Chapter 51

Mars and I burst through the front door to the house, Ethan was waiting for us, pacing in the foyer. Tristan stood behind him with a notebook and a few binders, sorting through what he could while standing straight up.

“Are you okay?” I rushed to Ethan, knowing the fact that he was going to be at the wedding must be eating away at him.

Ethan looked at me, his eyes widened and he enveloped me in a hug, though his face was calm.

“I was a little worried when you weren’t here when I got home, but I’m okay. Where were you?” Ethan breathed into my neck, only pulling away to ask me where I was.

Mars looked at me with a raised eyebrow, his face was somber and stressed. I worried he thought I was hiding Baron away from Ethan.

“I was at the orphanage, talking with Baron and playing with the kids,” I shrugged. “The usual.”

“Can we please go to a room with a desk so I can sort my information out?” Tristan said after dropping a binder on the floor, failing to juggle it with the multiple other sources in his arms.

“Sure,” Ethan was eerily calm, like this wedding was not devastating to him - like Olivia wasn’t someone he loved and just a neighbor or a friend he barely knew. I frowned as I trailed behind him, Tristan, and Mars to the dining room table.

There was more space for all four of us there.

“We have to address the elephant in the room,” Ethan announced once we all were gathered around the wooden table. “I know there are personal matters involved in this wedding-”

I refused to meet his eyes. I didn’t want to hear him say the words he loved Olivia, I didn’t think I could take it.

“-And I know it can feel messy or upsetting, but there are bigger things at play here. If Olivia and Andrew marry, Andrew gains the power of Olivia’s father’s pack as well as his own. We cannot compete with that sort of influence.” Ethan continues, sounding official and strong. I try to focus on his words but my mind drifts to how powerful he looks. How good he looks.

Snap out of it! I internally scold myself.

“If Olivia and Andrew become united, Andrew will control nearly three-fourths of all real estate and consumer production in this city alone. In the rest of the world, it averages nearly the same give or take a bit of influence.” Tristan flips through one of his notebooks pointing at property data owned by both Andrew and Olivia’s father.

“And that’s bad?” I questioned.

Mars rolled his eyes, rubbing his jaw, but Ethan smiled at me. A small, sweet smile.

“It’s very bad. Trust me.”

Tristan continued to go over the facts on why it would be so awful if Andrew and Olivia married, and Mars groaned, jumping to his feet.

“Can we cut to the chase, please?” He said harshly. “We know it’s bad, we get that it’s a huge deal. What is our plan to keep it from happening?”

“That’s what we are working on.” Ethan calmed Mars, and I was shocked that he was so okay with everything. Mars seemed more upset than Ethan, but why? I supposed Ethan was always far more level-headed and easily able to hide his emotions.

Mars, since I’ve known him, has always worn his heart on his sleeve.

“Ava,” Ethan paused and looked to me, two sets of eyes followed his

and I suddenly felt very insecure from the gazes. “Do you think you can do this?”

I thought about it, I mean, really thought about it. Could I support Olivia on this day knowing that she was going to take Ethan away from me eventually?

The thoughts swirled around my brain, but ultimately I decided:

“Yes,” I announced to the three men, “Yes, I can.”

--

The wedding was less than two weeks away and I had no idea what was happening or how I should be involved.I started baking due to my stress. It was the only way I could keep my hands busy.

Eventually, I had a giant batch of sugar cookies, frosted to look like lacy coasters with candy wedding rings as decorations.

Ethan was getting ready for work that morning when I went up to him and begged him to drop me off at Olivia’s house. That way, I could give her cookies and get to know her a little better. Especially if I was going to be standing beside her and supporting her at the altar.

That’s only if Ethan and Mars didn’t figure out something to break off the wedding, though.

Ethan agreed since he was on his way to work,and he walked me to the front door. I rang the doorbell and waited. Olivia opened the door, Ethan gave her a small smile and wave, saying he needed to get to work.

“Hi Olivia,” I held out the cookies for her to take.

She gingerly took the platter and gestured for me to enter the house. It was much different than Ethan’s. It looked old, but in a vintage way. As though her family had the house for generations.

They probably had.

“Hello,” Her voice was soft and she looked at the floor as she spoke.

“I don’t know if you remember me, I’m Ava.” I smiled at her, trying to appear friendly. Wanting to support her despite what the jealous green monster in the pit of my stomach felt.

“I remember you,” She looked up and led me through a warmly lit hallway. It opened up into a kitchen twice the size of Ethan’s, and she placed the platter on the counter. “I’ve run into you a few times now.”

“I know,” I giggled nervously. “I just wasn’t sure if you remembered my name or if you thought of me as ‘that one girl who always runs into me at bad times’.”

Olivia chuckled with me. It was a nice, amiable interaction. I wasn’t sure what I expected from her but that wasn’t it.

“So,” I took the cover off the cookie platter, scooting it to her. “Are you excited for the wedding?”

Olivia’s face fell as she looked between me and the very obviously wedding-themed cookies, and she sniffed.

“Oh,” I reached out to her. When my hand touched her shoulder, her head fell and she started to cry softly. “Are you okay?”

Olivia shook her head softly, sniffing with tears running down her face.

“I can’t-” She hiccupped and a tear dropped onto the counter top. “I can’t marry him.”

“I know it must be scary,” I rub her shoulder, in a hopefully comforting way.

“It’s not just scary,” She steps away from mer, using the back of her hands to wipe away the tears. “I didn’t agree to the marriage, my parents set this up for power.”

I watched as she started pacing around, her face red with frustration. She sniffed a few more times and tried to calm herself down.

After a few deep breaths, she looked at me.

“Can I tell you something, Ava?” She looked at me, completely serious, looking a little dejected.

“Of course,” I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say. I didn’t want to hear it, but I wanted to be supportive.

“I’m in love with someone else, that’s why I don’t want to - no,” She took another deep breath. “That’s why I can’t marry Andrew.”