Chapter 131: Chapter 131
Olivia’s POV
"Excuse me?"
I knew Maxwell was a jerk - God knows It wasn’t a secret - but this? This wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. Not even close.
Sometimes I wondered if the man was actually crazy. Calm one moment, then rude and accusatory the next. What the hell was his problem? Did he have some kind of personality disorder? Multiple personalities? Was he possessed?
He waved his hand dismissively, like I was an annoying fly buzzing around his head. "Stop standing there like a statue and sit down."
What the fuck!
The casual dismissal, the complete lack of remorse for his accusations, the sheer audacity - that did it.
If he was crazy, I wouldn’t be here to partake in it.
I turned on my heel and started walking toward the exit, my body radiating fury.
"Olivia." His voice came from behind me in a commanding tone.
I didn’t answer. Didn’t even slow down. I was done. Completely done.
"Olivia, wait."
Still walking. Almost to the door now. Just a few more steps and I’d be free of this disaster of a meeting.
I heard his chair scrape against the floor, heard his footsteps rapidly approaching. My hand had just touched the door handle when his fingers wrapped around my upper arm, stopping me in my tracks.
"Let go of me," I said through gritted teeth, trying to yank my arm free.
But his grip was tight, unyielding. "Come sit down. Let’s talk like adults."
"Like adults?" I whirled to face him, fury blazing in my chest. "You just accused me of trying to seduce you and your best friend! You insulted me the second I walked in here! And now you want to talk like adults?"
"You’re overreacting..."
"I’m going home," I cut him off, my voice rising. "I’m not interested in this meeting with your stupid self anymore. I will not be insulted. Not by you, not by anyone!"
"Olivia, you’re being ridiculous..."
"What?" I yanked at my arm again, but he held fast. "You’re the one being ridiculous! You invited me here, I showed up looking nice, and you immediately attack me!"
"I didn’t attack you, I asked a simple question..."
"That wasn’t a question? You accused me of seducing Gabriel! You’re acting like I’m some kind of..."
"Stop twisting my words..."
"Let go of me, Maxwell!"
"Not until you calm down and come sit..."
"I’m not calming down! You’re a complete asshole!"
"And you’re being hysterical!"
The word made me pause.
I stopped struggling. Stopped yelling. Just stood there, staring at him in disbelief.
"What did you just say?" My voice was quiet now, dangerously quiet.
Maxwell seemed to realize his mistake, "I didn’t mean..."
"Did you just call me hysterical?"
"Olivia..."
Without warning, my free hand flew up and I slapped him across the cheek in a sharp, resounding SMACK that echoed through the empty restaurant.
The impact surprised us both. Maxwell’s head snapped to the side, and his grip on my arm loosened just enough for me to wrench free.
I didn’t waste a second. I turned and practically ran out of the restaurant. My heels echoed against the floor as I burst through the doors and into the afternoon sunlight.
The street was busy with traffic, people walking past, but I barely saw any of it through the red haze of my anger.
I was furiously waving down taxis, but every single one that passed was occupied. Of course. Of course this would happen. The universe always seemed to conspire against me whenever Maxwell was involved.
"Come ON!" I yelled at a taxi that didn’t even slow down.
After minutes of unsuccessful attempts, I was seconds away from screaming out loud. The fury inside me was building and building with nowhere to go.
How could I forget what a bastard Maxwell Wellington was? How could I have let myself think - even for a second - that meeting him might lead to something good?
I started walking furiously as I stormed down the sidewalk with no particular destination in mind. I just needed to move, needed to burn off this rage before I exploded.
Maxwell was a demon who wasn’t capable of feeling anything. I was convinced of it now.
How could anyone ever love him? No wonder his Olivia - the one he claimed to have loved - had betrayed him and run away. He probably deserved it.
And no wonder Sabrina had sought comfort in the arms of another woman. Maxwell clearly wasn’t worth it. He was cold, controlling, insulting, impossible...
A black Range Rover suddenly pulled up beside me, matching my pace as I walked.
I ignored it, assuming it was just someone looking for parking or waiting for traffic to clear. But then the back door flew open, and before I could process what was happening, someone grabbed my arm and yanked me inside.
"HELP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my legs kicking wildly in the air as I was dragged into the backseat. "SOMEONE HELP ME! I’M BEING KIDNAPPED!"
My purse went flying somewhere inside the car as I thrashed and fought, my heels stomping on leather seats, the door, possibly a person - I couldn’t tell through my panic.
"HELP! POLICE! SOMEONE..."
"Olivia, calm down! It’s me!"
Maxwell’s voice cut through my screaming, and I froze for just a second before the panic turned back into pure rage.
Maxwell? That was even worse.
"LET ME OUT!" I screamed even louder, resuming my struggle with renewed energy. "LET ME OUT RIGHT NOW! I DON’T WANT TO BE IN THE SAME SPACE AS YOU!"
The car was already moving, pulling away from the curb and merging into traffic.
"Olivia, stop..."
"NO!" I kicked at the door, tried to grab the handle, anything to escape. "You can’t just kidnap me! This is illegal! I’ll call the police! I’ll..."
"You’re going to hurt yourself..."
"I DON’T CARE!" I was practically hysterical now - actually hysterical, not the bullshit version he’d accused me of earlier. "Let me out! LET ME OUT!"
My fist connected with his shoulder, then his chest. I was hitting him blindly, furiously, all the anger and frustration and confusion of the past weeks pouring out through my fist.
"Stop it," Maxwell growled, trying to catch my flailing hands.
"NO! You’re insane! You’re a psychopath! You..."
He caught both my wrists in one hand, his other arm wrapping around my waist to stop me from kicking. I was pressed against his chest now, trapped but still struggling.
"LET GO..."
"Olivia, for God’s sake..."
"I HATE YOU!"
"FUCK!"
And then his mouth crashed down on mine.