Chapter 29

OLIVIA

THE next day, I asked Chase if I could skip going to the office with him. I wanted to see something other than the four corners of his spacious working place, so I told him that I would be staying at Lara's apartment during the day and he could pick me up right there after work. I was all too aware of his second thoughts, and I felt that he did not really want me to stay somewhere that was out of his sight, but I assured him that I would be fine as Lara would be with me. In the end, he agreed, but with one condition: I would bring three bodyguards with me to ensure my safety while I spent some time with my best friend.

It was actually better than not getting his permission at all. I was glad he allowed me to visit Lara, as I could have sworn I already felt suffocated simply by staying at this office all day. In addition, there were things I could not tell him about. Yes, we talked, we mostly had "fun", and we understood each other, but there were things I could only tell Lara without the need to pretend as Reese, and that was the kind of conversation I had been meaning to have since what exactly happened that night.

"You know what? I've been dying to see you for the last couple of days. I am so worried that someone will just show up to hurt you. Death threats are serious matters. I hope Chase will do something to find out who that sick person is!" Lara commented, and I could feel her anger in every word she voiced out.

We were currently in the kitchen. She was preparing lunch for us, while I was seated problematically at the countertop table. My chin rested on the table as I watched every move she made.

"He's too certain that it was his sister who did it, Lara," I said and huffed out of frustration. "I know it is a baseless accusation, but Chase told me that his sister is more capable of doing such things. I am not sure what he meant by that, but I do recall him telling me that she had done it in the past." I inhaled sharply and shook my head. "But if it's Chandria who's behind all of this, I swear I'll do anything to make her pay for messing with me."

"That bitch truly hates Reese Jones, huh?" Lara looked at me with her wrinkled eyebrows. "You told me on the phone that she mistakenly thought that Mikael was your son by another man, which caused both of you to fight. If only I was in your house at that time, I swear I would have made her bald. I can't believe she tried to include my son over her hatred towards Reese."

"Exactly," I replied, and I raised my head. "Not to add that she seemed to be a little imbalanced. She did not want to listen to me, not even once. She never did. She really wanted to believe that Reese was a cheater and a gold digger. If not for this death threat thing, I would have really thought that Reese was that kind of a woman, but after receiving such a threat, I am really concerned as to what really happened to her."

Lara let out a long sigh and leaned her back against the sink. She looked at me as if she already knew what I had in mind all this time.

"You know, I feel you on this. With this thing that just occurred to you, I feel that it is related to why she'd gone missing, Olivia. Perhaps she doesn't really have another man. What if she is only trying to hide to protect herself from any danger?" she remarked, and the concern and fear were evident in her tone of voice.

"That's what I've been thinking, Lara." I swallowed hard and pursed my lips. "And now that I am here pretending to be her, her enemies will be targeting none other than me this time…"

"You're scaring me, for Pete's sake, Liv…" Lara looked at me worriedly then she embraced herself. "I hope it is only a prank. You know, Reese is somehow popular and there might be anti-Reese out there trying to scare her, don't you think so?"

"That's bullshit, Lara." I stood up and transferred to the couch in the living room, which was right next to her kitchen. Out of being so anxious, I started biting my nails and I could not help but think of all the possibilities. "But if that thing was true, then that anti-fan did really go beyond his or her limit. Sending a picture filled with fresh animal blood with a letter telling you that Reese must die is really scary. In fact, it is beyond traumatic. It frightens me that I can't even go to the bathroom by myself.Can you imagine that?"

"I know. If I were in your position, I would have grown my eye bags as I would never be able to sleep at night after receiving a death threat. Only a lunatic could ever send something like that." She then inhaled sharply and clicked her tongue afterward. "That's why you have to be extra careful, Liv. If Chase wanted to deploy dozens of bodyguards to tail and protect you, just let him be. It is good that you have a reliable husband who can keep you safe and secure at all times. At the very least, Chase makes me feel at ease."

"Yeah, I am quite thankful he is protecting me…" I said, but my voice came off a bit sad. "Anyway, I have another mission for you, since I figured out that finding the writer of the blog site related to Reese had been so difficult…"

"Oh, please don't mention how I failed to find that writer! That person knew how to hide well!" She then laughed, and I could not suppress mine either.

