Olivia Sparks

"And he's in bed with the Pyxis." "With the Pyxis or with the headmistress?" "Hey. You're the one who said that. Not me." Tristan raised both of his hands in surrender, washing his hands.  Across him, Olivia cocooned herself in Maxen's jacket, raising an eyebrow over the news. "Isn't their divorce something worth celebrating though? But by the looks of it, either my mother has lost her screws if she agrees to it, or she won't go down without a fight. Either of the two choices, I'll be glad to watch from the bleachers." Listening to Olivia, a chuckle rumbled on his c.h.e.s.t, finding how odd his relationship with her had gone. They were officially in-laws.  Although chances of them either getting married or being affiliated through marriage was highly probable with how small their circle was, it was still uncomfortable looking at her in a new set of eyes and a new pair of shoes because now, even though Alexa's no longer a Lin but a member of the Yang Family, he still had to consider the string that connects the two families together.  And like a domino piece waiting in a line, Olivia and Tristan knew that a single flicker of gossip could turn into an insatiable inferno, burning two houses down with it. "We both know your father… err.. Father… Let's call him Henry because it's awkward. Alexa calls him Mr. Lin. You call him Henry. And he told me to call him dad even after Alexa and I filed for a divorce. That man is something." Tristan shivered in his spot. He recalled the day they had to visit the in-laws after their marriage and it was nothing but an hour of deafening silent 5-course lunch. "He sure is. I mean, why would he tap the Pyxis when he hated the organization all his life? You're dumb if you think he's not cooking up something and that's what we need to find out." "Do you think he dipped his fingers into drugs? There's no other reason why he needed the Pyxis's services. Why do you have to say that, Livi." "Say what?" "That he slept with the headmistress. My brain is malfunctioning with images of them. That's… I don't know. I find it weird on all levels." Tristan cupped his nape. "Do you know what boosts a man's ego? Wrapping a powerful woman in his sheets. Or her mouth with his c.o.c.k. And the headmistress needed some watering too. Last time I saw her she was barren and cranky." The two shared a laugh. An alpha woman, the headmistress never found a man strong enough to tie her down. Thus it became an inside joke between members that the headmistress's mood swings depend whether her lover satisfied her the night before. However, their attention was stolen when a burst of laughter echoed from the inside, so they headed to where the revelry was coming from and saw Maxen looking smug and mighty with his stacks of ch.i.p.s. [Disclaimer: Author doesn't know how to play poker. This scene was written with the help of her husband who drew cards on a sheet of paper to ill.u.s.trate how the game would go. The rules and terms used by the author is not a full representation of the game. Thank you.] "OOOOOH!" Oliver clapped his hands. Slowly. Loudly. His eyes darted from Olivia and his newly appointed brother-in-law. "How about you join us for a match?" "Interesting." Nikolai leaned on his seat, tipping it at a safe angle. He scrutinized Tristan Yang and bobbed his head. Nothing more stimulating than reeling a fish in his poker matches. He didn't bother to look at Olivia because he knew she didn't like gambling. "Sure," Olivia quipped. Maxen stood from his seat offering it to Olivia, their fingers brushing as they exchanged places. "I am under the impression that Ms. Lin hated gambling," Nikolai commented as he took a sip of his bourbon. "Yes, I'm not a big fan of gambling, but I'm here to play the game… and win. After all, money comes and goes but nothing lasts like a memorable game." A corner of her lips tugged up in an arrogant smile. Towers of ch.i.p.s were placed in front of Olivia and Tristan. It compared nothing to what Nikolai and Oliver had on their side of the table but to Olivia it didn't matter, because at the end of the game, she'll make sure those ch.i.p.s and cards belonged to her. With one chip in her hand, Olivia fiddled with it between her slender fingers as the dealer shuffled and cut the cards, her eyes never left the dancing hands of the dealer. One by