Ch. 51..60
Even After Death Chapter 51-The long–overdue class gathering was merry. Everly was a social butterfly. She managed to make conversations with almost anyone at the event. The attendees were more shocked to see Olivia.
A lot of her classmates went up to her and asked, “Olivia, I heard you’re married. Why didn’t you invite us to your Are we not good enough for you?” wedding?
Before Olivia could say a word, a woman interjected with a shrill voice, “It’s not that we’re not good enough for her. It’s the other way around, isn’t it? She probably hid from us because her family went bankrupt.” The woman was Calista Davies, who saw Olivia as her archenemy. Back in the day, the Davieses were not as wealthy as the Fordhams. So Calista always ranked second to Olivia in whatever she did. She should have been the wealthy, popular girl in school, but her spark went out when she was next to Olivia. That was the reason behind her vengeful attitude.
Now that the Fordhams went bankrupt, Calista would not miss the opportunity to humiliate Olivia.
As the class president, Calvin Atkins immediately came up to mediate. “Calista, that’s a bit harsh. Everyone goes through ups and downs in life. There’s no need to rub salt into the wound. It’s been a while since we met up. Let’s not spoil the fun.” Calista rolled her eyes at Calvin, but out of respect for him, she dropped the topic. “Fine, I’ll drop it. But isn’t it kind of shameless of her to skip all our gatherings over the years only to show up now for a share of the pie?” “What share? I thought this was a classmate gathering.” Olivia looked confused.
“Are you faking it, or do you really not know? Everyone came to this event to get in on the Oakland Hospital project.” The remark made Olivia feel conscious about her wasted days, shut away from the world. She seemed ignorant of the happenings around her. Calvin kindly explained, “The Oakland Hospital is the biggest project in recent years. It’s a 3.5–billion- dollar investment.” Calista scoffed. “The mission of the Oakland Hospital is to be a world–class hospital. It will hire quality staff and set up top- notch facilities. Of course, the pay is better than the average hospital in the country. And our dear class president is nice enough to introduce this opportunity to his old classmates.” The other classmates were discussing the new hospital with excitement. If Oakland Hospital hired them, they’d earn three times their current pay. But the interview criteria were stringent. It’d help a candidate to have connections within the hospital.
Olivia had a better idea of the situation after hearing the explanation. Calvin came from a prestigious family of doctors. And she bet that he had a huge share in the new hospital. Perhaps, the gathering wasn’t what it appeared on the surface. It was just a front to scout for talents.
After all, their graduating class was top of their cohort and full of talented students. Olivia guessed that Everly was too preoccupied with the breakup to fully grasp the nature of the gathering before dragging her along.
Unlike Olivia, Everly was deep in conversation. She was advertising the properties she was selling. Olivia felt awkward in the social situation. Thankfully, Calvin was caring and inquired about her life without looking down on her.
“Olivia, if you’re interested, the Oakland Hospital will always welcome a genius like you.” She flashed a defeated smile. “Calvin, you must be kidding. I’m just a dropout.” Calvin seemed confused. “No. You were on leave from school. But you received your proof of graduation and degree certificate.
It was her turn to be surprised. “Calvin, you must be confused.” “That’s impossible! I was the one who distributed the proof of graduation. Your family accepted it on your behalf. Did you not receive it?” It didn’t take long for Olivia to understand that Ethan must have pulled some strings. He must’ve taken her proof of graduation on her behalf.
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Even After Death Chapter 52-At that time, a pregnant Olivia was battling a marriage that went downhill. She brushed off the situation.
She assumed that Ethan did not inform her of the proof of graduation. It wasn’t a big deal to him.
She smiled at Calvin, “Yeah, I received it.” “We haven’t heard from you in two years. Were you furthering your studies elsewhere? And I heard about your family’s situation.
“Look, we are old mates from college. If you need help, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at any time. I’d be honored to have you join us at the Oakland Hospital.” In their eyes, she remained the brightest star in the sky. She recalled her miserable and fruitless life in the last few years and finally understood the gravity of her mistake.
“I’m sorry. I do not have plans to do so. I shouldn’t be at today’s event. I …” Calista gloated. “I heard you got married. Are you a housewife, by any chance?
