Olivia touched the corner of her mouth and hissed in pain.
Her heart sank when she realized that it was a wound left by Mr. Sniper when he was making love to her the previous night.
Freddie's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Were you with another man last night?"
Olivia felt it was ridiculous. They were about to get divorced, and besides, he was already with Janet. Why couldn't she be with another man?
"Olivia, you dared to cuckold me before we've even gotten divorced?"
"It was an accident," Olivia said helplessly. "Never mind. Why should I explain it to you? You wouldn't care anyway. Freddie, when Uncle David is better, we'll go to the courthouse and get the divorce. I won't disturb your relationship with Janet."
Obviously, Freddie didn't intend to let her go so easily. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall, looking at her contemptuously. "Who was the man?"
His strength was too great, causing her pain, so Olivia desperately tried to push him away. "You just focus on Janet and leave me alone!"
"When did you meet him? Hmm? Speak!"
Olivia pushed him hard. "What has that got to do with you? You cheated first, so what right do you have to accuse me?"
The veins in Freddie's hands were popping out as he gripped her shoulders. "Olivia," he said, "we're not even divorced yet. I'm still your husband!"
"I don't have a husband anymore." She shook her head, cold and resolute. "Or rather, I've never had a husband."
The conversation had turned into a horrible quarrel.
The only good thing was that Freddie had finally agreed to temporarily hide the news of their divorce, even though it was for Janet's sake.
It didn't matter.
When Olivia returned to her uncle's room and saw him smiling at her, she felt that everything was fine.
As long as he was healthy and happy, she could do anything.
Seeing that she had come back alone, David looked toward the door with reluctance. "Where's Freddie?" he asked.
"He went back to the office," answered Olivia. She sat down on the chair beside her uncle's bed, picked up an apple, and started peeling it, saying, "Freddie told me to bring you a message, which is that he had to leave suddenly, but he'll come and see you when he's free."
David sighed with emotion. "That kid is mature and steady," he said. "I don't have to worry about entrusting you to him."
Olivia didn't say anything; she just concentrated on peeling the apple.
She was very skilled. The skin of the apple came off in one strip from beginning to end, without a single break.
She cut the apple into small pieces and put them into a little lunchbox so that her uncle could eat them whenever he wanted.
"Your mom left us too soon," David said, looking at the apples in front of him. He sighed. "She peeled fruit very well, just like you."
Olivia didn't have many memories of her mother.
She had only heard a few stories about her parents from her uncles.
It was actually a pretty clichéd story. To pursue a higher career, a man had abandoned his pregnant girlfriend and gone abroad to study. After that, there had been no further news of him.
Her mother had died not long after giving birth to her, perhaps because she had been burnt out from the heartbreak. She had already lost all hope in this world, and she had only been able to persevere until her daughter was safely born.
Life is too short—and hate too long.
"Your uncle's only hope now is that you and Freddie will be fine together," said David. "Once you have a baby, I'll be at peace to see your mother. As for Janet, if only she was half as obedient as you, I'd be able to rest easy!"
Olivia smiled and said, "Janet studied abroad, and she's attractive. She'll certainly find a good man to love her."
"I hope so," said David, frowning slightly. "Next time Freddie comes, I'll put my pride aside and beg him. If there are any good guys in the company, check them out for our Janet."
Olivia did not want to continue talking about the subject. She looked at the empty nightstand and asked, "Did Janet bring the medicine back?"
"Didn't you see her? I thought she was looking for you. Since you were young, this little girl has always loved following you and imitating everything you do, just like a little kitten."
But people change, and the little girl who had followed her every step during their childhood was now able to stand on her own and show off her strength.
"Then I'll go down and get the medicine," said Olivia as she stood up. "Uncle, you eat the apple, and I'll be back soon."
She had just left the ward when her cell phone beeped.
It was another text message.
[If the money is not enough, tell me. The Sniper]
The next moment, she received a transfer message from the bank.
The amount on her card had been increased by another 800,000 dollars.
Olivia went to the pharmacy and presented the list of medicines. When she saw the bill, she understood why Janet had not bought them and why Mr. Sniper had given her money.
The cost of the imported anti-rejection drugs needed after David's surgery was over fifteen thousand dollars, and that was only for one week.
"Miss Young?" said the pharmacist, seeing Olivia looking stunned. "Do you still want the medicine?"
Olivia nodded and handed him the card. "Yes, of course," she answered.