one, the dealer placed three cards on the deck. Queen of Hearts Four of Diamonds Eight of Diamonds Oliver hissed, folding his cards. He craned his body, stealing a peep on Olivia's cards but Maxen was quick to block him. He shrugged, mouthing "sister" to remind Maxen of his blood tie to Olivia. He downed his choice bourbon and scanned the faces of the remaining players in the table. Beside Oliver, Olivia watched as Nikolai's eyes darted from Tristan to her, her eyebrows raised at his blatant disregard for her existence, but it didn't matter, because chances are tipping over her side of the scale, especially with her poker face on. Raising the bet, Olivia pushed half the amount of her ch.i.p.s to the center of the table.  Pin drop silence. And the only noise was the occasional whirr and ramble of the air conditioning unit inside. Shuffling his ch.i.p.s on his hand, Tristan raised his bets too and was surprised when Nikolai immediately called, tripling the pot size. Behind them, Ava whispered to Bella who was standing beside her. "How much are we talking here?" "Half," Bella's curt reply. Ava's hand flew to her c.h.e.s.t, and sighed a relief. "Ooof, that's good. Half a hundred grand isn't bad." Bella bit her bottom lip, rubbing Ava's back. "It's half a million dollars, darling," she whispered in her ears. Color flushed out of Ava's face, her eyes bore a whole on Olivia's back. "That's too much." "Didn't you notice? They're no longer fighting for the game. They're fighting for glory. Vainglory." The tense atmosphere in the room was suffocating, a fog clouded everyone's judgement on each person sitting on the table, except Olivia, who lazily fiddled with the single chip in her hand. Tristan s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath, tossing his pair of cards to the dealer. Now it's a standoff between Olivia and Nikolai. And those who knew their history, held their breaths. This wasn't the first time she fought with him. And this won't be the first time that she had all the odds of winning against him. Sun Tzu said: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." Looking at Nikolai check his cards one last time, scanning the cards on the deck; he gave the impression that he's just waiting for one more card to seal his success. Tipping her chin up, Olivia betted all in, her eyes unwavering, a glint of victory danced in the hazel pool. A smile curved her lips as Nikolai's eyes darted to hers. Meanwhile, eyebrows raised over the room, studying the cards on the deck. It's either she had a pair to win, or a straight. And if there's one thing people knew about Olivia, it's when she knows how to use her cards, and when she does, it's a guaranteed win. Nicolai knew it too, and he wouldn't take the risk of losing his ch.i.p.s. The more frightening thought was losing his ch.i.p.s to Olivia. "Fold." Nicolai threw his cards to the dealer.  "Nom nom nom~" Olivia sang. To everyone's surprise, she flipped her cards, showing it for everyone to see. Four of Clovers and Six of Diamonds. "You bluffed? You f.u.c.k.i.n.g bluffed?" Nikolai gritted through his teeth, his fists turned knuckle white as he watched her gobbled up the ch.i.p.s on the table. Maxen's laughter boomed in the room. He couldn't help but kiss her on the spot. "That's my girl." Nikolai's chair tipped over when he bolted off it, landing on a loud crash on the carpeted floor. Caging Olivia in his embrace, surprise was written on his face when she pulled away, taking a step forward to Nikolai. With her arms crossed across her c.h.e.s.t, she locked her gaze with Nikolai. "I told you I played to make a memorable game, Your Majesty." "Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha-ha! You are one lucky bitch." "And you are one sorry arse." "Okay, that's enough, Nikolai." Konstantin planted two hands over the planes of Nikolai's shoulders, squeezing it. "How about you step out for some fresh air?" The brothers exchange looks before Nikolai stormed away from the table. "Bella! The f.u.c.k are standing there!" he roared from the threshold, jolting Bella from her spot. She immediately scurried to where he was standing. And just as Nikolai was to bang the door, his eyes lingered inside, seeing a silhouette he was all familiar with. A smirk painted his face as he taunted, "Let's see who comes home crying tonight, Olivia."