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Her footsteps were quick, but they felt heavy with the weight of her emotions. As she pushed open the restaurant door and stepped outside, the cool night air hit her face, but it did little to numb the tightness in her chest.
She didn’t look back at first, maintaining her composed mask, her emotions remained hidden. But then she stopped. Slowly, she glanced back at the closed door of the restaurant, her shoulders slumping.
No one followed her out.
Of course, he wouldn’t. She was nothing more than an inconvenient presence in their loving reunion.
"All men are the same," she whispered under her breath, the words bitter on her tongue.
It felt like a slap to the face. She had been with Sawyer for almost three years, had done so much for him, and yet, as soon as his lover returned, he cast her aside like she was nothing. Not even a glance when she walked away.
She turned around again, her lips trembling as she took a shuddering breath. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. But the image of Olivia and Sawyer standing together wouldn’t leave her mind. The anger and bitterness burned inside her, her heart aching.
Quickly, Ellie walked away, her purse tucked under her arm, her steps brisk as she distanced herself from the restaurant.
In the restaurant, when Sawyer realised Ellie was leaving, he immediately tried to follow her, but Olivia grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Sawyer, why are you chasing after her?" Olivia's voice was sharp.
Sawyer turned, his pissed off gaze shifting to her hand on his arm before slowly meeting her eyes. Olivia flinched. Instinctively, she let go of his arm at once.
But then, composing herself, she took a step closer, her hands reaching up to rest on his chest as she spoke, her eyes searching his. "Sawyer, we've been together since we were kids. Didn’t you always say that you love me more than anyone else in the world? Then why..." she glanced at the door, her frown deepening. "Why are you running after that girl? I’m right here. Isn’t that enough?"
Sawyer took a frustrated breath, his shoulders tense as he glanced around, seeing the still-present half-naked servers. "Let’s talk outside," he muttered, storming out of the restaurant.
The night air was crisp and bitter as they stood outside, the noise of the restaurant’s clamor fading behind them. Sawyer adjusted his coat, his other hand shoved in his pocket, and turned to face Olivia. His expression was unreadable.
He stood there for a moment, collecting his thoughts before speaking. "I have a question for you, too," he said, his voice more controlled now. "You never answered me. You left me three years ago without so much as a text. So why are you back now?"
"Sawyer." Olivia frowned, stepping closer to him and reaching out to touch his arm, but he raised his hand, stopping her in her tracks. His brows furrowed deeply as he took a subtle step back, creating a barrier between them. Ever since the fire at her home, every time she touched him, an uncomfortable tension coiled in his chest, one he couldn’t explain.
They had known each other since childhood, had once been so deeply in love that everyone assumed they were destined for forever. But now, no matter how much he tried, standing close to her felt suffocating.
Olivia’s jaw tightened at his rejection, her teeth clenching briefly as irritation flickered across her face. But she quickly masked it, forcing a strained smile as she took a calming breath and spoke patiently, her tone soft yet calculated.
"Sawyer, you know how bad things were after the fire. Our business was crumbling, and someone had to step in to save it. That’s why I had to leave out of the blue, to live overseas and take care of everything. I didn’t have a choice," she explained, her voice trembling slightly. "How else could I protect my parents and everything they built? I had to do it—for us, for our future."
His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "So, you left without a word?"
Olivia’s face softened into a sad expression, a hint of forced vulnerability seeping into her voice. "My parents made me do it," she replied, her gaze darting to the floor. "I told them I didn’t want to go, but they insisted. They forced me to leave."
She was lying.
Sawyer’s gaze lingered on her face, searching for even a sliver of the woman he had loved for so many years. The woman he had grown up with, who had been his entire world since childhood. But no matter how hard he looked, she wasn’t there.
He had known her family for years. He had a good relationship with them, and they had told him the truth the very day she had left. They had tried to stop Olivia from leaving, but she’d insisted on going overseas the moment the news broke about the power struggle in Sawyer’s family business. When the speculations were flying around the country that Sawyer might not be the next CEO of Stark Entertainment, she booked a flight and left the country even when her parents begged her to stay.
And now she was blaming them for it?
“Did it really have nothing to do with me not taking the CEO position back then?” Sawyer’s brow arched, his tone clipped.
Olivia froze for a moment, startled by the question, but she quickly shook her head, forcing a calm smile. “Of course not. What are you talking about? How could I be petty like that? You know I’ve always loved you. How could I ever leave you over something so stupid?”
Sawyer took a deep breath, his hand instinctively rising to scratch his nose as irritation flickered across his face.
Then, with visible effort, he pushed the feeling aside and looked at her again. This time, his eyes had softened—no longer cold, but distant, almost resigned. After all, she had been with him for many years. They had loved each other since they were kids. He couldn’t completely dismiss that.
“Alright. It’s good to see you’ve come back, Olivia.” he murmured.