Ethan Sullivan's lips curved with a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
But his eyes were frozen with icy coldness.
Olivia Laurent took half a step back under the oppressive aura radiating from him.
She quickly steadied herself.
This aloof demeanor was nothing new to her.
She redirected her hostility toward Sophia Sullivan.
"Ethan always has such a playful sense of humor," Olivia said with feigned intimacy, covering her lips with her fingers. "Ms. Sullivan, you probably don’t know how gentle he is with the old madam in private."
Her words were praise on the surface but laced with subtle mockery.
A clear implication of her close relationship with Ethan.
Sophia lifted her gaze lazily.
Her eyes skimmed over the sharp angles of Ethan's profile.
"Ms. Laurent seems to know Mr. Sullivan quite well."
Her tone was as casual as if she were discussing the weather.
Olivia's lips curled in satisfaction.
"After all, I’ve seen his truest self."
Sophia suddenly let out a soft laugh.
His truest self?
She remembered the man with reddened eyes in the forbidden zone.
The bloodstained hands on the hills of Potter's Town.
That was the side of Ethan Sullivan no one else knew.
Their gazes met briefly in the air.
An undercurrent of tension pulsed silently between them.
Olivia caught the subtle shift immediately.
"What’s so amusing, Ms. Sullivan?"
"The comedy show next door is quite entertaining." Sophia stirred her coffee absently.
Olivia's face darkened instantly.
This was clearly a jab at her!
She forced a smile through gritted teeth. "I see."
Ethan spoke abruptly. "Ms. Laurent is here on behalf of Greenwood Group to discuss a collaboration."
An explanation directed at Sophia.
Olivia froze.
She hadn’t expected Ethan to clarify things himself.
Sophia was equally surprised.
Breeze Perfumes never partnered with fast-moving consumer brands.
Unless...
She recalled the history between the Sullivan and Laurent families.
"Don’t let me interrupt." She picked up her coffee cup. "I’m waiting for someone."
Her detached attitude made Ethan's eyes darken.
Olivia seized the opportunity. "Why not join us, Ms. Sullivan? We’re practically family anyway."
She emphasized the words "practically family."
Sophia arched a brow.
"Then Mr. Sullivan can just send me the proposal."
Olivia gasped. "That’s impossible! That’s confidential business information!"
She waited for Ethan to refuse.
But a notification chime cut through the tension.
"Sent." Ethan pocketed his phone.
Olivia stood rooted in place.