It was an amusing situation... at least until Olivia, who seemed to have lost all sense of restraint after talking so much, crossed a line.

    "In the first place, do you really think you''re important to Mom?" she said, her tone laced with disdain.

    "No, you''re not! My mother''s just been too lonely lately and needed someone to keep her company, and it just so happened to be you, nothing more!"

    Her words grew sharper as she went on, "Do you really think she''ll stay with you forever? Never! She''ll eventually grow bored of you, stop giving you any attention, and, basically, throw you away!"

    "If that trash Damian was just a sperm donor... then you''re no more than a di—"

    "Okay, that''s enough!" Eva shouted, cutting her daughter off. This time, she was genuinely angry... perhaps angrier than she had ever been with Olivia in her entire life.

    But Christian, whose eyes had turned colder than Olivia''s ever had, didn''t wait for Eva to start reprimanding her daughter. Instead, he took control of the conversation and began speaking.

    "It seems you''re also having under some kind of misunderstanding."

    "Bit, while Eva had her own opinion, her own decision, at the start of the relationship, it was just that."

    "She had the free will to start a relationship with me or not, but breaking up? That''s not something she has the choice of anymore."

    "Life is long, and many things could happen. I could grow tired of her, and she could feel the same. Problems are also bound to happen at some point."

    "Even then, Eva doesn''t have the choice of leaving me."

    "From the moment she said yes to me, her body, her mind, her heart... her everything became mine, and mine alone!"

    "And even if, at some point, I don''t like her anymore, she will still be mine!"

    "If push came to shove, I could just imprison her in some underground place. So, freedom? From now on, that will never be a choice!"

    ''I said it just for the sake of argument... but thinking about it more carefully, isn''t it actually a brilliant idea? Living in some secluded place with just my sister and Eva... staying there until I become the strongest!''

    Under the table, Olivia clenched her small fists tightly as she glared at Christian, who sat across from her, and even continued eating, that hateful smile never leaving his face, as if her anger amused him.

    In the end, Olivia wiped her eyes with her sleeve and started eating, choosing to ignore his question. She munched on her food forcefully, imagining it was him she was crushing and grinding between her teeth.

    Despite her outward defiance, the content of his question lingered in her mind. ''What do I like? What do I dislike?''

    She knew there were plenty of answers to both, but did she really need to share them with "him" right now?

    After some deliberation, she finally arrived at her answer. Setting her utensils down, she said coldly, "You''re still not worthy enough to get to know me."

    Christian, who had waited patiently, looked at Olivia as she finally parted her small lips to speak. He watched her closely, noticing the way she raised her chin just slightly, but seemed to cast her gaze at the heaven... felt off.

    He stared at her for a moment, his brows furrowing as a strange thought crossed his mind. Was she trying to imitate someone? The idea amused him, and he couldn''t help but wonder who had inspired this act.

    "You just need to walk on edge around me as you become aware of the difference between us," Olivia declared, her tone laced with an air of superiority.

    ''Why doesn''t it feel the same?'' she wondered, comparing her words to those her recent friend might have said. It didn''t carry the same weight, and the thought bothered her. Meanwhile, Eva tried to stifle a laugh, her amusement barely contained, and Christian, ever unfazed, responded with a dramatic smile. "If it''s the command of our princess, how could I dare refuse her command?" he said, bowing his head slightly for added effect.

    With Olivia easily getting angry, even when he tried not to get on her nerves as much as he had at the start, and Eva smiling at the side, the conversation carried on for some time. Then, Christian suddenly remembered something and asked curiously, "What about those guys from high school? Still talking with them?"

    It hadn''t even been a month since graduation, but as Christian got to know Eva better, and, by extension, Olivia to some degree, he couldn''t help but wonder. Considering Olivia''s recent behavior toward him, someone who had already touched the essence and could now be considered part of the other side, then, what about her relationships with those normal high school students from before?

    "Of course, I don''t talk with them anymore."

    ''My relationship with them was a task, and it had already ended, after all!'' Olivia thought as she delivered the answer Christian expected.

    Time passed, and as their meeting drew to a close, Eva observed Christian... how he had started with his usual arrogant attitude, even if it seemed like he was being considerate. Then, by the end, he had truly tried to get closer to her daughter with those seemingly unimportant things. And she couldn''t help but feel warmth spreading in her heart.

    She had already felt it, but even when he did nothing, her love for him seemed to continue growing. Then what about now?

    Would he really be able to bear her feelings no matter how strong they became? Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire