Chapter 3 03

The announcement echoed through the grand foyer, and Olivia's heart stuttered to a stop. The room fell into an expectant hush as Clayton Bradford descended the sweeping marble staircase.

He moved with the easy confidence that made her breath stop. His tall, athletic frame was wrapped in an impeccably tailored black suit. Dashing. Dangerous. Gorgeous. Those words flashed in her mind as she looked at him.

A waiter appeared with another tray of champagne. Olivia grabbed a glass, ignoring the disapproving look Mrs. Hilton shot her from across the room. She drank the champagne to ease her throat that had gone dry.

The crowd burst into applause, and Clayton's lips curved into his signature smile, the one that had graced countless magazine covers. It was a smile that could charm and melt hearts.

"Thank you all for coming..." His voice carried effortlessly across the room, deep and smooth like fine wine.

Olivia took an involuntary step backward, and that's when she collided with a man's broad chest. She lost track of Clayton's speech when her eyes landed on a familiar pair of eyes.

Caleb?

She couldn't believe her eyes. It was really Caleb, the man she loved so deeply four years ago but he broke her heart when he ended their relationship all of a sudden. He disappeared after that without even saying goodbye.

"O-Olivia?" He seemed surprised at first, but his eyelid lowered, a wave of strong emotion crossing his eyes.

He stood in front of her, looking exactly like the boy who'd stolen her heart, just older. More handsome. His blonde hair still fell slightly into his eyes the way it used to, and his smile, that gentle smile, made nostalgic memories flash in her mind.

"I've looked everywhere for you!" Caleb crossed the small distance between them and grabbed her hand tightly, like a drowning man clutching at a lifeline. " I thought about you every single day after we broke up. I thought I would never see you again."

Olivia felt her head spin. She was lost and confused. She didn't know how to respond. "Caleb, I-"

"Please," he cut in, "please just let me say this or else I would regret it until the day I die." His thumb traced circles on her palm, a gesture so achingly familiar it made her chest hurt. His next words came out in a rush, like he'd been holding them in for too long. "Breaking up with you four years ago was the biggest mistake of my life. The words I said back then are all a lie. I only did those because I was threatened."

She couldn't tell if he's telling the truth. But the Caleb she knew is an honest person.

"Then why...?" The question escaped her in a broken whisper. She still wanted to know the truth even after all these years. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you have to break my heart so severely?"

"Mr. Hilton came to me. He told me if I didn't end things with you, he'd make sure I lost my career. I refused at first-God, Olivia, I refused because you meant everything to me."

Caleb's voice cracked, and she could see the raw pain in his eyes, still fresh after all these years. "But when he said you'd lose everything because of me, that the Hiltons would cut you off if I didn't let go, that you'd end up hating me for destroying your future, I knew I had to let you go."

"I worked hard, thinking maybe one day I'd be worthy of you. Now I'm the CEO of my own company. I have everything now-money, power, success. Everything they said I didn't have back then. Everything they said you deserved."

He pulled her closer, his forehead resting against hers. The familiar scent of his cologne made her dizzy with memories.

"This time, I swear I'll protect you. I won't let anyone tear us apart again. I don't care if I have to fight the whole world-I'll fight for you. Please tell me it's not too late."

She swallowed the lump in her throat.  She felt her heart breaking. So it wasn't her fault why he left her. It was her  adoptive parents who manipulated the situation.

She opened her mouth but before she could speak, a strong hand gripped her arm. She was yanked backward, away from Caleb's hold.

Suddenly, she was staring into Clayton Bradford's dark eyes. His face was unreadable as he deliberately sank down to one knee. The motion was smooth, practiced, perfect. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. Inside was a diamond solitaire ring.

"Olivia Hilton, will you marry me?"

Olivia blankly stared at the diamond solitaire in Clayton's hand.

Everything made sense now, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. Her parents talking about marriage and their unexpected decision to attend a birthday party, all of it hadn't been random at all. They had planned this whole thing.

Her throat felt tight, as if a hand were squeezing it. She couldn't think properly. Couldn't speak.

Clayton kneeling on one knee, Caleb watching in shock behind her, the expectant guests, and her adoptive parents glaring because she was taking so long to answer-all hit her at once. She couldn't take the pressure, and she felt the room spin.

"Olivia? Are you okay?" Clayton's face swam in and out of focus. He got up, his voice sounding far away, as if he were calling to her from underwater. She tried to draw in air, but her lungs wouldn't cooperate.

"Olivia, oh my God, you're paperwhite!" Caleb's concerned voice reached her ears, but she couldn't bring herself to respond.

She pressed her hands against her temples, trying to steady herself. But the faces around her blurred into indistinct shapes. It was all too much for her. The last thing she heard was the sound of hurried footsteps rushing in her direction. She fell into someone's arms before darkness closed in around her.