Eva nodded. Jason reached into his wallet and pulled out a silver card before handing it to her.
"Take this. You might need it."
Eva looked at the card curiously.
"What is this, Jason?"
"Just keep it with you. Use it if you need anything."
Eva looked at him with slight surprise. "Jason, I—"
But before she could ask anything else, Jason had already turned around. He walked out of the mansion with Russ following closely behind him.
Eva looked down at the silver card in her hand for a moment. She had a feeling there was more behind Jason's gesture than simply giving her money to use while shopping.
Still, she quietly slipped the card into her bag.
A moment later, Olivia returned to the living room. "Okay, we can go now. I called Mom. She'll meet us at the mall."
She looked around.
Then her eyes narrowed slightly when she realized someone was missing. "Where did Jason go?"
"He had some work to take care of," Eva replied calmly.
"Oh."
For a brief moment, disappointment flashed across Olivia's face.
She quickly hid it behind a smile. "Well, let's go."
The three women left the mansion and headed toward Imperial City Mall.
***
Imperial City Mall
The family driver dropped Olivia, Eva, and Madison at the main entrance of Imperial City Mall.
The mall was already crowded despite it being a weekday. Bright lights illuminated the enormous glass entrance, while shoppers moved from one store to another carrying bags from some of the most expensive brands in the city.
As soon as Olivia stepped out of the car, she looked around. Then she spotted someone waiting near the entrance. "Mom!"
Sophie was standing a short distance away, dressed elegantly and carrying a designer handbag.
The moment Olivia saw her, she hurried toward her. "Mom! I missed you so much."
She wrapped her arms around Sophie without hesitation. Sophie smiled faintly before gently pulling her daughter away. "Careful."
She straightened Olivia's clothes and looked at her critically.
"You're not a little girl anymore. Behave like a proper lady."
Then Sophie noticed Olivia's hand pulling lightly at her coat. "And stop pulling on my coat. You'll ruin it."
Olivia immediately released it. "Sorry, Mom. I was just too excited to see you."
She smiled brightly and took Sophie's hand. "You know, while you were out of town, Aunt Madison took such good care of me."
Sophie's gaze shifted toward Madison.
Madison stood a short distance away, her expression polite but restrained. It was obvious that she had never been particularly fond of Sophie. Sophie, however, wore a pleasant smile as she approached them.
"Thank you, Madison, for taking care of Olivia."
"There's no need to thank me," Madison replied with a faint smile.
She glanced toward Olivia. "Olivia is like a daughter to me. I've spent the past twenty years taking care of her while you were busy traveling."
The smile on Sophie's face remained.
But something hardened in her eyes. "Of course," she replied smoothly. "There's nothing to thank you for. After all, you've practically become her second mother."
She paused deliberately. "Though I suppose that's only natural when her own mother has been away so often."
Madison's expression tightened. She immediately understood the meaning behind Sophie's words. "And I suppose you've always been comfortable letting someone else do the work you should have been doing yourself."
Sophie's smile disappeared for a fraction of a second.
But she quickly recovered. "At least Olivia has never complained about it."
Madison's eyes narrowed. "You know what, Sophie?" Her voice remained calm, but the warning in it was unmistakable.
"I'm tolerating this conversation only because of Olivia. We didn't come here to argue." She turned toward Eva. "Our time is precious, and I'd rather not waste it."
Without waiting for Sophie to respond, Madison turned and began walking toward the mall entrance with Eva.
Only then did Sophie properly notice Eva. Her expression instantly changed. "Oh, Mrs. Black..."
A warm smile appeared on her face. "It's been such a long time since we've seen each other."
She glanced toward Olivia before continuing. "And now we're officially going to be in-laws soon."
Eva offered her a polite smile. "I think we should get going. We can talk later."
She made no attempt to continue the conversation and quickly followed Madison. Sophie watched them walk away.
The pleasant expression on her face slowly disappeared. Her eyes darkened as she stared at Madison's retreating figure. Olivia noticed the change immediately.
She gently squeezed her mother's hand. "Mom, don't mind her. She's always been arrogant."
Sophie abruptly pulled her hand away. "Why didn't you say anything when Madison was taunting me?"
Olivia's eyes widened. "Mom..."
"And why didn't you tell me Eva was coming with you?" Sophie's voice was low, but her irritation was obvious.
"Mom, don't be angry," Olivia said quickly. "I told you we were at the old mansion and that we were going shopping. I thought you understood."
"I thought you meant Madison and Jason."
Sophie's expression darkened. "I didn't know Eva would be here too."
She glanced around the mall entrance. Then her eyes narrowed. "And where is Jason?"
Olivia lowered her gaze. "He had to leave."
"Isn't he always with you?"
"He's busy with an important business meeting," Olivia replied quietly.
Sophie frowned. "What could possibly be more important than your engagement preparations?"
Olivia remained silent. Sophie suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm. "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on him?"
Olivia winced slightly at the pressure but did not pull away. "He's busy with his business, Mom. You know he never lets me get involved in that part of his life."
There was a hint of frustration in her voice. "I can't just follow him everywhere."
Sophie stared at her daughter.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Sophie leaned closer. "I don't care how difficult it is. You need to know what he's doing."
Olivia swallowed. "But I'm watching him. I promise."
Sophie studied her face carefully. Olivia forced herself to remain calm. She knew her mother was suspicious by nature. And she also knew that Sophie would never be satisfied with empty promises.
"Jason is going to be my fiancé soon," Olivia continued softly. "I won't let anything happen between us."
Sophie's grip slowly loosened. "See that you don't."
Olivia nodded. But beneath her obedient expression, her thoughts were already racing.
Jason's reaction to Anne had bothered her.
More than she wanted to admit. Every time Anne was mentioned, something changed in him.
His eyes.
His voice.
Even the way he spoke.