Ch. 211..215: Trapped in a Secret Marriage with a Dangerous Billionaire Chapter 211-215
Chapter 211: Owen Meant Business
Stella looked stunned as her gaze followed Olivia until her back disappeared from her view. In all honesty, her reaction was unexpected.
On the other hand, Stephanie, who watched the drama unfold before her from the corner of her eyes, scoffed within her.
"Stella, you should call the police tomorrow morning to inform them your lost daughter has been found."
As soon as Stella heard that, she snapped her gaze to her, fisting her hands as her teeth gritted.
She couldn’t begin to imagine the kind of fun Stephanie had watching her being put in the spot.
Choosing to hold her peace and having understood that she wasn’t in a position to be rude to Stephanie, Stella stormed off.
---
The next morning, Olivia woke up feeling reenergized. She felt rested enough to be able to think of ways to get back into the Scott residence.
"If that scumbag hadn’t kidnapped me, how would Owen have gotten the idea to lock me out suddenly?" Olivia muttered to herself as she sat in front of her vanity table, cleaning her face with a wipe soaked in rose water.
After putting her hair up in a ponytail, she stepped out of the room in time to see a servant coming to inform her about breakfast.
Olivia took her time descending the stairs, hoping that her mother and Aunt would be sitting at the dining table before her arrival. Luckily, her plan worked out, and she came strolling in like she had the whole world in her hands.
"Good morning, Chairwoman. Good morning, Mrs. Swift," Olivia greeted and went ahead to pull out the chair at the other head table across from Stephanie, much to their surprise.
Stephanie spared her a glance before turning her attention back to her food while Stella had to force back her frustration to get her daughter’s attention.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
Instead of answering her question, Olivia picked up her cutlery and lifted her gaze, "Take a guess, what do I look like?"
Stella shut her eyes briefly before snapping them open. She observed that smile at the corner of Olivia’s lips and completely gave up on trying to act sweetly around her.
There were signs that she would be forced into depression if she continued.
Stella picked up her cutlery to start eating while casually mentioning the Scott family.
"They were worried after you went off the radar. Have you placed a phone to them?"
A soft chuckle escaped Olivia’s lips as her head dipped backwards. Fixing her gaze on her mother’s, she almost couldn’t control her laughter.
If it hadn’t been for her direct experience of how Owen and his family treated her last night, she would have believed her mother just now.
’How could she lie straight to her face about those people worrying about her?’ she wondered.
Olivia felt her mother was one of the greatest liars and deceivers she had ever come across.
"What’s funny?" Stella picked offence by her reaction while Stephanie completely ignored them. Her schedule was packed today therefore, she didn’t have time to interrupt or entertain the mother and daughter.
Olivia simply shook her head and said ’nothing’ in response to her mother’s question.
Stella tried to take in deep breaths and release them to calm her nerves. "Anyway, when are you returning to the Scott residence? It’s not good to leave home without giving them details. It’s a slight to them."
"I will return after breakfast." Olivia finally answered without joking or being rude.
’Owen must be a dreamer to think he can lock me out of my house while I’m still married to him!’ she mumbled to herself.
On the other hand, Stella relaxed comfortably and continued with her food.
Unfortunately, to everyone’s surprise, the butler walked as soon as they were done having breakfast to inform them that a package had arrived from the Scott family.
"What kind of package?" Stella asked with curiosity laced in her tone while Olivia’s heart pounded in her chest.
Even Stephanie was curious about the package and waited for a bit to understand the situation instead of going straight to work.
Hearing that question, the butler slowly dragged his gaze to Olivia before announcing, "Your package, Miss."
"What?" Stella exclaimed. At the same time, Olivia balled her fists and stormed off. "What kind of package is that?" Stella asked the butler, but as soon as she saw Stephanie walking past her, she quickly bypassed him and started walking towards the entrance.
In less than a minute, the three women stood outside and watched the servants off-load Olivia’s things from the white van parked in front of the building.
Instantly, Stephanie and Stella slowly turned their gaze to Olivia, who was standing at the centre.
Who was it that said she was returning to the Scott residence immediately after breakfast?
