CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74

Olivia’s POV

I stilled at Kira’s words, my mind racing like a hamster on a wheel. A delivery guy sent it?Who was it from?

Could it be from my stranger? But how? He was becoming more bold by the day. First was last night in the office, now this? How did he even know I’d been arrested? The thought sent a chill down my spine.

"Liv? Earth to Olivia!" Kira snapped her fingers in front of my face. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Do you have any idea who this money is from? There wasn’t even a note in the package."

I blinked, forcing myself to focus. I wasn’t ready to tell Kira about my mysterious stranger - not yet. It was too complicated, and frankly, too embarrassing to admit.

"No," I lied, shaking my head. "I have absolutely no idea where that money came from. Maybe it was mistake."

"A mistake? Someone brought in a parcel, containing the specific amount you need for bail, and also called your name, and you call it a mistake?"

"I don’t know, Kira. I’m as confused as you are."

Kira studied my face for a moment, then shrugged. "Fine, we’ll discuss that later. But first things first - we need to return David’s money back to him. We’re using this instead." She said, raising the envelope.

Yeah, Kira hated David to the extent that she’d rather use mysterious - probably blood money - than use David’s money. My best friend’s loyalty was both touching and terrifying.

"Okay, fine," I agreed, too tired to argue. "Let’s just get this over with."

We proceeded to the front desk where a bored-looking officer processed the paperwork. After what felt like an eternity of bureaucratic nonsense, forms, and signatures, I was finally, officially free.

I stepped outside the police station, breathing in the cool afternoon breeze like it was the sweetest air I’d ever tasted. Finally, I was free, and I wouldn’t be spending the night with scary Big Mike.

"So," Kira began, falling into step beside me, "I think we need to discuss your mysterious money fairy, because that’s some next-level stalker behavior right there. I mean, who even donates that kind of money and..."

I stopped short, my blood running cold. Standing in front of the police station, leaning against his sleek black car with his arms crossed, was Maxwell Wellington. Even from a distance, I could see the cold smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

What else did he want? Did he come to throw me back in jail? Hadn’t he done enough damage for one day?

"Liv? Why did you stop?" Kira asked, looking confused as she glanced around. "What’s wrong now?"

I felt my stomach drop to somewhere around my ankles. "That guy," I muttered, nodding toward Maxwell. "That’s Maxwell Wellington. My boss."

Kira’s head whipped around so fast I was surprised she didn’t get whiplash. Her eyes zeroed in on Maxwell, and her expression transformed from confusion to pure rage.

"What!?" Kira nearly screamed. "He’s the devil that threw you in jail because of a cat? The same asshole who wants to kill you because of the salary he’s paying? No, this is unacceptable."

Before I could respond, before I could even attempt to grab my friend’s arm, Kira was moving. And not just moving - she was charging across the parking lot like a woman possessed, her hair flying behind her like a battle flag.

"KIRA, NO!" I shouted, but it was too late.

Maxwell, who had been checking something on his phone, looked up just in time to see my furious best friend launching herself at him like a heat-seeking missile.

"YOU ABSOLUTE PIECE OF HUMAN GARBAGE!" Kira screamed as she reached him, her fists flying. "HOW DARE YOU PUT MY BEST FRIEND IN JAIL, YOU NARCISSISTIC, OVERPAMPERED SUIT-WEARING DEMON!"

I watched in horror as Maxwell stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock. "What the - Who are you?! Get off me!"

"I’M KARMA, BITCH!" Kira yelled, trying to grab his tie while he dodged her attacks. "YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST DESTROY PEOPLE’S LIVES BECAUSE YOU HAVE MONEY? YOU THINK YOU CAN TREAT OLIVIA LIKE GARBAGE?"

"Olivia? Who the hell is..." Maxwell started, then his eyes found me standing frozen by the police station entrance. Understanding dawned on his face. "Oliver?"

*Shit! Shit! Shit! What is Kira doing? Is she trying to throw me back in jail for fraud?*

"Kira, stop!" I called out.

I immediately ran toward them, grabbing her and trying to separate her from Maxwell, but she had latched onto him like a leech, refusing to let go.

"Let go of me, Liv!" Kira struggled against my grip. "This bastard deserves everything he gets!"

Maxwell, still shocked from the attack, tried to straighten his disheveled appearance as he looked between Kira and me with complete bewilderment. "Who is this psychotic woman?" he demanded, his voice sharp with anger. "And who the hell is Olivia?"

My heart hammered against my chest as I searched desperately for an explanation. "I’m so sorry about her," I said quickly, finally managing to pull Kira away from him. "This is Kira, my... my girlfriend. She came to bail me out."

Maxwell’s eyebrows shot up. "Girlfriend?"

"Yes, and she has this problem with her tongue sometimes," I continued frantically, my brain supplying me with more lies. "She gets confused and calls me Olivia instead of Oliver. It’s... it’s a weird nickname thing."

Kira, who had finally calmed down after realizing her massive blunder, quickly caught on to what I was doing. She immediately cuddled up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist possessively.

"That’s right, baby," she cooed, playing along perfectly. "I’m just so protective of my boyfriend." She turned her furious gaze back to Maxwell. "How could you send your assistant - my boyfriend - to jail because of a stupid cat? Oliver is such a dedicated staff member!"

Maxwell scoffed, his expression turning cold and sardonic. "Dedicated indeed," he replied, his voice filled with sarcasm.