Chapter 59

OLIVIA

AFTER SUCH an intense fight I had with Chase and days of crying my heart out, I could not deny how excited and nervous I was to finally see him again. It was strange how my heart was instantly filled with hope and love all over again right after the roller coaster of emotions I went through. I never thought I would still feel such positive emotions after drowning myself in the depths of heartbreak and sorrow.

My lips curled up into a smile. I was sitting beside the plane window and looking at the sea of clouds outside. The fact that Chase made an effort to come up with stunts like these just to be forgiven made me feel the warmth inside my chest.

He never failed to make me feel extra special.

I let out a long sigh and sipped my tea, pursed my lips as I tasted the best tea ever and couldn't help but wonder what would happen once we saw each other.

"I missed him..." I said to myself as I leaned my back against the soft and comfortable backrest of my seat.

It almost took two hours before the plane finally landed on a private island that I would say was too far away from the city. I was greeted by the fresh salty air as soon as I descended to the white sand while holding my luggage bag.

My eyes immediately roamed around the island. I gasped, completely stunned by the beauty of the entire place. The ocean was crystal blue, and I could see a lot of starfish and seashells on the shore. Palm trees could be seen everywhere; there were rock formations on some parts of the island; and the sound of ocean waves and whispers of the wind made my body feel more relaxed.

The plane left after a couple of minutes, and for a brief moment, I stayed on the shore admiring the view. I took my phone out and had taken a lot of pictures of the island before I noticed that there wasn't any cellular signal here either.

"The island being an island..." I commented. I looked around and saw the trail on the left part of the shore.

I hadn't seen a single soul on the shore, so I decided to walk to the trail, hoping that I would see Chase or someone that would point me to the exact place I needed to go to. As I walked my way, I was amazed by the beauty of the plants and trees I passed by. This island was clearly being taken care of despite the fact that it was secluded and far away. Charles probably spent a million dollars just to keep its authenticity for him to enjoy whenever he felt like going island hopping.

I shook my head as I thought about how many islands he owned by now.

After a few walks, I found myself standing in front of a private villa. I was hesitant to enter it, but it was the only house I had seen in this place, and the thought that Chase was probably inside and was waiting for me doubled my courage to enter it.

The gate was not locked, which made my attempt to trespass easier. Still dragging my luggage bag, I walked to the porch and came to a halt to compose myself.

"Do not be so nervous. It is going to be alright, Liv..." I said to myself and took several deep breaths as I gathered all my thoughts and the words I wanted to tell Chase.

I decided to forgive him; to forget those hurtful words he said, and to apologize for lying to him. I wanted to assure him that I would never make the same mistake again and that I would never make him worry again. I would tell him that despite everything that happened, I still love him and I miss him so badly.

Those thoughts made my heart pound aggressively. I knew this was beyond madness as it was not part of my original plan to suck money out of his pocket, but I no longer give a damn.

All I knew right then was the fact that I was madly in love with him...

I took one deep breath and then pushed the door open.

"Chase?" I called his name as I entered the villa.

My jaw dropped when I glanced at every corner of the place. The villa was so spacious. It had a minimalist interior design. The walls were painted white and brown, which complemented the antique furniture sitting around in its right places. The living room was enormous and had a fireplace too, and on its right side there was a glass door that would lead to an outdoor pool and the oceanfront view.

"Chase, I'm here!" I called once again. This time my voice was loud enough for him to hear.

I was hoping to hear a response, but all I heard was silence. I pouted my lips and decided to leave the luggage bag on one of the couches and ran upstairs.

The second floor also had a living room and a balcony where a couple could sit for a romantic lunch or dinner while gazing at the ocean view in front of them, and there were rooms available on the other side of the hallway.

"Chase?" I called my husband as I walked to the hallway and checked the rooms one by one.

I entered the master bedroom and saw some luggage beside the king-sized bed. I quickly inspected it and figured out it was Chase's stuff!

"Chase!" I rushed into the bathroom, hoping to see him there, but to no avail. "Where is he?"

I could not help but wonder where he went at this point. He was supposed to wait for me here. Could it be that he was at the beach all along? I palmed my face, thinking that our paths didn't cross when the plane landed here earlier.

With that in mind, I quickly descended to the first floor and went out of the villa.

I ran towards the shore and called his name as I wandered. Perhaps the plane landed on the wrong part of the island, and Chase was on the other side of it, waiting for me. Even though I was starting to feel a bit tired walking and calling his name, I did not stop even for a minute as I really wanted to see him badly.

However, I already checked every area of the front part of the island, and Chase was nowhere to be found. Worry filled my chest. His luggage was already in the villa, which meant that he arrived here before me... But where did he go?

I went back to the villa, trying my best to be positive despite being anxious about my situation. I checked the pool, garden, kitchen, and backyard, but Chase was nowhere to be found.

Maybe we went somewhere to prepare something special for me?

I settled with that hunch as I could never entertain negative thoughts at this point. I sat on one of the couches and leaned my head against the backrest while waiting for Chase. Out of exhaustion, my eyelids feel heavy, and even though I tried my best not to fall asleep, I unconsciously yawned and shut my eyes.

When I finally woke up, I realized that it was almost sunset. My eyes widened, and I stood up and called out to Chase again, hoping that he had already arrived at this time. However, my voice just echoed in the house, and nothing... no one ever responded.

I gasped. My chest tightened at the thought that Chase might have forgotten that he was supposed to be here, or that his work was way more important than fixing the loose ends of our relationship. I mean, if he could not make it, why even start a plan like this?

Damn it!

I stormed out of the villa and inspected the whole area, but I hadn't found a single soul that would help me get home as I no longer wanted to be here anymore.

I walked and continued to mutter curses under my breath while holding back my tears. I could not believe I had to deal with this situation. Let alone, I had anticipated this. All the excitement I felt from the plane before I arrived here went away, and the only thing that was left was embarrassment.

My feet felt the sand once again. I took several deep breaths as I gazed at the ocean and the sun setting down from afar. I swallowed so hard. Tears started to stream down my face, but my hands were quick to wipe all of them off.

"I should not have listened to them... I should not have listened to my freaking heart," I said, kicking the sand to let out my frustration.

I ended up picking up some marbles on the sand and throwing them into the sea while cursing and venting my rage. I felt as if I was being power tripped by Chase Maxwell, and he was sitting comfortably at home, laughing and mocking me.

"Darn it!" I yelled and threw anything solid that came into contact with my hand from the ground.

I then sat on the sand and watched the sunset while crying and wishing that my misery would just end. I hugged both of my knees and buried my head on top of them and sobbed like a child missing in an unfamiliar place.

My wet cheeks were kissed by the salty air. I bit my lower lip. My emotions overpowered the shit in me, to the extent that even impossible ideas started to whirl around my head.

What if he found out about my real identity and, out of his anger, he decided to ditch me and left me hanging on this island all by myself?

What if this was my punishment for deceiving him?

My heart felt as if it was being wrenched severely. I knew that Chase had all the good reasons to seek revenge because I deceived him, and I knew that I had no right to complain because I was the one who started this whole mess... just because I wanted to get rich overnight.