Olivia’s POV
I froze in the bathroom stall even after I heard the sound of Sabrina walking away. My mind was reeling, replaying her words over and over again.
*Maxwell’s first love was nad Olivia.*
Had I heard that correctly, or was my stressed-out brain playing tricks on ? The way Sabrina had said it so casually, like it was common knowledge - "her na was Olivia" - before Gabriel’s voice had interrupted their conversation.
*Is it possible that Maxwell has a problem with my na and not specifically?* The thought sent a chill down my spine. *Why? Did his first love dump him? Break his heart? Leave him for another man?*
If Maxwell Wellington had been hurt by soone nad Olivia, that would explain his hostility toward at his Dr. Heart’s Office, his cruel comnts about "won like Olivia," his determination to sabotage my relationship with Gabriel.
*Damn... that’s wild.*
"Honey, you can co out now," Julian’s voice cut through my thoughts. "The coast is clear, and we need to talk."
I slowly opened the stall door to find Julian standing there with his hands on his hips, impatiently tapping his legs.
"Spill," he demanded without preamble. "And I an everything. I want every detail, every tea, every juice... and you better not leave anything out."
"Julian, I really can’t—"
"Oh, you absolutely can and you absolutely will," he interrupted, moving closer, "Because honey, let paint you a picture of your nearest future if you don’t start talking. Option one: you tell everything right now, and I help you figure out how to go through this ss without destroying your life. Option two: I march straight to Maxwell Wellington’s office and inform him that his ’male’ assistant has been using the ladies’ room for very obvious reasons."
My face went pale. "You wouldn’t."
"Try , sugar." Julian’s smile was sharp. "I’ve got nothing to lose here, but you? You’ve got everything to lose. So what’s it going to be?"
I stared at him for a long mont, weighing my options. Julian clearly wasn’t going to let this go, and honestly, after living this lie for a while now, the thought of having an office confidante was almost irresistible.
"It’s a long story," I said finally in a low voice.
"Honey, I live for long stories. But right now, you need to get back to your office before the ice prince starts wondering where his assistant disappeared to. et for lunch - 12:00 sharp at Taylor’s cafe so we can talk privately."
Julian paused, giving one final look, "And Oliver? If you even think about standing up, I will hunt you down and expose this whole charade. Are we clear?"
I nodded quickly, "crystal clear."
"Good. Now get out of here before soone else walks in and starts asking questions."
I hurried out of the bathroom and back down the hallway, with a pounding heart. I grabbed the files I’d abandoned on the couch earlier and took a deep breath before pushing open Maxwell’s office door.
Inside, I found Maxwell still behind his desk, reviewing docunts with intense focus. He looked up when I entered, his eyes imdiately filled with irritation.
"About ti, Oliver," he said coldly, going back to his papers. "I told you to wait outside, not go ho."
"I didn’t go ho, sir," I said quickly, settling back at my little desk. "I just needed to use the restroom."
Maxwell’s pen paused mid-signature, and he slowly raised his eyes to et mine. For a mont, he just stared at , then his face hardened.
"I don’t give a damn where you went," he said curtly, returning his attention to his docunts. "Just get back to work. I need those files before the end of the day."
"Yes, sir."
The next few hours passed in tense, awkward silence. I threw myself into recreating the coffee-damaged files, trying not to think about where Maxwell had been last night, or about his first love, or Gabriel’s unexpected arrival.
Maxwell worked at his desk with single-minded focus, occasionally answering phone calls or reviewing contracts, but otherwise ignoring my presence entirely.
The atmosphere in the office felt suffocating. Every ti Maxwell shifted in his chair or cleared his throat, I tensed, expecting him to confront about sothing. But he remained coldly quiet, treating like a piece of office equipnt.
Finally, the clock on my computer screen clicked over to 12:00 PM.
"Sir?" I said hesitantly, looking up from my work. "It’s lunchti. Would you like to order sothing for you, or...?"
Maxwell glanced at his watch, then back at with slight surprise, as if he’d forgotten I was a human being who required food to function.
"Take your lunch break," he said dismissively. "Be back in exactly one hour."
"Yes sir."
