Olivia held her head high as she walked beside Eli towards the elevators. The main receptionists stumbled over each other as they all tried to get a better look of the young lady with the auburn locks that walked beside the future CEO of Steel Enterprises.
They had just caught the elevator as it was about to go up and the people inside all started to gasps as the plastered themselves against the walls of the elevator to make room for the two. No one dared to breath as the looked at her closely.
Each employee starting to break out into a cold sweat and were drastically relieved when they reached their own floor. As the employees left they would take one last look at the couple and gawk in astonishment.
Olivia figured this was going to happen. Most people recognized her as one of the janitors that worked at the office for a year but they must of all realized her true identity when her funeral was held.
When they finally reached the 20th floor, she took a deep breath, straightened up her back, folded her hands in front of her. letter in hand and exhaled as she stepped out of the elevator with Eli. She took powerful strides towards the CEO's office as onlookers started peeking out of their cubicles.
She could hear gasps and whispers as she passed by and chose to ignore all the noise. She had already mentally prepared herself for this mission and she was determined to see it to the end. She stopped in front of the CEO's office door and started feeling the sweat collect on her back.
She felt nauseous from the anxiety and looked at Eli for some guidance. The stood quietly staring at each other trying to collect themselves before they knocked on the door. When they suddenly heard a scream behind them and quickly turned around. It was a mousy looking office lady that had gone out to grab some tea.
The tray she was holding with a death grip started to shake and the two cups on it were dangerously close to tipping over. Olivia's eyes widened as she recognized the mousy lady as Penelope. She gave her a wide grin and stretched out both hands. "Penelope I'm so sorry. Can I trouble you and take that in to my father in your stead?" she asked sweetly.
Penelope barely handed over the tray and quickly dropped her gaze, afraid to look at this unreal person. "Penelope! What have I told you! Stand tall and proud, you are a hard working person and should be recognized for it. So look people in eyes when they are talking to you and I swear confidence will start to come to you naturally." she said seriously.
Penelope let Olivia take the tray and looked up to meet her delighted gaze. Penelope's eyes started to water and she brought her hands her her mouth. "Olivia?" she whispered and Olivia gave her a a wink before she turned around and nodded to Eli to open the door.
The first thing she saw was her Uncle Robin's back as she walked in. It looked like her father and him were deeply discussing some sort of upcoming project. They had no time to look up at the people who walked into the room. "Penelope just put the tea down and leave." Avery said as he waved his hand in the air. Neither man took even a second to look up from their documents.
Eli coughed and called their attention. Both men looked up for half a second and shoved their noses back into their work. "Eli your good now." Robin muttered as she flipped through some more pages. "Yes sir. I'm better then ever. What about you father?" he ask nonchalantly to Avery.
Avery scoffed at Eli "Are you planning to marry one of my other daughters now? If not don't stupidly call me father." Eli gave a small chuckle as he put his hands into his pockets. "No father I don't plan to marry anyone else but Olivia."
A vein started to pop out of the side of Avery's forehead as he pounded his desk. "Eli you were supposed to come back after you got your act together! How dare you even utter Olivia's name after the stunt you pulled at her funeral!" he said bitterly. "Oh my god!" Robin yelled as he suddenly got up, knocking his chair back and spilling his tea over the documents on the desk.
Avery quickly pulled the documents upwards and started a chain of curse words as he watched everything turn into a mess. "Daddy you should really watch your temper." a sweet voice called out and Avery threw his wet documents on the floor beside him.
"Great! My blood pressure has gone up again. I need my pills Robin I'm hearing Olivia's nagging voice again." he said as he started rummaging through his drawers. "That's rude I do not nag!" she shouted as her father started throwing things on the ground as he searched.
"F*ck it's so loud today!" he shouted as he slammed his desk drawer and slumped back into his chair. "Robin when will the pain go away?!" he cried as he raised his hand to cover his eyes. Tears started to escape from his grasp and Olivia couldn't take it anymore.
Olivia walked up to her father, bent down beside the chair and held his hand. "Daddy stop crying I'm right here." she said softly. "You're always right here but I want to leave me alone now." Avery whispered in between his sniffing. Olivia sighed, she let go of her father's hand and got up off the floor.
She knew her father was not going to listen so she needed to do the unthinkable and get him to wake up from whatever nightmare he was having. She looked at her father pitifully and took a deep breath "Daddy I'm sorry but you forced me to do this." she said before she stomped on his foot with her pumps.
Avery suddenly started to howl, the instant he got up from his chair Olivia grabbed his arm, threw him over her shoulder and onto the floor. "Now will you look at me daddy?" she asked as she squatted next to him. Avery felt breathless as he looked up at his attacker.