If so, you’re really out of place in this event. You wouldn’t want to disgrace the VIPs.” Calvin shot her a disapproving look. Since the Davieses were reliant on the Atkinses, Calista had to keep her manners in check. Unlike her, Calvin acted gentlemanly toward others.
“That’s fine. We haven’t seen each other in a while anyway. Since we’re in the same industry, we might end up working together. I invited some medical experts to this event along with our classmates. Olivia, please don’t feel that you’re out of place.” He added, “Just think of it as expanding your social circle.” Olivia could not possibly excuse herself after Calvin attempted to keep her around. The other classmates were cool with Olivia. They enthusiastically chatted with her.
In her classmates, she saw the good old college days when they confidently engaged in lively academic discussions. She stared into her hands, feeling disappointed at how she had turned so boring. Her marriage only brought her pain.
From the conversations around her, she learned that the founder of the hospital would attend the event as well.
“I heard that the Miller Group bid for the Oakland Hospital project because the president wanted to make his fiancee happy.” “Mr. Miller has a reputation for being heartless. I never thought he was such a romantic! He even named a hospital wing after his fiancee!” Olivia looked shaken after learning about that, but she inquired with a sliver of hope, “Mr. Miller? Which one?” “Oh, Olivia, you can’t be that out of the loop! Ethan Miller is the only Mr. Miller in Aldenvine with pockets deep enough to invest billions in the hospital!” Nobody noticed that her face paled as she clutched the hem of her top tightly.
She had once vowed to build a mega–hospital to benefit more patients.
Ethan took her idea and put it into action without her knowing, but one thing especially stood out to her–he named a hospital wing after Marina.
How ironic was that!
She stood up in a hurry and accidentally tugged on the tablecloth. The decanted red wine toppled over and spilled all over her outfit, but she had no time to clean the mess.
“Calvin, something came up. I have to go now.” Calvin immediately helped to wipe the stains with some napkins. At that moment, the door flung open. Ethan and Marina entered
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Even After Death Chapter 53-By a twist of fate, Olivia found herself in Ethan’s sight at her most discomfited moments.
It turned out that the Atkinses and the Carltons were family friends. The Carltons invited the Atkinses to hold shares in the Oakland Hospital. Calvin was helping Marina to scout for talents. And that was how everyone ended up at the event.
However, the guests were surprised that Ethan tagged along as well. His presence took the event to the next level. And the guests flocked up to greet him.
Calvin did not abandon Olivia even after Ethan showed up. He handed her some napkins, and their hands touched in a moment of frenzy.
It was warm indoors. So Olivia unbuttoned her down jacket to reveal a knitted white dress underneath. It wasn’t her intention to pick that particular dress, because it accentuated her figure.
Lifting her head, she exposed her smooth nape. She looked lovely and doelike.
Ethan noticed the absence of the mark on her neck, symbolizing their faded love. One day, he would put their memories behind him.
Still, Ethan realized that he was not as cool as he thought when Calvin held Olivia’s wrist. And he stared intently at the motion.
Calvin immediately sensed his hostile gaze and looked up. But he only found Calista greeting Ethan. Confused, Calvin thought Ethan’s hostility was an illusion.
He greeted Ethan with grace, “Mr. Miller, we were not expecting you! It’s our honor to have you here. Marina, this is the gifted student that I mentioned–Olivia Fordham. Olivia, you should know Mr. Miller by now. And this is Mr. Miller’s-” Olivia shed her meekness and put on a thinly–veiled hostility. “I know. That’s Mr.
Miller’s fiancée.” She had thought that she’d never cross paths with Ethan. But it didn’t take them long to run into each other.
Calvin smacked his head and chuckled. “Oh, this is embarrassing. Every guest of mine must have known Mr. Miller and Ms. Carlton from all that media coverage on their engagement.” “I suppose everyone has heard about Mr. Miller’s fiancée. But does anyone know who his ex–wife is?” With a laugh like silver bells, Everly approached the group. She had successfully sold off one of her properties just now.
She was a cheerful and carefree spirit and was pretty. She tied her pink hair into a bun and strutted over in her stilettos. However, her pointed question was a rude shock to the guests around them.
“Everly, don’t run your mouth! Mr. Miller doesn’t have an ex–wife.” “Right! He’s smitten with Ms. Carlton.” Everly was determined to even the score on Olivia’s behalf. So she fearlessly walked up to Ethan and hissed, “They said you are smitten with Ms. Carlton.