I gathered my purse and headed for the door, acutely aware of Maxwell’s gaze following my every movent. It wasn’t until I was safely in the elevator that I allowed myself to breathe normally again.
Olivia could be his first love, last love, or even the woman he’d spent last night with - I didn’t care right now - all I cared about was eting Julian.
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting across from Julian at the cafe, watching him sip his tea like a princess while impatiently drumming his fingers against the table.
"Alright," he said, setting down his cup. "Story ti. And don’t you dare try to give so watered-down version. I want the full, unedited, scandalous truth."
I looked around nervously, making sure no one from the office was within earshot, then leaned forward and began to speak.
"My real na is Olivia Hopton," I said quietly, "And I ca here because of a man."
Then I delved into the story.
Julian leaned back in his chair, his eyebrows rising higher with each word I spoke. When I finished my explanation about disguising myself as Oliver to follow Alex Gregory to Wellington & Sons, he was completely silent for a full thirty seconds.
Then he started laughing.
Not just a chuckle, but full-blown, tears-in-his-eyes, gasping-for-breath laughter that drew stares from other people in the cafe.
"Stop laughing!" I hissed, sliding lower in my seat. "This is serious!"
"Oh honey," Julian wheezed, wiping tears from his eyes, "this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life. And trust , I’ve heard so stories."
"It’s not ridiculous," I protested weakly.
"You disguised yourself as a man to follow your crush to a new job?" Julian repeated. "Baby girl, that’s not romantic. That’s restraining order territory."
I winced. When he put it like that, it did sound pretty unhinged.
"But wait," Julian continued, suddenly sitting up straighter, "so, not only did you follow Alex, but you ended up working for his best friend who happens to be a complete psychopath, AND you’re now dating Alex’s twin brother who has no idea of your double identity?"
"I’m not exactly dating Gabriel yet, and I wouldn’t say Maxwell is a psychopath..."
Julian fixed with a look that could have frozen hell. "Sweetie, the man demoted you out of pure spite, fired you for being late once, then hired you back just so he could torture you so more. If that’s not psychotic behavior, I don’t know what is."
I opened my mouth to defend Maxwell, then stopped. What was I doing? Why was I trying to defend that creep? Of course he was a psychopath. And a crazy one at that.
"You’re right," I admitted. "He’s been horrible to ."
"And yet you just told you think you’re developing feelings for him?" Julian shook his head in disbelief. "Honey, we need to get you into therapy. Like, imdiately."
"I don’t have feelings for him!" I protested, then paused. "I an, maybe I do, but it’s just confusion. Kira explained it - I’ve been single too long and I’m mixing up attraction with Stockholm syndro or sothing."
Julian stirred his tea. "Okay, let ask you this - why were you in the ladies’ room today? You said Gabriel showed up unexpectedly?"
"Yes," I said, grateful for the change of subject. "He appeared in Maxwell’s office completely out of nowhere. I panicked and ran because I was terrified he’d recognize . Gabriel knows as Olivia, not Oliver."
"And he has no idea about your little masquerade?"
I shook my head. "None whatsoever. He just t Oliver today for the first ti. I couldn’t bear the thought of him recognizing , not after turning him down for Saturday night."
"Saturday night?"
"Gabriel had asked to be his date to Alex’s engagent party. But Alex and Maxwell both expect Oliver to be there as a colleague."
Julian nearly choked on his tea. "You’re joking."
"I wish I was. My life has beco this insane web of lies, and honestly, I can’t seem to keep track of who knows what anymore. I lie so much these days that I can’t even differentiate the truth from the lies."
"Olivia," Julian said, his voice becoming serious, "you realize this can’t continue, right? You’re going to get caught. And when you do, it’s going to destroy everything, including your entire career."
"I know," I whispered, staring down at my food. "But I’m in too deep now. If I co clean, I lose everything anyway. At least this way, I’m getting paid really well while Maxwell makes my life hell."
Julian tilted his head. "How well?"
"He’s paying five tis what I made at my old firm. As his assistant." I looked up at Julian. "Which doesn’t make any sense, by the way. Why would anyone pay an assistant that much money?"
"Because he wants to keep you close," Julian said imdiately. "But the question is why?"
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