Olivia smiled and placed the letter from her Papi Bernie and Nana Tina on his chest. She cleared her throat and looked him square in the eyes. "I'm alive so deal with it!" she shouted with so much vindication that everyone in the room was stunned.
....
Olivia sat in Avery's chair as they had a trusted lab technician draw blood from her arm. Olivia sighed as she looked up at her father who was pacing the room. Robin guarded the door as Eli sat in the other chair happily looking at Olivia.
"Daddy" she started to say but Avery stopped dead in his tracks and gave her an icy look. "Don't call me that! Don't you dare try to weasel your way out of this! How dare you impersonate my daughter!" he spat at her with pure hatred. Olivia winced but held her stance.
"I am not an impersonator. I am Olivia Steel, I am your daughter, Eli's fiancee and Uncle Robin's niece." she said calmly with her head held high. Avery gave her a scowl and went back to his pacing. "Seriously dad-d" she started but Avery gave her the dirtiest look and she stopped.
She gave another sigh "Fine! Avery... oh my goodness seriously! Ok, ok Mr. Steel... how do you explain me having the ring and necklace in my possession?" she said bitterly as the technician applied a plaster to her arm.
"You're a grave robber, or you killed my little girl and stole it from her charred body... Jack when will you have the results." he said angrily. Jack looked up at his boss as he held four tubes of Olivia's blood in his hands. "An hour sir." he replied back quickly.
Avery nodded his head and allowed Jack to walk past him. "Jack!" he called out. "Not a word to anyone about what you heard or seen in here. Do I make myself clear." he said darkly as Jack trembled under the immense pressure. "Yes sir!" he shouted back before he was let out of the room.
"Now young lady you and I will have a long discussion about how you came here and what you want from me." he said as he stared at Olivia with blood lust in his eyes. Olivia rolled her eyes and shrugged "Go right ahead ask me anything and I will answer but be warned what I tell you is the truth and if you can't handle it I will walk out of your life for good." she said courtly.
Avery laughed maniacally into the air. "Little girl do you think you can intimate me?!" he proudly asked as he stretched out his arms "I have nothing to lose and what do I care if you walk out of my life?" Olivia looked unimpressed with his crazy act and just swiveled his chair back and forth.
"That succubus has done quite a number on you hasn't she?" she said nonchalantly. The temperature in the room turned deathly cold as Robin's eyes widened and Avery's face turned dark. Olivia shrugged off their reactions and looked at Eli "I think it's best we go back to Papi Bernie and Nana Tina's place... I can see now I'm not welcomed here or will ever be with Agni holding 'Mr. Steel's' balls in her hands." she said sorrowfully.
Eli quickly stood up "Sit the f*ck down boy I'm doing this for your own good too!" Avery growled between gritted teeth. Eli re-buttoned his suit jacket and looked at Avery indifferently. "Why? You said it yourself we are nothing to each other now. So if I want to go live with Olivia out in the country and leave everything behind it's my business and not your....ugh."
Eli couldn't finish his last sentence as Avery punched him right in the solar plexus. Olivia screamed as she saw Eli double over onto Avery's fist. She quickly got up as Avery moved back his fist and ran to Eli's side as he landed onto the floor. "Eli!" she shouted as she tried to get him to sit up.
Eli was gasping for air and she moved quickly to rip off his jacket and shirt place. She placed both of her hands on his stomach. "Eli face me, ok good now inhale slowly, let the air go into your stomach. Good now exhale." she tried to say as calmly as she could while her hands pushed inwards and upwards on his stomach as he exhaled.
Olivia repeated the action until he was breathing properly on his own. She sighed in relief and laid her head against his shoulder. "You won't be able to move for a bit so...?!" she started to say but felt herself being lifted off of the ground and tossed against the wall. "So little girl you want me to believe you are Olivia but she would never know how to treat that kind of injury!" he hissed as he pinned her body against the wall with one hand and the other covered her throat.
Fear started to take over and Olivia could feel sweat starting to roll down her face. She took one big gulp and tried to look at her father's face. She locked eyes with him and felt her courage disappear as his eyes tried to drown her in dark void. "I learned it from Papi Bernie after he saved my life! I apprenticed under him at his clinic!" she said in a shaky voice.
Avery's anger took a turn and he started to apply pressure around her neck. "My daughter has a dream and it is not in the medical field!" he spat in her face. Eli tried to pull himself off the ground but stumbled like a newly born calf. Robin thought he was starting to take things to far and tried to reason with him. "Sir." he started but Avery shot him a demon like look, he licked his lips and his eyes turned wild.
"Robin we're going to make a trip to the basement I don't need the results anymore I know the truth. This imposter will get what she deserves and I need an excuse to vent out some pent up rage."