Olivia’s POV
The words felt like a heavy blow.
No. No, no, no.
I’d been playing gas, testing him, pushing his boundaries. But I didn’t actually want him to leave.
I didn’t want him to give up.
I opened my mouth, ready to break down and confess, ready to tell him not to go, ready to drop the act entirely...
"I need to go out there and look for the intruder," Maxwell continued.
I stared at him, my confession dying on my lips.
"What?"
"The intruder," he repeated. "I need to find him. Before he can hurt you again."
Relief and concern warred inside .
He wasn’t leaving because of . He was leaving to protect .
But that also ant...
"You want to go into the storm?" I asked, genuinely alard now. "Maxwell, that’s insane. It’s still raining, the ground is going to be slippery and dangerous. Where would you even start looking?"
"I’ll go into town," he said, and there was a determination in his voice that scared . "Get the police. Have them co out here and investigate properly. We can’t just wait around for him to strike again."
"Get the police?" I repeated. "In town? Maxwell, that’s miles away, and what if I get attacked while you’re gone?"
"Ian will be here with you," he said. "I’ll make sure you’re safe with him before I leave."
Ian. Right. The neighbor who’d saved our lives.
"I’ll find the intruder," Maxwell continued. "I’ll make sure he can’t hurt you ever again."
I was torn now. Genuinely torn.
Part of - the part that had been playing gas and enjoying his tornt - wanted to tell him not to be ridiculous, that we should wait out the storm together.
But another part - the part that rembered the terror of being chased across the beach with a knife-wielding maniac behind - wanted him to go. Wanted him to find whoever that was and make sure I was safe.
"Is there another reason you want to find the intruder right now? Imdiately?" I asked carefully.
Maxwell hesitated, then nodded.
"I didn’t know when the right ti to tell you this was," he said quietly. "But I know who the intruder is."
My blood ran cold. Of course he knew.
"Who?"
He t my eyes, and I saw guilt and pain and sothing that looked like sha.
"My father," he said.
For a mont, I couldn’t process the words.
"What?" The word ca out as barely a whisper.
"I’m so sorry, Olivia," Maxwell said, and his voice cracked. "This is all my fault. Ever since I ca into your life, I’ve endangered you. ssed up your life. Put you in harm’s way. I’m going to make this right. I swear to you, I’m going to fix this."
I couldn’t speak. Could barely breathe.
His father. The man who’d tried to kill was Maxwell’s father.
"How?" I finally managed. "How is that even possible? The intruder - he said he wanted to kill to make you pay. What kind of father does that to his son? Plus, you’ve never ntioned anything about your father before. I didn’t even know he was alive."
Maxwell’s jaw tightened, and he looked away.
"It started about ten years ago," he said, his voice hollow. "My father started acting... unstable. Making erratic business decisions. Becoming increasingly paranoid and aggressive. He started embezzling from the company to fund his addictions - drugs, gambling, you na it. He’d spend his days in drug houses and his nights at clubs, burning through money like it was nothing."
I listened, horror growing with each word.
"Then one day, he tried to kill himself," Maxwell continued. "The doctors evaluated him and confird what we’d all suspected - he was ntally unstable. Dangerous. They recomnded he be committed to a psychiatric facility."
He paused, his hands clenching into fists.
"He refused to go. Kept trying to escape. They had to use restraints. Eventually, they had to chain him to his bed because he was a danger to himself and others."
My hand flew to my mouth.
"Maxwell..."
"I’m the one who signed the papers," he said, and there was so much pain in his voice. "I’m the one who authorized the restraints. The chains. And then..."
He took a shaky breath.
"Then there was a fire. The whole building went up in flas. So people escaped, but so of the patients died. My father..." His voice broke. "He was confird dead. They said he died in his room because he couldn’t get out of the chains."
I unconsciously leaned closer.
"I felt so guilty," he whispered. "If I hadn’t authorized those restraints, if I hadn’t insisted on the chains, he would have escaped with the others. He’d still be alive. It was my decision that killed him."
"But he’s not dead," I said quietly.
Maxwell nodded.
"Apparently not," he said. "Sohow, he escaped. Faked his death. And now he’s out there, clearly still unstable, targeting you to hurt ."
He stood up, his expression hardening.
"That’s why I need to find him," he said. "He’s insane, Olivia. There’s no telling what he might do next. I need to stop him before he hurts you again."
I stood too, my mind racing.
"You’re going to go to town?" I asked. "Get the police?"
"Yes. I’ll get dressed, then take you to Ian’s place..."’He paused, sothing flickering across his face. "Is Ian soone who can be trusted?"
I thought about Ian. His easy confidence. The way he’d saved us without hesitation.
"He practically saved our lives," I pointed out. "Nursed us back to health. That should count for sothing."
Maxwell nodded, but his expression remained wary.
"Still," he said. "I want you to stay alert while you’re with him. Vigilant. I don’t want to leave you with him, but I don’t have a choice. And I promise I’ll be back before nightfall."
He looked at intently.
"And Olivia? Don’t tell Ian where I’m going. For your safety. The fewer people who know, the better."
I nodded, my earlier playfulness completely forgotten.
This was serious. Real. Dangerous.
And Maxwell was about to walk out into it alone.
Part of wanted to stop him. To tell him not to go.
But another part - the part that could still feel the knife-wielding madman chasing across the beach - knew he was right.
This needed to end.
Before soone got killed.
"Be careful," I said softly.
Maxwell’s expression softened, and he reached out like he wanted to touch , then seed to rember himself and dropped his hand.
"I will," he promised. "And I’ll co back."
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