CHAPTER THREE

Lucas handed the gun to one of his men, “Clean this up”, he ordered him, but his gaze never left Olivia, “Now that you are here, what is it you wanted to show me?” he said to Olivia.

Olivia forced herself to stand her ground, her heart pounding, “I found something”, she said, her voice trembling, “A suspicious transaction involving Antonio Ricci”.

Lucas' eyes darkened , and he took the papers from her, scanning them quickly, “This is interesting”, he said finally , “But it's not still enough we need more evidence”, he said, handing the papers back to her.

Olivia nodded, feeling a mix of fear and determination, “I’ll keep looking”, She said.

“Good” Lucas nodded, "but remember your time is running out, find the traitor or face the consequences”.

With that he turned and left, Olivia followed him behind, all of a sudden , Lucas stopped on his track, when he noticed Olivia was walking behind him,“one more thing”, he said , without turning to face Olivia, “You need to be careful about where you wander in this house”, he said, his tone mix of warning and menace.

“You wouldn't want to stumble upon something that could put you in trouble”.

Olivia's heart raced, the memory of what had just happened earlier flashing in her mind, “I understand”, She replied quietly, “I’ll be more careful” ,She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Good,” Lucas said, and walked away.

……🌵

Olivia found her way to her room, she settled on the chair, and her gaze met a tray of food on the table, “Lucy must have dropped this” She muttered to herself.

But she ignored the food , sat back and resumed her work, her focus serious than ever.

Hours passed in a blur of papers and frantic note taking, Olivia's eyes ached from the constant strain, but she forced herself to keep going. She had to find more proof, so she could be free.

A loud knock interrupted her concentration. She looked up to see a tall muscular man with sharp features standing in the doorway. He had thecsaje dark eyes and commanding presence as Lucas, but there was a hint of mischief in his gaze.

“Hello”, he said with a charming smile, “You must be Olivia”.

“Yes”,Olivia replied, trying to gauge his intention, “And you are?”

“I’m Marco Moretti, Lucas’ cousin”, he says stepping into the room, “I’ve heard a lot about you”.

Olivia tensed, unsure of where the conversation was headed, “I’m just trying to do my job”, she said cautiously.

Marco chucked his eyes sparkling with amusement, “Lucas has you working hard, doesn't he? Don't worry , I’m not here to cause trouble. I just wanted to see the woman who’s managed to intrigue my cousin so much”.

Olivia raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to Marcus than his playful demeanor suggested, “I’m just trying to help”, she said, choosing her words carefully.

“I’m sure you are?” Marco replied, his tone serious , “But be careful Olivia , this world is dangerous and not everyone is what they seem”.

His words sent a chill down Oliver's spine, “I’ll keep that in mind”, she said quietly.

Marco nodded, “If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me, I’m here life help”, he said with a smile.

As he left Olivia felt a mix of relief and apprehension. Marco was different from Lucas, but there was something about him that made her uneasy. She returned to her work, her mind racing with thoughts of betrayal and deception.

Olivia waved off the thought of Marco, and continued with her work, she knew she was close , but close wasn't good enough. She had to find definitive proof and she had to do it soon.

Hours passed Olivia was still engrossed in her research, as the night wore on, Olivia worked tirelessly, determined to uncover the truth . She couldn't afford to fail, not now, not when she was so close.

Few minutes later, Olivia fell asleep on the chair, till the next morning.

The next morning, Olivia was startled awake by another knock at her door. She groggily rubbed her eyes open, and felt her body ache, from the way she had slept on the chair.

She rose from the seat, and walked towards the door. She opened it to find Lucy, the kind housekeeper, who had brought her food before.

“Good morning, Olivia”, Lucy greeted with a warm smile, “I brought you some breakfast, you look like you need a break”.

Olivia sighed , grateful for her kindness, “Thank you Lucy”she said , accepting the tray, “I'm just feeling the pressure”.

“I can imagine” Lucy replied sympathetically, “Lucas can be very demanding, but just keep doing your best”.

Olivia nodded, feeling a surge of encouragement, “I will, thanks Lucy”.

As Lucy left the room, she tried to focus on her work, despite her best efforts , she found herself unable to concentrate.

Deciding she needs a break, Olivia left a room for a stroll , hoping she wouldn't get lost this time . As she wandered through the mansion's labyrinth hallways, she noticed a slightly ajar door she hadn't seen before.

Curiosity piqued , she approached gently peeking through the gap , she saw Marco inside, making out with a lady.

Olivia gasped, as she quickly turned to leave.

In her haste, she collided with a solid warm chest. Startled, she looked up to find herself face to face with Lucas, he was shirtless, and their lips were barely a each apart, which made Olivia's heart skip a beat.

For a moment, they both froze, their faces inches apart, Olivia could see the intensity in Lucas eyes as he studied her face.

Lucas’s eyes lingered in her face, taking in her wide eyes , pointed nose, her cute full lips and her flushed cheeks. There was a moment of silence between them , Lucas seemed to be left in thought, his eyes softening, as he took in her features.

Finally, Olivia stepped back, breaking the spell. Lucas's expression hardened as he regained his composure , “What are you doing, sneaking around Miss Carter?,Shouldn’t you be working?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

Olivia's cheeks burn with embarrassment, “I…I was just taking a break”, She stammered, trying to regain her composure, “I saw the door was open and…..I was curious”.

Lucas’s eyes narrowed, “Curiosity can be dangerous in this place, I have told you before Miss Carter, be careful here, you should know better than to wander where you don't belong”.

She nodded feeling the weight of his warning, “I understand, it won't happen again”.

Lucas stared at her for a moment before nodding curtly , “We need results, and we need them fast, get back to work” Lucas ordered.

Olivia's eyes lingered on Lucas' bare chest for a brief moment, before walking past him.

As Olivia walked away, she couldn't shake the feeling of Lucas' eyes on her back.