Olivia Sparks

Since it was a hospital bathroom, one can easily unlock the door on the other side for security purposes. That was why when Olivia took longer than she should be inside, Maxen had an inkling that she was taking her time, grieving alone, which didn't sit well on him. 

If she wanted to grieve, they would grieve together. Gone were the days and nights that Olivia would bottle up her emotions, because moving forward, she had him for all eternity. 

Worry painted Maxen's face the second he entered the bathroom. "Baby," his voice was almost a whisper. He cocooned her in his arms, her tears soaked his shirt but it didn't bother him.

"I'm sorry it's my fault. I wasn't careful. I'm sorry I lost our baby," she wailed, covering her face with both of her hands. Her shoulders shook as she let her emotions course through the veins in her body.

Maxen's lips pursed into a thin line. He arched his back and tipped Olivia's chin so they could meet eye to eye. He wanted her to see the sincerity in his eyes as he said, "It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault. Things like this unfortunately happen, and it happened to us." He wiped the tears on her face, planting a kiss on each of her eyes. "Stop blaming yourself, okay?"

"I can't help it. I thought I was fine last night but when I woke up I just felt empty." Tears overflowed Olivia's eyes, streaming down her face. "Why do bad things keep happening to me? Am I a bad person? Is that it? I don't understand, Max." She shook her head and sniffled.

Maxen hugged her, squeezing her tightly until he loosened it up a bit when she punched his flexed biceps.

"What the heck are you doing, Max?"

"I'm making lemonade out of you," Maxen replied, squeezing Olivia one more time until she was laughing in his arms. "They said when life gives you lemon…"

"Make lemonade," they said in unison, squeezing each other.

Maxen smiled. "And… since your name is Olivia Lin, and you love making profits out of an opportunity, you will make a lemonade stand and sell it for $100 a cup because your lemonade was personally squeezed by a prince."

"See? I told you I'm a bad person." Olivia's lips quivered. Who sells a hundred-dollar cup of lemonade? Her, of course!

"What? No… I'm not done talking yet. Listen, baby. Aaaand, the earnings from that lemonade stand would be for the benefit of an animal shelter. See? To others, you may look like you loved making money but I know you and see you by your heart of gold. Deep inside, you love sharing what you have."

"Am I?" Olivia tilted her head to the side—unconvinced.

"Yes, you are. What made you say that you're a bad person?"

"Because I stole the bells. This is my karma." Olivia looked up the ceiling. She did not want to cry again. Her eyes felt dry and it stung from too much crying.

"You won't steal those if she didn't give you any reason to hate it.��

"But I stole it months later."

"Oh my goodness. This conversation won't end, would it?"

"I don't know either." Olivia shrugged. 

Directing his gaze on her, Maxen kneaded her waist, rubbing the tip of his nose on hers. The movement made their eyes briefly closed for a second. 

He planted his lips on hers—taking her breath away, pacifying her for the meantime from thinking too much. His kiss was gentle, sweet, and warm enough that it calmed down Olivia's inner turmoil.

"Let's go. Jack brought your favorite celery and peanut butter dip."

Soon, the two were back on the makeshift dining table after Olivia washed her face, eating their spread of breakfast from the Highland's kitchen.

To their surprise, Olivia got a fresh coconut juice, unlike Maxen who received his daily supply.

"She must have seen your face yesterday," Maxen snorted, downing his glass of green slush. Why else would Queen Isla send a different drink that morning?

"Or… she was told that coconut water is good for rehydration." She raised her brows on Maxen.

"I'm done," Olivia announced, wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin. She outstretched her arms, grinning at Maxen. 

Her eyes twinkle with mirth as he did not need to be told. He immediately got up on his feet, scooping Olivia off her seat and carrying her bridal-style back to her bed.

"Gosh, so early ha?" Emily's voice echoed from the threshold. She was internalizing her emotions on her way to Olivia's suite, but look at what she found? A lovey-dovey scene that would give someone instant diabetes.

"Early? You're the one who's early. What are you doing here at this hour?" The creases formed on Maxen's forehead. His wife should be resting instead of receiving the loudest visitor of the bunch.

"I'm here to visit my darling Livi, and for a check-up." Emily placed the box of cake on the coffee table. "That's your favorite cheesecake," she said and winked at Olivia. 

Yana, who was quietly sitting in a corner, instantly stood up to slice and serve them the cake that Emily brought in.

Exchanging hugs and kisses, Olivia grasped Emily's hand. "What check-up? Do you want me to come with you?"

"If you get bored later, and if this buzzing fly would allow you… maybe." Emily tilted her head to the right as if in contemplation. She was meaning to ask Olivia the other night but her friend looked sick, so she decided against it. However, Maxen saw right through her performance and called her out.

"As if I could stop you two from leaving this hospital room. Add Ava to the list too." Maxen jutted his chin on the door where Ava was. 

"Me?" Ava mouthed, pointing a finger on herself. She raised a single brow on Maxen who became enemy number one inside the room with the way he sent snide welcome remarks on their early-bird visitors.

Ava gestured for her assistant to bring in the electronic wheelchair she unearthed in the Lin Estate's garage. "I knew this thing would come in handy," she mused, patting the wheelchair.

"That's Grandma's old wheelchair! Is it still working?" Maxen circled the contraption, stroking his chin as he evaluated it.

"It is. Ollie tested it this morning."

"Of course he did. Let me check it myself."

Ava rolled her eyes. She had an inkling she would see the exact portrait she saw that morning when Oliver insisted on "testing it for Olivia's safety."

True enough, Maxen throttled the wheelchair around the room, his c.h.e.s.t rumbling as he pushed all the buttons his new ride had. "Let's see if this is safe in the hallway," Maxen spoke, happily waving his hand as he left the room riding his toy.

"No wonder they call each other brothers." Ava rolled her eyes. She walked over to the bed where Olivia and Emily were sitting.

Emily and Ava sandwiched Olivia in a hug.

"Okay, that's enough hugs for today. Maxen almost broke my ribcage this morning," Olivia g.r.o.a.n.e.d, wiggling out of her gal pals' embrace.

"Livi," Ava called, her lips curled downwards. "You'll be fine. I had three miscarriages before Finn and at one point, I almost gave up the thought of conceiving. Each time was more painful than the one before it but women were built to be resilient, so just ride it out. Next thing you know, you're pregnant with a rainbow baby or twins. It's in Maxen's genes. Queen Isla has a twin, don't you know about her?"

Emily and Olivia shook their heads in a no. It was news to them that the Queen had a twin.

"Yes, she has, but she's rarely in the country, always jet-setting. Auntie Martha said she hated being in the limelight because of Queen Isla's status so she'd rather be as far away as possible from the Suis," Ava narrated as she placed her bag down on the couch, moving onto the sink to wash the fruits she brought.

She was peeling an apple when Emily wondered aloud, "She disliked the attention so much it didn't bother her to be separated from her twin? That's a whole different level of, I don't know, hate?"

Olivia accepted a slice of apple from Ava, munching on it as she listened to her two gal pals' conversation.

Ava shrugged. "Auntie Martha said they never liked her anyway. What's your check-up for, Emily?" 

"It's just a visit to the Oncology Department. These titties are not behaving. I was touching myself weeks ago and felt a lump so." Emily pushed her two melons up, her cleavage peeking through the collar of her button-down tank top.

"I thought you saw a doctor for that?" Olivia furrowed her brows. She remembered Emily setting an appointment for the Oncology Department chief months ago before she went for a month soul-searching.

"Yes, I did. But I got a call back saying the chief was having a month-long vacation leave."