CHAPTER EIGHT
Olivia was led to Ryan's residence, and it was clear right away that this place was nothing like the room she'd stayed in with him the night before. The guard who had brought her didn't even walk her to the massive front door. Instead, he stopped far away and hurried off, acting like the door itself could hurt him.
Olivia sighed, a heavy sound in the quiet air, and stood at the entrance. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. On the way here, she had made a difficult decision. She had agreed to Luna Sylvia's demand; she had to have Ryan's child. The alternative was unthinkable – Luna Sylvia could easily throw her back into the dungeon, or worse, end her life without a second thought. Olivia couldn't risk that. This was a chance, however unwanted, that might never come again.
Even though the idea of being involved with Ryan was unsettling, she knew she had to do everything she could to get pregnant with his child. With a determined but heavy heart, Olivia placed her hands on the large door and gently pushed it open. Her eyes immediately landed on three men inside the lavishly furnished living room.
She recognized Ryan, of course, but the other two were strangers. One of them, wearing a brown shirt, had a striking profile – sharp, attractive, almost perfect.
The moment she stepped into the room, the handsome man in the brown shirt flashed her a wide, welcoming smile before speaking. "Whoa, Ryan! Is this the girl your Aunt Zelda is trying to set you up with? I heard you were quite taken with her last night and didn't want to let her go."
Ryan didn't say a word. He just shot the man with a chillingly cold look that made Olivia instinctively swallow hard. Surprisingly, the man in the brown shirt didn't seem at all intimidated. Instead, his grin widened. "What? Did I say something wrong? I'm just stating a fact."
He then playfully nudged the man sitting next to him, who was completely absorbed in a game of Ludo. "Didn't you also hear about how Ryan was being a total softie last night?"
The man chuckled without looking up from the game. "Yeah, I think I heard something like that."
The third man, wearing a dark shirt, stood up and smiled warmly at Olivia. "Don't be scared. Why don't you come in?" He gestured with his hands, inviting her further into the room.
Olivia pursed her lips slightly and walked inside. In all her nineteen years, she had never been in a room with men as good-looking as these three. The man in the brown shirt quickly introduced himself. "My name is Vince Luff. What's your name, princess?"
Vince Luff?
Olivia was completely taken aback. She had never met him in person, but she had definitely heard about him. He was the only son of Alpha Samuel Luff of the Blue Moon Pack. He was known for being spoiled since childhood and was widely considered the number one playboy in his pack.
She honestly hadn't expected someone like him to be friends with Ryan.
"Olivia… you can call me Olivia," she replied after a brief pause, still processing the surprise.
Vince rubbed his chin thoughtfully before speaking again. "Olivia, you need to relax and be comfortable talking to me. Tell me honestly, what terrible thing did our brooding friend Ryan do to you last night? Tell me quickly, and I promise I'll help you get your revenge."
"Revenge?" the man in the dark shirt said with a loud, mocking laugh. "You were clearly beaten by Ryan last time, remember? You ended up with a busted lip. I wouldn't advise trying that again."
Vince sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes in embarrassment. "Cole, could you at least try to make me look a little better in front of Olivia?"
Cole chuckled again before responding. "I was just being honest."
Olivia ignored their playful banter and found herself staring at Cole. "You keep looking at me, cupcake. Do you know me?" he said, his lips curving into the sexiest smile Olivia had ever seen.
Olivia didn't actually know Cole personally, but she had certainly heard stories about him. When it came to tales of playboys, Vince might have the top reputation, but when it came to being a ladies' man… that title definitely belonged to Cole.
Rumor had it that he had dated fifteen girls at the same time, and these girls were supposedly good friends who would even go shopping together peacefully. What was even more unbelievable was that he always broke up with them on good terms, and none of these women ever complained. They apparently thought that perhaps they weren't good enough for him and would defend him against anyone who called him a bad name.
Olivia was stunned that Cole, Vince, and Ryan were friends. "Hold on a second, don't tell me this is one of your ex-girlfriends," Vince questioned Cole, who looked genuinely confused for a moment. He had so many ex-girlfriends; how could he possibly remember them all?
He looked at Olivia more closely, his eyes scanning her tattered clothes and slightly disheveled appearance. She looked unfamiliar, so he honestly couldn't tell if she was someone he had dated. He started to move closer to her, but Ryan's cold voice cut through the air, stopping him.
"Why are you here? Did you come here to try and seduce all the men in the room?" he said, his tone sharp and angry.
Olivia was taken aback by his sudden hostility.
When had she even tried to seduce anyone?
Ryan didn't even give her a chance to speak. His voice came again, colder this time. "Since you don't seem to be doing anything useful, why don't you make yourself useful and get us some coffee?"
Olivia wanted to refuse and demand that he ask her more politely, but she knew better than to argue with him right now. She forced a small smile and nodded before turning and walking towards where she assumed the kitchen would be.
Vince chuckled the moment Olivia was out of earshot. "I know what you're trying to do, Ryan. I honestly thought you wouldn't be so smitten with her, especially after…"
He trailed off, but he didn't get to finish his sentence because Cole suddenly wrapped his hands around Vince's mouth and playfully pulled him to the floor, starting a mock wrestling match.
Ryan knew what Vince meant. Olivia had been sent by his Aunt Zelda, and he knew he shouldn't have let her stay, no matter what. But for some reason he couldn't quite understand, he had allowed it.
Olivia returned with three cups of coffee, carefully placing them on the table.
"I think you can leave now if you don't need anything else," Ryan said, while Olivia looked pointedly at him.
She stood there with a frown before finally speaking her mind. "Why are you acting so differently? You're being so cold, arrogant, and frankly, not very smart when you're sober. But you weren't like this when you held me so tightly last night like a boy who couldn't stay away from his lollipop."
"Woooooooooo," Vince exclaimed in exaggerated shock, pausing his wrestling match with Cole.
"I think you've got yourself a tough one here, bro," Cole added with a grin.
"I didn't mean it like that," Olivia quickly said, realizing how her words might have sounded. She desperately needed Ryan's help and shouldn't be speaking so impulsively. "I… I need your help with something."
Ryan's eyebrows furrowed. "And what exactly do you need my help with?"