The interview had ended a lot faster than expected, and it was probably due to the fact that it wasn't even an interview. Olivia hadn't said much when Noah yielded and sealed the deal. He was here to impress her—to win her over, and not to listen to her beg for a partnership.
"A moment, Liv—"
"Don't call me that! You don't get to call me that anymore!" Olivia snapped, her fingers pointed at Noah in a threatening manner. Noah raised his hand in submission, not wanting to anger her anymore than this.
"I'm sorry, can you spare me a minute, Ms Jones? It's important for our partnership going forward, and I'd like to discuss it with you alone." His eyes slowly trailed towards Michael who had appeared right behind Olivia with a protective stance.
Olivia knew very well that whatever Noah wanted to discuss had nothing to do with the just concluded interview, nor did it have anything to do with the partnership of the two companies. He probably wanted to discuss some personal affairs, ones that she would probably like to keep private.
She dared to turn down the proposal, not wanting to get Noah involved with herself anymore than this. But then curiousity got the better of her. She needed to know why he was here, why he had come back into her life after ten full years.
"I only have five minutes, make it quick." She replied bluntly, unwilling to hide her disdain for her ex husband. She turned towards Michael, and with a simple nod gestured for him to give her and Noah some space. She would likely tell him everything later, but for now she needed the privacy.
"What is it, Noah? What do you want from me?" Olivia asked the moment they were far away from anybody's hearing range.
Noah replied with a light smile while his eyes gently scanned Olivia's body. He could still remember how slender she was— her little waist and small breasts had always been something she used to be insecure about. However, looking at her now, he could tell that she was proud of the woman she was.
Looking at her right now, all Noah could think of was having her back in his bed once more, making her scream his name while she desperately confessed her love for him. She had been a good girl back then, but what about now?
"Let's not start off on a bad tone, Liv—"
"Don't call me that name, it's Ms Jones to you." Olivia corrected quicker than Noah could speak.
"I'm sorry, Ms Jones, how about we tone down the hostility a little." Noah suggested, trying to soothe her very obvious temper, but it clearly wasn't working.
"Let's cut the bullshit, Noah. Tell me why you are here and what you want from me! We're not children anymore, so don't try to play games." Olivia's sharp tone cut through the air, leaving no room for Noah to pretend. Her patience was wearing thin, and she had no intention of letting him stay here more than the should.
"Alright," Noah conceded, throwing his hands slightly in the air as a gesture of peace. "I'll get straight to the point, I'm here to help you. I know we had our ups and downs as a couple, but I want us to put that behind us. I care for you Olivia, and I want you to know that now, more than ever."
A light chuckle escaped Olivia's lips before she managed to contain herself. She had expected a lot better from Noah, but he hadn't always been the best liar. She could tell that he wasn't telling the truth without even listening a word he had said. She didn't know what his purpose was, but she was certain he wasn't here to help like he had claimed.
"And ten years ago? Did you not care for me back then? When you left me to die, did you not care enough back then—"
"I was still a child, Olivia! We both were! We had no idea what we were getting into!" Noah's outburst surprised even himself. He hadn't planned on getting defensive, but Olivia's words cut deep, bringing up memories he had tried to bury. He took a deep breath, attempting to regain his composure.
"Olivia, I know I hurt you, but you can't deny that we were young. I was stupid, I admit that, but I've grown now. It's been ten years already, haven't you moved on from that?"
"Moved on?!" Olivia arched an inquisitive brow, her mouth wide open with shock. As expected, he always had excuses ready instead of accepting his mistake. And what was this nonsense about moving on?! There was no way she could move on from what had happened that day. She had gotten pregnant for him hoping it would get him to care for her and stop being abusive, but it only seemed to get worse.
In fact, his abuse had been one of the major causes of her birth complications that night. She had held the still body of her baby girl in her arms while the doctors fought to keep her from bleeding to death. She waited in the hospital for a week, and not once did he call to check up on her. She hadn't even expected a visit, a call would have sufficed, but he hadn't even done that. And here he was speaking about moving on.
Olivia felt a wave of anger surge through her, the memories of that night and the following days crashing over her like a storm. She could hardly believe Noah had the audacity to ask if she had moved on. The pain of losing her child, coupled with Noah's indifference, was something she could never forget.
"Move on?" she repeated, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and hurt. "You think I could just move on from that? I lost my baby, my life was on the line, and you didn't even care. And now, after all these years, you expect me to just... forget? To pretend like nothing happened? You're a psychopath, and you should burn in hell!"
"I was reckless, Liv—"
"Get out, Noah! Get out before I call security to throw you out!"
Noah didn't argue further, he could tell that she meant every single word she had just said, and he took the option of not getting embarrassed. He hadn't expected his first attempt to be successful, but he had no intention of quitting anytime soon. One way or another, he was going to get Olivia Jones back on his bed.