How should we describe what you’ve done to your ex–wife, then? Walking out on her?” Ethan shut her up. “She’s not worthy of mention.” With that, he made his way around Everly and Olivia, shocking the guests with his admission. However, he made it obvious that he wanted to drop the topic..
Any sensible guest would tiptoe around it, unlike Everly.
Surrounded by starstruck guests, he glided into the venue. Nobody except for Everly noticed that Olivia was shaking indignantly.
Olivia had not expected Ethan to dismiss their past relationship with such heartlessness. She realized that her precious memories were not worthy of a mention for him and clenched her fists.
Meanwhile, Everly seemed apologetic for her botched attempt at humiliating Marina. It backfired when Ethan shut her down. She also knew that in Olivia and Ethan’s divorce agreement, they agreed to keep their past relationship a secret.
“Liv, are you feeling unwell? I’ll send you home.”
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Even After Death Chapter 54-Everly was reluctant to suggest Olivia go home. But Ethan made it clear that he would side with Marina.
Olivia lost the competition when Ethan sided with Marina. With each word he said, he inflicted pain on Olivia. Olivia was too fragile at that moment to endure more hurt.
Shockingly, Olivia, who had been looking for an escape, chose to stay. She instructed Everly, “Didn’t you bring a change of clothes? Come with me to the restroom. I’ll change my outfit. It’s rude to leave when the event hasn’t started, don’t you think?
Everly was pleasantly surprised by Olivia’s courage to stand up to Ethan.
On their way to the restroom, she kept grumbling, “Did you see Ethan Miller’s wretched look just now? I almost punched him and tore him into pieces! He’s the worst scumbag.” Olivia smiled helplessly. “Oh, Everly.” “Liv, are you sure you want to stay? He’ll be acting all lovey–dovey with his mistress. He’ll make you feel terrible because you still have feelings for him.” “You were the one who said that I would get over it one day, not to mention that the divorce was all his fault in the first place. Why should I hide away?” Olivia took the bag with the new dress and entered a cubicle. “Everly, you’re right. Even if I only had a day left on earth, I’d live for myself.” She was startled by the dress that Everly brought along. It was bright red and revealing, but she looked sexy in it.
Everly swallowed hard when she saw her bestie in that red dress. “Wow, boob size does matter! That dress looks amazing on you!” She helped Olivia to draw a red lip. Only Olivia could exude grace in that dress, which might look gaudy on other women otherwise.
The phrase “pure seduction” seemed to be created just for her.
“Let’s go.” Olivia marched into the venue in her heels. She looked even more charming and smart in her pixie cut.
As expected, she became the center of attention when she showed up, making Calista scoff in jealousy. “That’s too showy.” Soon, Olivia heard a familiar and calm voice around her. “Olivia.” She found Keith standing beside Calvin. She was surprised to see him there, but it made sense for Calvin to invite him because he came from a family of doctors, just like Calvin. Keith waved at her. “Over here!” Keith must have greeted her to save her from the awkward social situation.
She’d only embarrass Keith if she turned him down.
Under Ethan’s death stare, she calmnly approached Keith and took a seat beside him. They had not seen each other for a while, and he felt relieved upon seeing her healthy appearance.
When most guests were busy groveling to Ethan, Keith gave Olivia his full attention and piled some nutritious foods on her plate.
She was too busy eating to notice Ethap staring at her.
Calvin certainly picked up the odd change in Keith’s behavior. “Keith, I’ve never seen you so focused on a woman. Are you and Olivia…” One of the classmates, Bailey Blanchard, mumbled with a mouthful of food, “I heard Olivia took a leave from school to get married. Is she married to Keith?”
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Even After Death Chapter 55-Marina belatedly realized that she had walked into Everly’s trap. She didn’t want to out herself as the mistress, for that’d reveal Olivia’s identity as Ethan’s ex– wife.
She would never do that.
So, she quietened and collected herself. Glaring at Everly, she said, “I’m not. It’s indecent to discuss topics like cheating at a formal event.” But Everly wasn’t deterred. In fact, she was emboldened. “The mistress is the indecent woman for sleeping with a married man! I have nothing to fear. But Ms.