"O-Olivia, what is the meaning of this? Did Owen kick you out?" Stella asked with a distorted gaze, demanding an answer.
"Owen officially filed for a divorce a few days ago. And with this, it is obvious that he is done and dusted with Olivia," Stephanie said before finally taking her eyes off the furious Olivia.
Just as Stephanie and Stella’s eyes jammed, Stephanie got a call on her phone and quickly withdrew her gaze. She stepped to the side and took her phone out of her bag. As soon as she saw the name on her screen, she waited a few moments before sliding her finger across the screen to take the call.
"Good morning, Mr. Richard," Stephanie greeted, her tone polite.
On the other hand, the mother and daughter continued to battle it out on the other side.
"Olivia, why did the Scott family send your things back home?" Stella interrogated like she had forgotten that Owen had asked her to come pick up Olivia’s things the other day.
Olivia was livid with anger as she recalled the embarrassment she passed through the previous night; a prestigious, precious daughter of the Swift family bed and hurled out like a worthless slave.
As her anger rose to its peak, Olivia took three steps towards the van. "Who asked you to take my things out of that van?!" she barked at the servants with red eyes, her gaze threatening to unalive them if they moved an inch to offload more of her properties.
Chapter 212: A Different Breed
Not one of the servants dared to move another inch. They all stopped in their steps and exchanged casual glances with one another as the same thoughts ran through their mind.
"Someone sent a package from the Scott residence for me, and without my confirmation, you began to offload them. How dare you? Who raised you lots!"
As soon as Olivia asked that question, she scoffed and said with venom dripping in her tone, "Ah! I forgot. You are all servants without brains! Very unimportant individuals."
Her gaze raked them, trying to see which one of them would rebel against her with their looks. She promised to gauge their eyes out right there.
On the other side, Stella stood still in shock as she watched her daughter display her madness uncontrollably. She felt hairs stand still on her arms. She had never seen anything like this. In summary, this wasn’t normal.
Fear gripped Stella as she finally understood that Olivia might need help.
As Stella began recounting her daughter’s demeanour in the past and comparing it to her recent actions, especially from the past four months, she realized the huge difference and felt her steps stagger.
’No! I-I... T-this can’t be.’ Stella shook her head frantically before stepping forward, refusing to let Olivia continue embarrassing herself.
"Olivia, what are you blaming the servants for? Are they no longer allowed to do their jobs?"
Stella completely forfeited any hint of blame regarding Olivia being sent packing by the Scott family so as not to agitate her further.
Olivia turned to her mother and said in a menacing tone, "They still need my permission because what if I don’t accept other people’s will for me?"
Stella’s brows furrowed deeply. And just as she was trying to understand what that meant, Olivia turned her attention back to the servants.
"Now, I want you to send every item back into the van and return them to the Scott family!" she commanded.
The servants exchanged confused glances. They all knew what was going on, but their confusion lay with Olivia’s demands.
Even Stella felt uncomfortable. How could Olivia want to force her way back to the same people who rejected her?
Stella felt embarrassed, and not long after, anger consumed her. She had to ask herself, ’Since when did her daughter start ignoring her to the extent of flaunting her orders?
Stella got ready to confront Olivia and even have a few people whisk her away, but as her lips parted, Stephanie finished her call and walked back towards them with an ugly expression.
"What do you think you are doing?" Stephanie’s chilling tone forced the servants to bow their heads and Olivia to turn around, but that did nothing to quell her anger.
"Sending my things back to the Scott residence because I didn’t make any requests for them," Olivia dared to explain.
Unfortunately for her, her rage for Owen blinded her, and she didn’t realize she had picked the wrong person to fight against.
Even her mother knew better than to challenge Stephanie now, especially after she exposed her secret.
Stephanie’s gaze darkened further. She had never been so vexed to this extent in a long time when her body would be vibrating. Regardless, she released one breath before speaking up.
"I just got off the phone with Mr. Richard. Why didn’t you inform your mother and me that you returned to the Scott residence yesterday and was thrown out and that you vandalized their building before leaving? You could have been arrested for that."
Stella shut her eyes and took two steps back, shaking her head. She was completely done tolerating her daughter’s madness.
