Chapter 176
Hillary looked awkward. Of course, she knew exactly what Tyler must
have seen and heard.
âOh... Okay. You don't have to be so formal with me. I'm not a guest
here,â she said, trying to lighten
the mood.
âWe shouldn't overlook proper etiquette,â Tyler replied casually.
Hillary chuckled nervously. âSure.â She turned to Olivia and said, âI'm
going downstairs then.â
Olivia stood there, trying her best to appear composed. She nodded
and replied, âYes, of course.â
Hillary turned and walked away, while Olivia remained still. When she
reached the door, Hillary said to Tyler, âLet's go, Tyler.â
âHmm, you can go ahead,â he said.
Hillary's expression froze momentarily before she looked away and
headed toward the corridor.
Tyler lingered at the door for a moment, casting a glance at Olivia still
in the room. He frowned before finally leaving.
As if all her energy had been sapped away, Olivia sank onto the bed.
She looked utterly exhausted.
She wasn't sure when Hillary had left. By the time she went downstairs,
Hillary was already gone. Tyler was the only one left, sitting at the
dining table.
Olivia couldn't interact with him as naturally as she wished. However,
she greeted him and sat down
to have breakfast.
Even though Olivia tried to appear normal, how could he not notice her
red, swollen eyes?
Observing Olivia eating the cold food, Tyler instructed the maid, âHeat
up the food.â
The maid promptly removed the cold dishes and brought back
steaming hot replacements.
Olivia continued to eat with her head bowed, never once lifting her
gaze.
Just then, a maid from the Harris residence entered the room, carrying
a few items. She addressed Olivia, âMiss, Ms. Maisy sent you some
jewelry. She said you can wear them at the banquet.â
âOkay, please thank her for me,â Olivia replied softly.
Tyler directed the maid, âTake them to the room.â
After the maid left, Tyler resumed his breakfast elegantly.
In the days leading up to the banquet, Olivia had been upset. She
turned off her phone to avoid receiving any calls.
Chapter 176
212
The Harrises took the banquet very seriously, continuously sending
items to Sandalwood Palace.
On the day of the banquet, a makeup artist arrived early to prepare
Olivia. Despite the elaborate makeup and attire, Olivia felt like she was
in a daze as she sat before the mirror.
She was a university student, but now she was dressed like a bride.
Everything felt surreal, yet oddly familiar. She remembered a similar
scene from when she was fifteen, standing beside Naomi.
As she gazed blankly at her reflection, she saw her face overlapping
with Naomi's.
Suddenly, someone appeared before her, breaking the illusion. She
snapped back to reality and saw Tyler in a tuxedo standing behind her
in the mirrorâthe man who stood next to Naomi when she was
fifteen.
However, this time, he stood behind her, his expression cold and
serious. He had lost the warm smile she had seen at that time.
Olivia quickly straightened up, trying to appear less dispirited.