Olivia lay in bed, her mind a mix of emotions - of fear, guilt and satisfaction. Fear that she had made a horrible mistake, guilt that she had slept with a married man and satisfaction over seeing Alex sleeping peacefully by her side, the event of the previous night still fresh in her mind
She carefully slipped out of bed, leaving him to sleep. She needed to be away from him. She was scared of what he would say if he saw her. What if he claimed she had seduced him?
She made her way down the hallway and into the kitchen. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table, still lost in thought. Sophia always had an early morning coffee, Olivia hated it.
Her mind kept going back to the previous night, to the way Alex had held her and looked into her eyes. Yet, he had looked at her like that before and he had called it a mistake. What if he did it again? The rejection would be more painful this time.
***
Alex stretched his arms and let out a contented sigh. A feeling of warmth and pleasure tugged at him but he found the bed beside him empty. He sat up, puzzled, and called out Olivia's name. There was no response.
He felt uneasy suddenly. Had he done something wrong? Was she having regrets about last night?
He quickly pulled on his pajama pants and left the room to find her.
She was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping some beverages.
"Olivia?" he said gently, not wanting to startle her.
She looked up at him, her expression guarded.
"Hi,"her voice sounded flat.
He sat down on a chair across her, worry was plastered over his face as he tried to gauge her mood. "I woke up and you were gone."
She relaxed slightly, relieved that he didn't seem to be regretting their night together.
She forced a smile and held up her cup of coffee. "I wanted a hot drink," she said, trying to keep her tone light. "Sophia always did that in the mornings. Did you sleep well?"
He nodded, still studying her face for any sign of what might be wrong "I did, thanks," he said. "But I was worried when you weren't there when I woke up."
The way he said added to the way he looked at her sent her insides melting.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, already relaxed and smiling genuinely. "You were sleeping so peacefully. Didn't want to wake you."
Something was tugging at her mind, and she had to let it out. "What happens to us when your wife fully recovers?"
He drew his seat closer to her, taking her hand in his. "I'll tell you everything soon."
It was cold comfort to her.
***
As the car sped down the highway, Olivia leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. There was something therapeutic about being in a moving car. The constant motion and the hum of the engine provided a sort of noise that allowed her mind to wander and process her emotions.
Her mind was occupied with Alex's words from earlier in the day: "I'll tell you everything soon." It was a cryptic statement, and she couldn't help but wonder what he meant.
Was there something more to Sophia's illness? Was she leaving him finally?
She sighed, realizing that she would have no choice but to wait and see what Alex had to say.
She wondered if Nath would ever forgive her if things didn't work out between her and Alex. Regret began to slowly creep in and overshadowed any joy she had felt. Even if Alex decided to divorce Sophia to marry her, she could never fit in in his world. She'll be tagged a gold digger and the object of powerful men and women hatred. What would the Carters do to her?
As she walked into her bedroom, she saw Melissa busy at work changing the sheets on her bed. The sight of Melissa reminded her of something important that she had forgotten to ask from her.
"Melissa, I need to ask you something," she said, her voice serious. "I noticed a passageway and peephole in the wall of this room a few days ago. Do you know anything about it?"
Melissa stopped what she was doing and looked up at Olivia, a startled expression on her face. "A peephole and a passageway? Not at all."
Olivia's brow furrowed. Something was fishy.
She reached out and peeled off the sticky note she had used to cover the peephole, revealing the small circular opening in the wall. She held up her hand to show Melissa, but this time everything on the other side was pitch black.
"There was some light last time I saw it." It meant someone had been actively using the place the day she had seen the light. Olivia said. "It's completely dark now. It looks like someone is spying on this room through the hole."
Melissa's eyes widened as she stared at the peephole. "That's... that's creepy," she said. "I'll alert Mr Westmore at once."
Olivia held her back. "No. Let's check it out first."
Melissa nodded, still looking spooked. "What do you suggest?" she asked.
Olivia thought for a moment before answering. "Let's start by trying to figure out where the passageway leads. And let's keep this between us for now, okay? I don't want to alarm anyone unnecessarily."
She stepped out of her room, her hand gently grazing the walls as she searched for any signs of an opening. She moved slowly, taking in every detail of the hallway and checking for any cracks or irregularities in the plaster.
Her eyes caught sight of a large painting hanging on the wall at the end of the corridor. It seemed slightly displaced. It was a painting of an elaborate landscape with intricate details that didn't capture her attention. She approached it slowly, examining its frame and the wall around it. She had a hunch that it might be hiding something behind it. Melissa caught up with her.
They carefully removed the painting from the wall, revealing a smooth, unblemished surface beneath. Olivia ran her fingers along the wall, searching for any signs of a hidden doorway or switch.
Suddenly, her hand brushed against a small protrusion in the plaster. She felt a thrill of excitement as she realized that she might have found what she was looking for. With a deep breath, she pressed on the protrusion, holding her breath in anticipation of what might happen next.
A tiny crack appeared along the height of the wall and she pushed it in. A passageway, dark and quiet, stood before her.