On the other hand, Olivia’s anger dissipated a bit as she heard Stephanie continue.
"I heard you also went to the Scott Family’s old house to cause a commotion before you were dragged away," Stephanie said with a twisted expression on her face.
"In every sense and in every way, you have ruined yourself and our family, even going as far as to drag Vintage Cellar into your mess. I am giving you the last chance to prove to me that you’re still sane..."
Stephanie made sure her message was clear, just in case the mother and daughter saw her as a joke. She has been tolerating their excesses because of the responsibility her brother passed to her.
She didn’t want to throw any of them out hastily because let for her alone, she would have done that a month after Adam’s funeral. But because of him, she had to drop herself and think in his shoes.
Olivia, thinking Stephanie was done with her, turned to the servants again, but her attention was called once again immediately.
"Mr. Richard had me know that you will be arrested if you are ever seen anywhere near any property belonging to the Scott family. He also added that if you ever drag their name through the mud again, you will be facing a defamation lawsuit and imprisonment without bail."
"That’s so unfair!" Olivia shouted immediately, her gaze turning teary. She clenched and unclenched her fists, and anger swirled rapidly in her bloodstream.
"Olivia," Stella called, quickly approaching her. "What are you mad about? Didn’t I tell you to divorce Owen and ask for a hefty compensation before the situation got to this extent?"
Olivia shook her head, refusing to let her tears drop or answer that question.
"If you had listened to me, my plans for you would have worked out. Now, see the mess you created. You claimed you could do things on your own." Stella blamed her with her entire being.
Olivia ruined her well-calculated plans. If only she had listened from the start.
Almost immediately, Stephanie’s gaze fell on Stella. "Stella, I am still speaking," she said, a subtle reminder for her to keep her mouth shut.
Though Stella was pissed at her jab in front of the servants, she straightened her back.
Satisfied, Stephanie returned her gaze to Olivia as she wasn’t done with her yet.
Chapter 213: An Early Morning Banter
"Olivia, you chose Owen yourself. And if you have any regrets, it’s solely on you. Don’t paint both families black, and this is my last warning to you, as I said earlier," Stephanie said without a care.
After all, she had advised the mother and daughter when Olivia was still planning her wedding with Owen, but none of them listened to her.
So, if Olivia thought she was short-changed in that marriage and things were unfair, she had herself to blame.
"I won’t tell you what your punishment will be if you dare me and go ahead to mess up. But I promise it will quake your entire existence. And I’m not sure you will survive it."
After dishing out her threats, Stephanie had the entire servants, from the Butler to the security guards assemble in front of her. She also stopped the mother and daughter from leaving.
"From this moment onwards, Olivia is not allowed to leave this premises without direct permission from me. And if ever she is permitted to leave, she won’t be alone. Is my message clear?" Stephanie asked as her gaze roamed over every face in front of her before stopping at Olivia.
"Yes, Ma’am," the servants chorused while the mother and daughter watched Stephanie with tight lips.
"Peradventure, you notice any sneaky or cunning movement outside the house. Don’t bother asking, ’Who is there?’ Use your gun. Am I clear?" Stephanie instructed. This time around, her gaze was fixed on the security guards and bodyguards.
While all the household staff received Stephanie’s orders and Stephanie left for work, Olivia and Stella remained rooted in the same spot as they digested the last instruction.
Stephanie really meant business when she asked the security team to shoot Olivia if she dared to attempt sneaking out of the house. And it was a good thing everyone understood the underlying meaning of her message.
"D-did s-she just ask them to shoot me to death?" Olivia asked, her gaze shooting to her mother as realization dawned on her.
Stella narrowed her gaze on her. "Don’t tell me you still plan to sneak out of this house after everything you’ve done." She couldn’t believe that with all the threats, her daughter still planned on doing something funny.
Stella felt like grabbing Olivia by the ears and dragging her back inside the house. She wasn’t even proud of her anymore and didn’t want to see her in public until the dust had settled.
Olivia has embarrassed her far too greatly, and she can’t stand it anymore, especially with the other women in high society avoiding and excluding her from private gatherings.