Carlton, you seem very affected by the discussion. Were you someone’s mistress too?” “Ms. Hilton,” Ethan hissed at Everly with a menacing gleam in his eyes. She promptly behaved. “Oh, right. With a rich husband like you, Ms. Carlton doesn’t have to climb into anyone’s bed at all! If anything, she’ll be getting into your bed all the time!” Even the dumbest person could tell that Everly was taking a jab at Marina.
However, only Calvin picked up a minute detail. How did a notable figure like Ethan Miller come to know Everly’s last name?
On the other hand, Olivia gaped at Everly’s impudence. She wasn’t as daring as her best friend, who had the guts to jab at Ethan.
Knowing Ethan, he wouldn’t allow anyone to cause trouble for him. Sensing the danger, she quickly steered the topic of conversation, “Anyway, it’s all in the past. My late husband will not come back to life. So, please don’t ask me for more details. A cheater is not worthy of discussion.” Since she had set things straight, it’d be rude for anyone to press on. Everly almost clapped at Olivia’s perfect comeback.
Bailey suddenly wondered aloud, “Does this mean Olivia’s single? Is Keith pursuing her?” She was not the sharpest tool in the shed.
They narrowly avoided a situation, only to be confronted with a new problem.
The socially inept Bailey had not changed at all.
Still, Olivia wouldn’t mind if Ethan got dragged into the discussion. She never expected the event to turn into a huge gossip party about her personal life.
Everyone was interested in her relationship. She was once the campus belle who had numerous suitors. When she gave up everything and left school, her classmates couldn’t help but wonder about the man whom she made the sacrifice for.
Marina kept her anger under control and stole a look at Ethan. He was getting harder to read by the day. He seemed to have given up on Olivia, but he occasionally showed a lingering affection for that woman.
Ethan carelessly picked up a slice of steak. He ate it as though the conversations were none of his business.
Olivia was about to deny it when Keith took over, “It’s not surprising for a lovely lady like Olivia to attract a bunch of admirers. If I have a chance to date her, I’ll cherish her and never hurt her. It’s her ex–husband’s loss.” Ethan froze upon hearing that. Similarly, Olivia was shocked by Keith’s statement. She had warned Keith to stay out of her business. But instead of heeding her advice, he issued a subtle challenge in front of Ethan.
“Keith…” She looked panicked. There was no way she could explain her way out.
Keith seemed to have read her mind. He gave her an endearing look. “Olivia, now that you’re single, may I ask you out?”
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Even After Death Chapter 56-Marina belatedly realized that she had walked into Everly’s trap. She didn’t want to out herself as the mistress, for that’d reveal Olivia’s identity as Ethan’s ex– wife.
She would never do that.
So, she quietened and collected herself. Glaring at Everly, she said, “I’m not. It’s indecent to discuss topics like cheating at a formal event.” But Everly wasn’t deterred. In fact, she was emboldened. “The mistress is the indecent woman for sleeping with a married man! I have nothing to fear. But Ms.
Carlton, you seem very affected by the discussion. Were you someone’s mistress too?” “Ms. Hilton,” Ethan hissed at Everly with a menacing gleam in his eyes. She promptly behaved. “Oh, right. With a rich husband like you, Ms. Carlton doesn’t have to climb into anyone’s bed at all! If anything, she’ll be getting into your bed all the time!” Even the dumbest person could tell that Everly was taking a jab at Marina.
However, only Calvin picked up a minute detail. How did a notable figure like Ethan Miller come to know Everly’s last name?
On the other hand, Olivia gaped at Everly’s impudence. She wasn’t as daring as her best friend, who had the guts to jab at Ethan.
Knowing Ethan, he wouldn’t allow anyone to cause trouble for him. Sensing the danger, she quickly steered the topic of conversation, “Anyway, it’s all in the past. My late husband will not come back to life. So, please don’t ask me for more details. A cheater is not worthy of discussion.” Since she had set things straight, it’d be rude for anyone to press on. Everly almost clapped at Olivia’s perfect comeback.
Bailey suddenly wondered aloud, “Does this mean Olivia’s single? Is Keith pursuing her?” She was not the sharpest tool in the shed.
They narrowly avoided a situation, only to be confronted with a new problem.
The socially inept Bailey had not changed at all.
Still, Olivia wouldn’t mind if Ethan got dragged into the discussion. She never expected the event to turn into a huge gossip party about her personal life.
Everyone was interested in her relationship. She was once the campus belle who had numerous suitors. When she gave up everything and left school, her classmates couldn’t help but wonder about the man whom she made the sacrifice for.
Marina kept her anger under control and stole a look at Ethan. He was getting harder to read by the day. He seemed to have given up on Olivia, but he occasionally showed a lingering affection for that woman.
Ethan carelessly picked up a slice of steak. He ate it as though the conversations were none of his business.
Olivia was about to deny it when Keith took over, “It’s not surprising for a lovely lady like Olivia to attract a bunch of admirers. If I have a chance to date her, I’ll cherish her and never hurt her. It’s her ex–husband’s loss.” Ethan froze upon hearing that. Similarly, Olivia was shocked by Keith’s statement. She had warned Keith to stay out of her business. But instead of heeding her advice, he issued a subtle challenge in front of Ethan.
“Keith…” She looked panicked. There was no way she could explain her way out.
Keith seemed to have read her mind. He gave her an endearing look. “Olivia, now that you’re single, may I ask you out?”
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Even After Death Chapter 57-Keith’s declaration of war made Olivia nervous. She knew Ethan was possessive, even after the divorce. He once said that he would never want to see her happy.
However, she’d only embarrass Keith in front of everyone if she rejected his advance. She found herself between a rock and a hard place.
Everly helped her out with a grin. She said to Keith, “Of course you can! The easiest way to forget an ex is to get a new date! Keith, you’re a great guy. Take your time and get to know each other. I really hope Olivia meets someone decent to help her heal. You know, she has been badly hurt by that bastard.” Everly made it sound as if Olivia and Keith were a thing. Olivia hurriedly stopped her friend. “Eve!” Blinded by revenge, Everly did not heed Olivia’s warning.
“Why are you acting all shy? Do you really plan to die alone after the divorce?
Keith is different from that jerk! Keith, are you free these days? I’m visiting Mohe Town with Liv, but I’m a little concerned about our safety.” “It’s my honor to offer you protection.” Keith stared at Olivia longingly.
Everly stole a look at Ethan and felt satisfied after seeing his sour face.
Ethan did not say a word, using only his hostility to remind them of his presence.
Calvin jumped in and changed the topic. “As Olivia’s former classmate, I’m glad she found her happiness. It’s an honor to meet Mr. Miller in person too. I shall make a toast to Mr. Miller and Marina. Here’s to a long and happy marriage!” His good wishes immediately cheered Marina up. She was about to drink when she noticed Ethan did not raise his glass.
Given his social status, he refused to entertain everyone who made a toast to him. Marina awkwardly explained that Ethan refrained from drinking for health reasons. But everyone knew he was putting on airs.
Nobody urged him to drink, but he went around the room with Marina to greet the guests out of respect.
Calista, who never saw eye to eye with Olivia, was unhappy at all the attention on Olivia. She reminded Olivia with a disgusted face, “Hey, don’t tell me you’re waiting for Ethan to approach your table just because you’re the high and mighty Ms. Fordham. What are you standing there for? You should go up to Mr.
and Mrs. Miller instead!“ The mention of Mrs. Miller always caught Olivia off guard. She stared blankly at the new couple, who seemed to love dressing up in monochrome couple outfits.
He was dressed in black, and she was in white. They looked great together When she was still with Ethan, he never brought her to events or social gatherings.
She once confronted him about it, to which he claimed that he wanted to keep her hidden for her safety. That left her wondering if he had made a lot of enemies. But she wasn’t too bothered by the lack of acknowledgement as long as he loved her Thinking back, she was naive to have believed in his stupid excuse. If he truly loved her, he would have shown her off to everyone.
Perhaps, he had been biding his time for Marina. All the talk of vendetta could have been an excuse to justify his extramarital affair.
At that moment, Ethan was so close yet so distant from her. Suddenly, he was reduced to nothing more than a stranger ve the memories she cherished seemed to have faded It was male nature to seek as many companions as possible. How could she have foolishly believed she was lucky enough to stumble upon a faithful partner?
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Even After Death Chapter 58-Olivia reached out to the wine bottle. “You’re right. I should raise a glass to them.” Almost instantly, Keith and Everly stopped her and warned her sternly, “No. You can’t drink.
