a sidelong glance, leisurely and deliberately avoiding mentioning Andrew. "Don't ask," he said, lowering his eyes with a pained expression.
Seeing this, Olivia's heart tightened even more.
She wanted to ask in detail, but she was afraid, afraid of hearing some bad news that she couldn't bear.
How could someone as adorable and angelic as Andrew get hurt?
"Ms. Taylor," Daniel began, maintaining his caring father facade, "I hope you can understand the heart of a father."
Olivia nodded continuously, empathizing with him.
Daniel continued. "That day, I was indeed overly cautious with Ms. Taylor. Later, when I learned of Ms. Taylor's identity, realizing you were the lost gem of the Taylor family for 18 years, I was completely relieved. I hope Ms. Taylor can forgive me."
Olivia smiled sincerely. "Mr. Sullivan, you're too kind."
Daniel's gaze was intensely fixed on Olivia's face for a moment before he suddenly said, "Since Ms. Taylor thinks I'm being too formal, let's not keep addressing each other as Mr. Sullivan and Ms. Taylor. Andrew likes Ms. Taylor, so why don't I follow his lead?"
Follow Andrew's lead?
Olivia raised an eyebrow, wondering if he meant to address her as "Olivia," just like Andrew did.