Stella had no place to put her head, and she wondered what would happen if she was arrested and charged with two offences: the attempted murder of her stepdaughter and her husband’s murder.
’No, I can’t let this happen!’ She quickly shook her head. Then, turning to glare at Olivia once more, she left her there and went into the house.
---
Scott Family’s Old House.
Aurora woke up to Xander’s warm breath fanning her cheeks. As she lay on her side, with her eyes shut, the corners of her lips curved into a smile.
"What are you staring at?" she asked, feeling his shadow looming over her.
"Your beautiful face," Xander whispered in her ears with his low, husky voice, causing goose bumps to spring forth on her skin. He pecked her cheek before proceeding to nibble her earlobe.
A giggle escaped from Aurora’s lips as her eyes finally flew open. "X-xander... Stop it," she said, trying to push him away while still in that position.
"I know you want me to continue, so let’s play a bit," he whispered dangerously. Then, almost immediately, he flipped her over so her back was now resting against the bed before going on to sit over her with his knees pressed on each of her sides, his body weight channelled to them.
"Xander, noooo!" Aurora laughed as he leaned in to brush her cheeks and her jaw with his small stubbles that pricked her skin
Aurora’s hearty laughter filled the room as Xander continued to tease her until sleep completely left her eyes. And knowing that it was his aim, Aurora held his gaze after he leaned away.
"Thank you, Mr. Scott, for waking me up. You did a good job." She gave him a thumbs-up with a smile that reached her eyes.
"Is that all?" Xander raised a questioning brow while being careful not to put his entire weight on her by adjusting his pinned knees. "What happened to showing your appreciation in a different way?"
Aurora chuckled lightly. She knew what he wanted and could have pretended not to, but that would only keep her pinned under him while his parents waited for their arrival at the breakfast table.
"I haven’t brushed my teeth yet, so I can’t give you a..."
Aurora was still speaking when Xander leaned over to kiss her lips, shutting her up without reservations before straightening his back.
"Sweetheart, you were saying something," he said with a smirk on his lips that proved a point.
"Nothing." Aurora shook her head with a smile, completely defeated by his actions.
"That’s right, nothing." Xander teased her before getting off her body and the bed in general. Meeting her gaze as she helped herself sit up on the bed, he said, "I’m booking a private room for dinner tonight. What do you think?"
Aurora quickly agreed, saying, "It’s been a while since we dined in a private restaurant."
"My bad. I should have paid more attention." Xander kissed her lips again before grabbing her arms and pulling her out of bed. "I will drop you off at work and pick you up later. You have the questioning today at the station."
The police had invited Aurora to the station for questioning, making her the first and the only witness for today.
Xander listed his itinerary for the day, and Aurora did the same to align their plans.
After showering and dressing, they went downstairs together to join the old couple for breakfast
Chapter 214: Xander Expressed His Disappointment
As soon as breakfast was over, old Lady Scott reminded Aurora to visit them often, even without Xander.
"I will," Aurora promised, feeling relieved that she pushed Xander for this particular visit.
She thought it right to visit one’s aged parents as often as possible because time was no longer on their side. No one could tell how many more years were left for them, so every little opportunity to spend time with them should be maximised.
"I think we should all go for a family vacation after Dante Group’s 50th anniversary," old Mr. Scott suggested.
It had been years since the entire family gathered at the same time in the same place, and he longed for that picture to manifest.
"Papa is right," Xander agreed. "Just let everyone know, and preparations can be made for it."
Old Mrs. Scott liked the idea and immediately hijacked it. She stated she would invite someone to plan their vacation instead of letting a family member handle it.
According to her, she didn’t want to give room for discord.
Aurora didn’t understand what that statement meant and couldn’t help asking Xander about it on their way to work.
"Are there people who don’t like themselves in your Scott family?"
Xander mused at the lines on her forehead and quickly smoothened them with his thumb fingers. He could see just how much she dislikes drama.
"In plain words, there are indeed people who don’t like themselves here, but I would love to say it’s a ’difference in opinion’ rather than hatred."
Aurora’s lips twitched. She turned her head to the side to refocus her gaze on the road, not saying another word.
She didn’t know why there had to be people who disagreed with each other in every family. This made her wonder if there were actually any families on earth who lived peacefully without any drama whatsoever.
"Won’t you ask me about the people involved?" Xander asked, playing with her hand as his gaze followed her.
Aurora shook her head. "I don’t want your story to affect my judgement before I meet them myself."
"So, you will love to meet everyone and find out who the drama queen is for yourself?" Xander teased, completely understanding her mindset. And she complied with a nod.
"My wife is so smart," Xander threw a compliment as he brought the back of her hand to his lips. He kissed it softly before lowering it and rubbing his thumb on that spot.
---
Xander dropped Aurora off at work before Liam finally got the opportunity to deliver a message to him.
"Our sources reported that there have been a few people discreetly looking for the waiter’s wife. They’ve been going about asking for her whereabouts from people expected to be close to her."
Xander caressed his lower jaw, his gaze fixed on the road as he listened to Liam’s report. "Stella must be very restless. Do you think she sleeps at night?" he asked, shifting his glance to Liam, who was peeking from the front passenger seat.
"Although I doubt it, my advice for her remains that she doesn’t dare get a wink because who knows? She might be whisked away and sent straight to prison without going to court the minute she shuts her eyes," Liam replied without any sign of emotion in his voice.
Aurora would have been surprised by Liam if she had been present when he made that statement.
She thought he was calm, which was no doubt, but what she didn’t know was how creative his tortures could be.
Xander thought for a moment before letting out a sigh. "No need to get rid of those people. Lead them on. Make a few arrangements. I want them wasting their time and passing fake information to Stella."
"We will do that, Sir," Liam quickly replied. He whipped out his phone to make a call and pass on Xander’s instructions.
Xander is really crafty in trying to deceive Stella and give her fake hopes, which will ultimately trap her.
But Xander really thought Stella to be very delusional. What kind of brain did she have, and what gave her the courage to think she could escape from the consequences of her crimes?
"Truth be told, I’m actually disappointed that she no longer makes her big moves anymore," Xander said with a lack of enthusiasm in his tone.
Liam heard that and tilted his head to the side to meet his gaze. "I don’t follow, Sir."
"I was expecting that woman to attempt an abduction on my wife or something crazy after her last failed attempt. Unfortunately, she dashed my hopes."
Xander had been looking for an opportunity to deal with Stella his own way, but sadly, she didn’t give him the chance, so he was disappointed.
"Surprisingly, people like Stella know her place after all. She knows you might have heard her scores, so touching your wife would mean asking for death," Liam concluded. And he was right.
---
Vintage Cellar.
During lunch break, Aurora finally got some time off work to eat and speak to Abigail, who had been attempting to reach her.
"Girl, we haven’t spoken in ages," Abigail’s rich voice reached into the phone as soon as the call connected.
"I guess we are both busy with work," Aurora smiled as she watched Abigail’s face on the screen. It was a video call.
"Anyways, how have you been?" Abigail inquired. "The last time I saw you, you were glowing. Today, your cheeks are rosy. Care to transfer some of that joy?"
Aurora chuckled at her choice of words. Abigail was very creative in posing questions. What would stop her from directly asking for the reason behind her smile?
Regardless, Aurora answered her. She mentioned her father’s murder case, which had been reopened, and Abigail was excited.
"Oh. My. Goodness, Aura. I’m so happy for you! Please tell me you went to gloat in your stepmother’s face. How did she take the news? Did she suffer another heart attack? If she didn’t die from the news, she must be a demon."
Chapter 215: An Understanding Aurora
Abigail bombarded Aurora with many questions at the same time, not giving her the chance to answer any one until she was done.
But to her disappointment, Aurora told her she had no way of seeing Stella’s reaction for herself as her Aunt was the one who passed the message across.
Abigail pouted, but she soon recovered and started making fun of Stella.
"I bet that woman can’t catch even a night of good rest. It’s so hard being evil. My heart goes out to her wicked soul. Finally, it’s time to retire."
A hearty chuckle escaped Aurora’s lips, her head dipping as the back of her hand moved to cover her lips.
Her best friend was effortlessly funny, such that she never failed to make her laugh in every chat they had.