It was past eight o'clock in the evening when she finally finished arranging her uncle's meals and daily routine.
She took the subway back to the hotel, and when she checked the clock in the lobby, it read 8:50 p.m.
There were still ten minutes until the time set by Mr. Sniper.
Their last meeting, when she had walked into the wrong room and been intimate with Mr. Sniper, had been by accident, but this time, she stepped into room 2307 voluntarily and completely aware.
As she grabbed the door handle, her hand trembled uncontrollably.
"Are you here?" Mr. Sniper called out to her from the room. "Come in. It's unlocked." Perhaps he had heard her movements in the corridor.
Olivia took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and walked in.
The room was unexpectedly dark.
The curtains were open, and the weak light from outside outlined the silhouette of a tall man.
He stood by the window with his back to Olivia. He held a glass, and she could see there was still some red wine in it.
Is that him? She wondered.
Olivia's every step carried the heaviness and uncertainty of her future.
She had already had the most intimate contact with this man, but she didn't even know what he looked like.
Ironically, it seemed that she had earned $150,000 for that one night.
She laughed quietly and self-deprecatingly. Her dignity seemed to have sold for a pretty good price.
Her hand had already touched the light switch on the wall, but she hesitated, not knowing if turning on the lights would disrupt Mr. Sniper's habits.
"Hello, Mr. Sniper," she said. "It's me—"
He raised his hand, stopping her words, and took a leisurely sip of red wine. His voice lazy and magnetic, he asked, "Do you want a drink? I had it shipped from France today."
Olivia gently declined. "Thank you," she responded, "I don't drink."
"Is that so?" asked Mr. Sniper, chuckling. "If you don't drink, how did you end up sleeping with me last night?"
Olivia's face flushed. She had drunk some wine yesterday, and her memories of the following events were making her face flush and her heart beat faster.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry, but I'm willing to make up for it."
"All right, then, Miss Olivia Young, how do you want to make it up to me?" he asked.
Olivia was stunned. "You know my name?"
She regretted her words instantly. From his words and actions, she could tell that Mr. Sniper was an extraordinary person, and she was sure it would be a piece of cake for him to find out anything he wanted if he decided to investigate her background.
Mr. Sniper did not answer her question; he only said, "I know you better than you think."
This man radiated an invisible pressure. Even though he hadn't said anything serious, Olivia was still shaking uncontrollably.
She clasped her hands in front of her, her knuckles turning white.
"Anyway, Mr. Sniper, I want to thank you," she said. "If it weren't for the money you gave me, my uncle might not have survived today."
"All right," said Mr. Sniper, not seeming to care.
Olivia exhaled slowly, revealing her doubts. "Still," she continued, "I don't understand. Why me? Considering your resources, there are many young, beautiful girls around you, and I… "
She was just a woman who had been rejected by her mother-in-law and her husband because she could not have children.
She couldn't understand why Mr. Sniper was willing to spend so much money on her.
"Olivia," he began, his voice much more serious than before, "what I do, which woman I choose… It's my business. I have no obligation to explain any of it to you."
Taken aback, she bit her lip and nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "I understand."
"You sure you don't want a drink?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No."
Mr. Sniper chuckled. He stepped slowly toward her in the dark and stopped in front of her. She noticed that his upper body was moist and bare, and only a towel was wrapped around his waist. It looked as if he had just got out of the shower.
He leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Shall we start directly?"
Olivia reflexively took a step back, avoiding the kiss he wanted to place on her forehead and protesting, "Mr. Sniper, I'm not divorced yet."
"Is that important?"
"Can you wait for my divorce to go through?" requested Olivia, closing her eyes and not daring to look at him. With a deep frown, she asked, "Will you wait?"
A pair of large, hot hands grabbed her shoulders, and his voice was just above her head, sounding very close. "Your husband cheated on you with your cousin," he said, "and they teamed up to kick you out of the house. Are you still going to maintain your integrity for him?"
Olivia didn't know how to reply.
The Sniper's strength was amazing. As she hesitated for just a moment, he wrapped one hand around her waist to hold her tightly, and with the other hand, he lifted her chin and kissed her lips lightly.
The faint scent of alcohol on his breath made her dizzy for a moment.
His arms were strong, but the kiss was gentle and restrained. He was holding her tightly, pressing her against his chest. His kiss was as light as a feather but still possessive.
"Olivia," he said, "you've already agreed to my conditions."
She snorted, neither agreeing nor contradicting him.