Chapter 273 - Will you? (1/2)
”Don't let me drag you lazy a.s.s in here,” Oliver seethed the second his call to Olivia connected.
”Well good morning to you too, Ollie.”
”Oh. Good morning. So yeah, I don't want to be the bad guy, but I might have to ban you from seeing Finn if you will keep on ignoring Dad's invitation.”
Olivia smiled. She could sense her brother rubbing the back of his head as he spoke, trying his best to make his threat sound as convincing as possible.
She checked her desk clock and saw it was a quarter past ten in the morning. It was Wednesday, three days since Henry Lin demanded for her presence at the Lin Headquarters.
Everyday since that Monday, Olivia ignored the invitation from her father with the excuse of her tight schedule.
At first, Olivia thought Henry would let it go and let her be, but it seemed that there was a pressing matter that the loathsome man needed to address with his children, namely: her and Oliver.
If Oliver was sent to the front lines today, it went to show that Olivia's hunch was right.
After all, Henry Lin wouldn't dare ask Ollie to play the role of a messenger just to force Olivia to meet her father.
How odd. Olivia thought how a shift in time reversed the role of father and daughter.
Years ago it was Olivia who was begging for even as short as a glimpse from her father. Look at them now.
Tapping her fingertip on her t.h.i.g.h, Olivia took a sharp inhale. Slowly, a corner of her lips tipped in a smirk. ”Ban me if you like, but we all know who Finn would pick if I show up unannounced on your doorstep.”
”Livi! Jeez! Let's get this over with, will you?”
”If he wanted me to sign something, just send it over to my office. You know how swamped I am with my retirement. I have profiles to study, a new CEO to appoint, and the board was bitching about my early retirement too. Give this lady a break… will you?”
”All I need is an hour,” Oliver begged. ”And I will certainly owe you one.”
Olivia's eyebrow raised at her brother's offer. Oliver never owed anybody. He made sure it would always be the other way around.
Hearing him say those words elicited a tingling excitement in Olivia's nerves.
She definitely needed one favor, and it was something Maxen had never given her. She knew Oliver would do a double take after seeing her demand written in black and white.
”Ok. Hold on a sec.”
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Olivia's finger danced on the keyboard as she wrote her stipulation for meeting Henry Lin that morning. ”Sent. You can check your email.”
In the silence that ensued across the lines, Olivia could hear the hissing of the air-conditioning unit. The tiny strip of paper attached to it danced as cool air blew into her office.
Biting her bottom lip, Olivia did her best not to laugh but failed upon hearing Oliver curse.
”The f.u.c.k is this shit?”
”Words, Ollie.”
”I can say the heck that I want. Now, is there anything more absurd than this? I can't let you in that property, Livi. It's not made for you.”
”Ava and Emily could come in and out as they pleased. Why can't I?”
”Because Maxen would chop my head and put it in a stake. I'm not kidding.”
Olivia huffed. This was her only chance to get a glimpse of the bar that the four friends owned without raising Maxen's suspicions. ”Then you leave me with no choice but to decline your invitation.”