Brian got to his feet and began walking toward his room, ignoring Michael entirely, who still seemed to find both Brian and his fans ridiculously amusing.
There were countless gifts delivered already and more kept arriving by the hour.
….
Hmm.
Hmm… hmm…
Soft sounds slipped past Olivia's lips as Caroline worked one hand across her body.
The woman hadn't been able to sleep. She kept wondering what was wrong with her baby, what had changed so suddenly, so drastically. She wanted to ask, but something told her that Olivia wasn't ready to talk.
So instead, she chose a gentler approach.
She wanted to slowly chip away at those invisible walls and bring her baby back to herself.
Olivia, meanwhile, felt as though she was enjoying the services of one of the professional masseurs back in her parents' mansion.
Caroline applied pressure skillfully, smiling when she felt the tension easing beneath her hand.
Meow.
The sound snapped Olivia's eyes open.
She turned her head toward the woman standing beside her bed and froze when she realized Caroline had been doing all of that with just one hand.
'Seems like she would be useful, after all,' Olivia thought, her body feeling unexpectedly relaxed.
"Good morning, honey," Caroline greeted softly.
Something still puzzled Olivia. She spoke up. "How did you get in here?"
Caroline smiled and pointed toward Nemo.
She must have known where he was, after all, he had just meowed moments ago.
Olivia glanced at the cat again.
Weird.
According to Emma's memories, Nemo used to cling to her constantly. But ever since Olivia had yanked him off that first day, the cat had kept his distance.
He never approached her anymore.
He only watched. From afar.
Just how did he know Caroline wanted to come into her room, and guide her here?
Olivia had never been close to humans, let alone animals. She had never owned a pet in her life. And yet, there was something extraordinary about that cat.
Unsettling.
In a world where systems could exist, perhaps Nemo wasn't ordinary either.
When their eyes met, it felt as though he knew she wasn't Emma.
Hmm… hmm.
Olivia cleared her throat. "Well… not bad. That was a nice massage."
Caroline didn't react to the drastic change in attitude. She simply flowed with it, chuckling softly.
"Thanks, baby. I can do this every day. Anything for my baby."
Olivia had no intention of rejecting such service.
She thought she'd gained a free maid, never realizing that Caroline was slowly, carefully closing the distance between them.
The woman's ability to keep talking even when Olivia stayed silent helped. Slowly, Olivia began to feel that maybe she should respond, if only a little. After all, Caroline was touching her, caring for her.
She lay still as Caroline continued, and instead of those soft sounds, small talk filled the room.
When Caroline finally left, she went straight to the twins' room to wake them and rope them into helping make breakfast for their sister.
Olivia didn't care how the food came together.
She slept a little longer, got up, trained her body, took a bath, and ate whatever they prepared.
Cooking was out of the question.
She couldn't even make noodles, let alone cook for a family.
She could have accessed Emma's memories and learned, but the thought never even crossed her mind.
There was absolutely no way she was stepping into the kitchen.
They could cook. She would provide the ingredients.
That was enough.
Later, Olivia left the house to buy a laptop.
She felt incomplete without one.
Trained in combat, weaponry, and detection, Olivia sensed it immediately.
She was being watched.
As she walked toward the main street, far livelier than the isolated area where the William's house stood, the feeling intensified.
She already had enemies in this world. It wasn't hard to imagine Sammy sending someone after her.
Darling hadn't said a word since issuing her warning. Olivia didn't care.
She continued walking, alert but unhurried.
Whoever it was had no intention of revealing themselves.
They were watching from a safe distance, subtle enough that most people would never notice.
But Olivia did.
After reaching an electronics store far from her home, she let out a quiet breath.
She might have marveled at the freedom of walking around without guards, but her mind stayed locked onto the presence trailing her.
She was just about to enter when a woman was tugged toward her by a child.
"Hi! I'm Cathy! I'm your fan!"
The ten-year-old girl spoke rapidly, eyes shining. "I saw you in the movie Care for the Children. You were the one who took the kids from the orphanage to play and made them happy."
She beamed. "I like you."
Olivia stared at her, momentarily stunned.
The girl's mother suddenly widened her eyes. "Emma William. It's a pleasure to meet you." She extended her hand.
Olivia was about to refuse…..
"This matters on the path you're walking in this world," Darling said quietly.
Olivia forced a smile and shook the woman's hand.
The mother seemed to think she was shy and smiled warmly, complimenting her beauty. It lightened Olivia's mood slightly.
The little girl pulled a storybook from her bag and asked for an autograph.
Olivia signed it beneath their admiring gazes.
They left soon after, the girl waving enthusiastically.
Olivia waved back.
Not out of kindness.
But because the person tailing her was no longer hiding.
She could feel it.
A camera clicked.
A picture of her signing the book had just been taken.
Olivia pretended to turn toward the store, then abruptly shifted direction.
Her gaze locked with a man in black shades and a black suit.
She beat him to looking away.
Casually, she entered the store.
One glimpse was enough.
She would identify him later, once her laptop was up and running.
And when she stepped inside, the first person she saw made her roll her