Chapter 2 'Williams family princess'
Downstairs, Indigo covered her face, muffled sobs escaping through her fingers.
Theo rubbed his temples wearily and collapsed onto the sofa.
Olivia stood frozen in place, her spine rigid, staring at the fruit bowl that had slid off the coffee table and shattered during the earlier chaos. Broken porcelain and water spread across the floor in a chaotic mess—just like this crumbling place they called "home."
Meanwhile, across the city, in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of a luxury apartment.
Charles held a cigarette between his fingers, the crimson ember flickering in the darkness.
His phone screen glowed with a message he'd just sent—brief and to the point.
[Find out everything about Olivia.]
The night breeze was cool as his dark eyes gazed out at the brilliant neon lights, his lips slowly curving into a predatory smile.
She was like prey in a pond—already marked.
Soon, information about Olivia flooded his phone.
Charles's fingertip scrolled across the screen, scanning the private investigator's report on Olivia—simple, clean, just like her. Aside from having a half-brother named John, there wasn't much dirt or drama to dig up.
His phone suddenly buzzed with an international number.
He recognized it. Didn't really want to answer.
But remembering that the caller's grandmother and his own grandmother were close friends, he swiped to accept.
"Hello?"
Charles's voice was ice-cold.
"Charles! It's me, Ava Davis!"
Ava's cheerful voice bubbled through the phone.
"I know."
Charles remained stone-faced.
"Charles, why are you being such a grump!"
"Have you eaten? Were your classes rough today? I heard you aced your grade again!"
"Grandma's here with me tonight—she wants to talk to you!"
The phone was quickly passed to a kindly but authoritative elderly woman.
Ava knew full well about their families' special relationship, so she always used her grandmother, Uma, as a shield.
All just to hear Charles's voice a little longer.
Unfortunately, despite years of dropping hints both subtle and obvious, Charles remained unmoved—neither rejecting her outright nor giving her any encouragement.
Because of this, Ava's heart always floated in a bubble of pink fantasies, imagining everything about her and Charles.
"Charles, sweetheart, it's me."
"I know it's already late there, but there's something I need to tell you."
"Ava's coming back next month to start at Celestial University. Since you're there, I need you to keep an eye on her for me, okay?"
Charles's gaze lingered on Olivia's photo in the file, her quiet, stubborn features making him lose focus.
"Yeah, sure, Grandma."
He answered absently, just wanting to end the call.
"Wonderful! Ava, say a few more words to Charles..."
Charles patiently endured a couple more sentences of Ava's excited rambling before finally cutting in.
"Alright, just hit me up when you get here. Tell Grandma I've got stuff to handle."
Without waiting for a response, he hung up.
Clearly, today's first encounter had completely consumed all his thoughts with Olivia.
The next afternoon, outside Celestial University.
The newly opened "Petal Paradise" had bright glass windows.
Before Charles even got out of his car, he spotted that familiar, busy figure from a distance.
Olivia wore a simple white t-shirt and jeans with the flower shop's dark green apron tied over them.
She was standing on her tiptoes, carefully arranging bouquets on the top shelf, her profile calm and focused.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a soft glow around her slender figure.
Charles's lips curved slightly as he stepped forward.
"Well, well, look what we have here."
A harsh voice suddenly cut through the air.
Several guys wearing Celestial University uniforms but radiating pure street thug energy swaggered over. The blonde leader was one of John's loudest supporters from yesterday's pool hall drama.
The blonde guy made sure to speak loud enough for everyone to hear.
"If it isn't our little 'Williams family princess'!"
"What's with the part-time gig? Daddy finally kicked you to the curb? Or did mommy cut off your allowance?"
"Ha! Bet Mr. Williams got sick of having her around and just... tossed her out, right?"
Another guy jumped in, eyeing Olivia's worn canvas shoes with pure malice.
"How much can this little flower shop possibly pay? Enough for those 'designer' kicks you're rocking?"
Other customers in the shop turned to gawk.
Olivia's hands froze mid-arrangement, her spine going rigid as a steel rod.