She looked at Everly pleadingly. “I’ll only take a sip. It’s fine.” Everly let go of Olivia’s hands when she read the determination in her friends‘ eyes.
Olivia poured herself a glass of red wine and made her way to the couple while Keith looked on with hesitation. With a smile, she said, “Mr. Miller, Ms. Carlton, I wish you a happy marriage. I’ll drink this toast whether you like it or not. Please consider this my congratulations in advance. I will not attend your engagement party.” Then, she downed the glass of wine like the guest before her without looking at Ethan and Marina.
Ethan knew she was a lightweight who’d get tipsy from a glass of wine. Marina stood up with her glass and beamed. “Ethan and I will be happy. Thanks for your blessing.” In what seemed to be a competition, she poured herself a full glass of wine and downed it like Olivia.
“Enough!” Two male voices echoed in the room. Ethan and Keith had to put a stop to the madness.
Keith grabbed the half–empty glass from Olivia and told Ethan, “For the sake of her health, I’ll drink on her behalf.” Ethan, who had been silent, finally broke into an amused smile. “Who are you to her? What right do you have to drink on her behalf?” The guests at the table thought that was Ethan’s pet peeve, hence the hostility.
They shot awkward looks at Keith, who calmly replied, “That’s none of your business, Mr. Miller.” Ethan finally looked at Keith, who was standing over him. Despite being seated, Ethan seemed authoritative with his quiet and serious attitude. His emotionless glance exerted pressure on whomever he lay his eyes on.
The guests watched on as Ethan chuckled and lifted a glass of wine. He said, amused, “Finally, someone with a spine from the Rogers Family.” Everyone was left confused because Ethan’s chilling smile contradicted his compliment. He followed up with, “I wonder if you’ll survive this winter.” He finally made his threat clear. Ethan was as ruthless and fickle as the rumors painted him. He was a man who’d be outraged at the sight of Keith drinking on behalf of a lady and would resort to bankrupting Keith’s family.
As one of the scions in Aldenvine, Keith was widely seen as a respected heir and doctor. Only Ethan had the power to step over him due to the Millers‘ influence.
The Millers were the top elites in this city, but Ethan kept a low–profile. He rarely made a move against anyone, but if he ever did, he made sure to destroy his target.
Calvin took Ethan’s threat seriously and quickly jumped in to mediate. “Mr.
Miller, please calm down. Dr. Rogers was only being nice to Olivia.” Rubbing the wine glass with his fingertips, Ethan snickered. “Keith Rogers, who are you to drink on her behalf? You have a chance to return to your seat. If you do, I’ll let this slip.”
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Even After Death Chapter 59-Marina stared at Ethan’s side profile throughout the confrontation. Ethan did not like publicizing his relationship with Olivia, especially after the divorce. However, she noted that Ethan was triggered by Keith’s act of drinking on Olivia’s behalf.
She turned her resentful gaze to Olivia when she realized divorce was not enough. It turned out that Olivia still had a place in Ethan’s heart.
Meanwhile, Keith was stuck in an awkward situation. A heavy silence hung in the air; none of the guests dared to make a move that might provoke Ethan.
Keith knew that Ethan wanted to force him to give up on Olivia. Any man would have buckled under Ethan’s threat, but little did Ethan know that Keith had fallen too hard for Olivia. It was love at first sight.
She was a wholly different person when they were younger. But he was too occupied with college and studying abroad to make the relationship happen.
When he returned to the country, he learned that she had quit school to get married. He was dismayed at the shell of the person she had become, like a tree withering from neglect.
He waited a long time until her divorce. He was always grateful for the time he spent with her, no matter how short.
For the first time, the rule–abiding man followed his heart and gave his all for love. Keith, ignoring the threat, stared determinedly at Ethan.
“It’s not your place to comment on that. You do know that your fiancée is right beside you, don’t you? You should focus on her. No matter what Olivia’s decision is, I will protect her well. I won’t hurt her the way her ex–husband did.” With that, he downed the contents in Olivia’s glass and slammed it on the table.
He took her hand and muttered, “It’s getting late, so I’ll send Olivia home. I shall excuse myself since you’ll be talking business.” Everly almost clapped at Keith’s coolness. Yet Olivia seemed troubled.
She knew that Keith was adding fuel to the fire, and if she went with him, Ethan would destroy the Rogers Family. She planned to stay, but he hauled her away.