"Really, she has tried," Abigail said without an ounce of smile on her lips. Instead, there was a big crown on her face. "We should retire her with a clap and standing ovation. And if we want to be extra, we can pass her an award. Seriously, her crimes are a lot. She deserves that much respect."
Abigail blabbered off until she finally stopped to catch her breaths, and that was the end of that topic.
"Enough about Stella. I can’t spend the remaining time on my lunch break talking about her," Aurora said, straightening her back and adjusting the phone in her hand.
"That’s right. I actually have something to tell you," Abigail said as her brows smoothened. She delivered the news as soon as she got Aurora’s full attention. "I’m single once again."
Aurora’s brows creased as she stared at her best friend. "Abby, last I remember, you were fake-dating. How come you broke up so soon?"
Abigail shrugged. "It’s evidence that your best friend can’t last in any relationship. I easily get bored. No form of excitement whatsoever."
"Seems like you will remain single forever," Aurora retorted, twitching her lips. "I wonder what kind of excitement you’re looking for."
Abigail actually smiled, finally gaining the ground to make her next big announcement. "I have officially sworn off relationships. I can’t waste my time and energy. I don’t have the energy to fight with anyone and reconcile. It’s so crazy. My heart must be protected at all costs."
And just to make her decision more dramatic to lessen the depth of the actuality, Abigail wiped non-existent beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, pretending to have gone through a lot.
At this point, Aurora shook her head. "Whatever makes you happy, as long as you don’t hurt others," she said to her. She had finally given up seeing what Abigail truly wanted.
She didn’t want to force her into dating before she ended up hurting someone in the process.
Aurora also didn’t bother asking her if she planned to remain single for the rest of her life. She had something more important to talk about.
"Don’t forget your Sunday evening belongs to me," she said, reminding Abigail about her second champagne launch.
"Of course!" Abigail assured her. "If I don’t show up, who else will? After all, I was there before some people sneaked into your life," she said proudly.
Aurora rolled her eyes. She knew who she was talking about and decided not to play along.
"Don’t be jealous, Abby; no one can take your place in my life, and that’s settled."
Abigail made funny facial movements, asking, "Before, who dares?"
Aurora gave up completely on her. She ended up changing the topic.
Both friends used the little time Aurora had left from her lunch break to chat about other things. Abigail inquired about Olivia’s craze at Vintage Cellar’s lobby and what was done to her as punishment.
Aurora told her about everything she needed to know. Then, for her champagne launch, Abigail informed her of the people she would be bringing along.
"Unfortunately, my mum can’t make it this time around, so I will fill her spot at the table with someone important. Just trust your girl." Abigail winked.
Aurora gave her a thumbs up. She was happy to have such a supportive friend by her side.
---
Xander came to pick Aurora up from work and together, they went to the station to give her statement.
Aurora and the waiter’s wife were crucial to the investigations’ success in legally catching the proprietor behind the crime.
The detective handling the case asked Aurora a few questions at the police station, with her lawyer and husband present.
Just like Xander had told Aurora, the detective asked about the bone of contention here with her stepmother trying to kill her. Finally, Aurora opened up and revealed that Adam wasn’t her biological father.
Aurora went on to state that her stepmother probably didn’t want her to know the identity of her biological father.
"And why might you think so?" The detective asked, leaning back in his seat with a straight gaze on Aurora. "Your stepfather, according to you, was the renowned and famous businessman in Wing City. What’s so special about your biological father that your stepmother didn’t want you to find out about him?"
Aurora exchanged glances with Xander. She was really holding back on a lot. She didn’t want to expose the Major’s identity, especially without his permission, since he refused to acknowledge her existence for reasons best known to him.
So, she didn’t think it was right to drag him into this mess. Who knows, she might actually put him in trouble if everything Adam had told her shortly before he was shot dead was true.
As Aurora was confused, thinking of ways to answer that question, the lawyer Xander arranged for her took over.
He let the detective understand that his client’s hands were tied over this particular matter. Then, he went on to explain the dynamics of that relationship without actually calling names. With subtle hints here and there, it wasn’t difficult for the detective to understand the situation.
Thankfully, he knew his job and didn’t go asking for a name.