Chapter 128

Olivia

I had never meant to eavesdrop, but sometimes fate places you right where you’re not supposed to be. I had a particular penchant for that, it seemed.

Tucked behind a potted plant outside the study, the murmurs from within drifted into my ears. It was a dangerous game I was playing, but curiosity had always been a weakness of mine.

“It’s settled. I’ll be putting her in confinement.” Colin’s voice reached me, and the weight of that word pressed heavily on my chest. I felt a sting in my eyes and a single tear traced its way down my cheek.

Confinement. At the very mention of the word, my fingers curled tightly over the edge of the clay pot, my nails digging into the soil. The thought of being trapped and isolated while exposed to the elements and the whims of crooked guards was terrifying.

However, the conversation took an unexpected turn when Nathan’s voice, layered with conviction, pierced the air.

“I… I love Olivia.”

The world seemed to momentarily stop. My heart, so stricken with fear just seconds before, now thudded with elation. The feeling was overwhelming, and the dichotomy of emotions left me breathless.

Aware that the conversation was coming to an end, I quickly retreated from my hiding spot, moving towards the parlor, where the hum of gentle chatter and the clinking of glasses provided a facade of normalcy.

I tried to mingle, but the guests gave me a wide berth. The awkwardness of dinner, my misplaced question about Jenifer, had traveled through the grapevine, painting me as the evening’s outcast.

The thought of slipping back into the kitchen for the night was just crossing my mind when Jen and Colin came back into the room.

As they passed by where I stood near the door, I suddenly felt Jenifer’s eyes slide down to my hands—to where my fingernails were coated in dirt. I quickly hid my hands behind my back, offering her an innocent smile.

She didn’t smile back.

Now that Jenifer and Colin had returned, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. At least, that was how it felt for me.

The atmosphere in the parlor was a subtle blend of anxiety and anticipation now that Colin and Jenifer had returned.

The guests were aware of the tension—the hushed conversations, the stolen glances—but no one had expected the tangible shift that occurred the moment the study door opened.

Colin, ever the master of situations, was the first to speak, his voice holding its usual authoritative edge.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for that brief interruption. Now, where were we?”

A few guests tried to pick up their previous conversations, desperately attempting to restore the evening's jovial atmosphere, but it was clear their minds were elsewhere.

A man from across the room, with graying hair and a neatly tailored suit, cleared his throat. “Colin, I couldn’t help but overhear the mention of confinement. It’s been a long time since such measures were taken, hasn’t it?”

Colin, his gaze flickering over to me, responded sharply. “Sometimes, Mr. Ainsley, certain situations demand exceptional actions.”

Mr. Ainsley paled slightly but continued. “But confinement, Colin? In our society today? It’s quite draconian, don't you think?”

Colin chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound. “Don’t worry, Mr. Ainsley. No one will be going to confinement.” His eyes flicked over to me once more. It was brief, so brief that I wasn’t sure if anyone else even noticed. “Not yet, at least.”

The tension in the room was palpable. The guests, who had once found Colin’s home a place of luxury and leisure, now felt the weight of unease pressing down on them.

Sensing the growing discomfort, Colin quickly shifted gears. “Enough of this gloom! Let’s have another round of drinks and perhaps a song? Jenifer, my dear, why don’t you play something on the piano?”

As Jenifer gracefully made her way to the grand piano, an eerie anticipation settled within the parlor. With her slender fingers poised above the ivory keys, she began to play a strangely haunting tune.

Each note seemed to echo from a place of sorrow and darkness. The macabre melody was punctuated by sharp, jarring interludes, painting a picture of a dance between beauty and despair.

When the last chilling note hung in the air, the parlor remained silent, the guests seemingly entrapped by the macabre magic of the melody.

Jenifer, with an enigmatic smile, lifted her hands from the keys, leaving an atmosphere thick with unease. The once-lively party now felt overshadowed by the ghosts of that haunting tune.

There was a smattering of applause across the room.

Her glare, however, remained on me, as if silently vowing that this night’s events would not be forgotten.

I swallowed hard, feeling very much like prey caught in a snare.

My thoughts raced. Where the hell was Nathan? I needed his presence to steady my fraying nerves.

When Jenifer finished her piece, the room erupted into a smattering of applause. The conversation shifted, and I felt myself shrinking further into the corner, relieved that my presence seemed to be ignored now. For the most part.

But at one point, while Colin was entertaining the room with a story about his close call with the ‘monster’ in the woods the other night, Jenifer sauntered over to me.

“Wash your hands,” she murmured, brushing past me without another word, like a ghost.

I watched with wide eyes as she slipped out of the room, all the while clasping my hands together more tightly behind my back until I felt the sting of my nails digging into my palm.

My heart finally found some semblance of peace when Nathan reappeared, making a beeline for me. The relief of having him close was palpable, and the tension in my shoulders eased as his arm snaked around my waist.

"We’re heading out," he murmured, his voice a soothing balm.

Nodding, we made our exit, escaping the suffocating atmosphere of the house. The crisp night air was a welcome relief, but the ride home promised another form of confrontation.

No sooner had the car door closed behind us than Nathan's gaze landed heavily on me.

“Olivia,” he began, his tone betraying a mix of exasperation and concern, “why did you have to mention Jenifer to my father in the car?”

I took a moment, collecting my thoughts.

“The car ride was so silent. I was trying to break the tension, make casual conversation. I didn’t realize the implications. Yes, I was a little curious, but… I didn’t mean to…”

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“It’s just like him to take something innocent and make it seem sinister. But Liv,” he paused, searching my eyes, “you have this unyielding curiosity. Sometimes, especially with my father, it’s safer not to ask."

A bubble of frustration swelled within me.

“Nathan, your father operates without question because everyone tiptoes around him. Maybe if more people dared to challenge him, he wouldn't have so much power. He’s a… a tyrant.”

His expression darkened, a storm of emotions playing out on his face. But instead of a retort, he simply turned the ignition and the car roared to life.

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To be continued.