Worried, she looked at him. “Keith, you…” He gave her a gentle look and placed a finger on his lips. She left with him without glancing at Ethan’s expression. She could still picture his displeasure.
Panicked, she lectured Keith, “You shouldn’t have gone against him openly.
He’s a tough nut. Remember? You were lucky to have escaped the car crash unhurt. Keith, you knew my predicament. I can’t possibly love-” He took her other hand and glanced at her tenderly. “Olivia, I know. But I’m an adult. I know what I’m doing. Ethan can be volatile, but he’s not tyrannical. If he’s angry at me, he will come at me, but he will leave my family out of it. I thought through the consequences before I asked you out.” Frowning, she wanted to explain that Ethan was different from what everyone thought of him. At least, in the past, Ethan would go mad if anyone laid a finger on her.
Once, a senior at school cornered her in an alley and confessed to her. After she rejected him, he started getting handsy around her.
The next day, she heard that the senior had drunkenly fallen off a building in a freak accident and died horribly.
The deceased’s family blamed it on Olivia, making a scene at the school and slapping her across the face. Soon, their residence went up in flames a few days later, and the entire family perished.
She had thought it was a terrible coincidence until she found Ethan scattering white powder in his garden. She went up to take a better look and was shocked to learn that those were ashes.
The family of that senior was not only dead but reduced to ashes.
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Even After Death Chapter 60-Knowing Ethan’s character, the Fordhams were lucky to only suffer bankruptcy from their involvement in the death of Ethan’s sister.
However, Keith might not be as fortunate. Olivia shook her head. “No, that’s not it. Keith, you shouldn’t get yourself into this mess.” Π As Keith had brought her out from the venue in a hurry, she didn’t have time to grab her jacket. Noticing that, he draped his jacket on her and held her firmly at the shoulders.
“Olivia, I know he has hurt you a lot. It’s not my intention to force you into dating me. I just wanted to keep you company in your final days. So, please give me a chance to look after you, even if it’s just as a friend. Okay?” She felt conflicted at his plea. He was nice to her, which made her more reluctant to get him into trouble. “Keith, I know you’re doing this out of good faith, but he …” Halfway through their conversation, she saw a figure standing not far away out of the corner of her eye.
Ethan was shooting death glares at them as he called out to her, “Get over here.” She realized that his possessiveness did not go away with the divorce. If anything, it was more pronounced after.
Keith hurriedly shielded her and glanced warily at Ethan. “Mr. Miller, you are divorced. Please do not hurt her anymore.” Ethan ignored Keith and focused his gaze on the jacket Olivia was wearing. He reiterated, “Take that off and get over here.” He spoke to her like he was the owner of a pet. If Keith weren’t at the scene, she would have immediately left. She was troubled by the memory of Ethan’s threat toward Keith at dinner. Others might make empty threats during arguments, but not Ethan.
She gritted her teeth and put aside the humiliation to take off the jacket. “Keith, I told you to stay out of my business.” Her remark left Keith confused. “But you’re divorced!” She did not directly address him. Instead, she stuffed the jacket into his arms and was ready to leave. “Keith, I told you before that I wasn’t good enough for you. Please stop wasting your time on me.” Keith, noticing her helplessness, took her by the wrist. “Olivia, I can help you.” “Brent, cut his hands off,” Ethan ordered ruthlessly.
Brent appeared from the shadows and went up to Keith. Seeing that, Olivia quickly shook off Keith’s hand and stood in Brent’s way.
She turned to Ethan and said, “If you take anything from Keith, I’ll have to make up to him with my life. Ethan Miller, let him go. I said he had nothing to do with me.” Lips pursed and chin lifted, Ethan haughtily looked at her without a word. Left with no choice, she hurried up to him.
He placed a jacket over her, wrapping her skinny figure tightly like a prison. As long as he refused to let go, she’d be stuck in that prison after divorce.
Keith’s arms rested limply on both sides. He tried to talk to Ethan, “Mr. Miller, 1 do not understand your obsession with Olivia. She doesn’t have much-” “Keith, time to go home,” she cut him off.
Before leaving, Keith glanced between the two of them and warned, “Anyway, treat her well. Stop hurting her.” Ethan lifted Olivia’s chin with his fingers and said icily, “What was he trying to tell me? What’s going on with you?”
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