Yes, Lara's mission to find the writer of certain blog posts related to Reese was not successful as that person could not be located at all. I was not sure if it was just a coincidence that we could not find her or that the writer was really related to Reese and was hiding as well. Nevertheless, that person is no longer important at this point. We would still try to find Reese and use every clue we could get to find her.

"Don't worry, we are still best friends even though you did not accomplish the first mission, but…" I eyed her meaningfully. "I will pay you double if you help with something."

Lara turned off her induction cooker and walked straight to my direction. She then threw herself on the couch and sat next to me, her eyes sparkling with joy because of my last statement. "Whatever it is, Your Highness. You are well aware that I love the smell of money…"

I smirked, but then my face hardened as I recalled the way that person glared at me as if he wanted me dead that night…

"Hire someone to tail Ernest Maxwell, Lara," I told her seriously.

Lara's brows furrowed, and the way she looked at me, it was as if she thought I was going insane.

"What are you up to, Olivia Miller? Are you freaking sure you want me to hire someone to tail your father-in-law? What for?" She laughed and shook that thought off. "Is he having an affair or something? I don't get it!"

I massaged the bridge of my nose and shifted my position to face her properly. I swallowed hard, recalling what happened that night. His stares, his words, his entire aura… those were so different. It was like that man had built a good facade for him to show the first time we met, and now he was slowly expressing himself to me, and I did not seem to like it. In an instance, he became strange and mysterious.

"Earth to Olivia? Hey, can you please tell me why you want me to tail your father-in-law? Are you playing the good daughter-in-law for Chase's mother?" Lara gasped. "Or don't tell me he is really having an affair at his age?"

I shook my head. "No, it is not what you think it is, Lara. I don't know why, but there is something off about that old hag that makes me so uncomfortable lately. I want to know a lot more about the father of my husband," I said with a serious tone of voice.

"Why? Did he say something odd? Or did he happen to do something bad to you?" she curiously asked, face was so serious as I drew her attention.

"That night, when we went to Maxwell's residence, I saw him giving me a deadly glare, Lara. I did not know what it was for, but now I am really having a bad feeling. It's as if he knows something about Reese. I know it sounds crazy, but I just can't seem to get it off my mind."

"Aren't you being paranoid, Liv?"

I shook my head and clenched my jaw. "No. Please, Lara. I need your help on this. Find someone who can tail him."

***

CHASE was not able to pick me up in the evening as he needed to work overtime due to the upcoming launch of their new project. He wanted me to stay at Lara's apartment, but I decided to go home to the mansion instead, with the rest of the bodyguards protecting me as I already wanted to take a rest.

On our way home, a lot of thoughts whirled through my head, one of which was Uncle Ernest. At the back of my mind, I was hoping that Lara was correct, and that I was only being paranoid because I had been dealing with a lot of things lately. I was all too aware that Chase's father did not like Reese Jones for him, but my gut feeling said that there was something more than that... I did not know where this instinct would lead me, but I was hoping that I would not find out anything that would cause such big trouble for Chase. He dealt with a lot of things. I did not want to be a burden to him.

Looking at the streets our car was passing by, all I could do was sigh and contemplate. I guess the only thing I ever wanted right now was a peace of mind and to live normally without any threat that I should be worried about. However, who was I to deserve such a life when I stole someone else's life for money? I shook my head as I felt a pang of anxiety inside my chest. I could never really get used to the thought that I was taking advantage of someone else's life for my own benefit, no matter how hard I tried to tell myself that I should get used to it as it was my decision after all.

It took almost an hour before we arrived at our mansion. As soon as I hopped out of the car, my forehead started creasing as I saw many bodyguards surrounding the whole mansion. I was sure these people weren't the ones Chase hired, as I recognized the faces of our men.

"Who are they?" I asked a familiar bodyguard who was securing the mansion all this time.

"They are Mr. Ernest Maxwell's bodyguards, Mrs. Maxwell."

"What?" My eyes widened at what he said. "What do you mean by that?"

"Mr. Ernest Maxwell is waiting in front of the lake, Mrs. Maxwell. He's been here for thirty minutes, waiting for you and Mr. Chase Maxwell."

A surge of anxiety, as well as fear, went through me. In an instant, my entire body tensed up, and my mind became clouded.

"What the hell is he doing here?" I mumbled to myself, frozen in place because I didn't know what to do.

I was so uncomfortable with him that I had no single strength to face and talk to him. For some reason, her presence seemed to be bothering me in a way that could cause my panic attacks.

What did he want, anyway?