Olivia Sparks

"But I'm the one who asked you to marry me," Olivia rebutted. She squished Maxen's hollow cheeks and frowned that what she got from him were all skin and no meat. 

She thought maybe she should start cooking for them so Maxen would eat more? Or maybe… they should move out and find their own home? However, just as she was to think of endless things to fatten up her husband, Maxen snapped her out from her trance bumping his knee with hers. 

"Yes, you did," he agreed and nodded his head. It was indeed her idea. Looking back, all those hundred proposals he gave her finally paid off when the lady herself popped the question on a random day.

He kneaded a side of her waist. "Okay, let's try this map again." He took the map from Olivia and raised it to his eye level. "I see…" His eyes darted to his wife. "This is hard when you're gawking at me."

"No, I am not. I am waiting for your answer." Olivia's brows knitted. She had a feeling Maxen was buying his time for unknown reasons. "You're taking too long. The suspense is killing me. Let me explain it if you don't want to."

"Sure, here you go." Maxen didn't protest. He gave the paper back to Olivia, grinning at her like a fool because he truly was but he wouldn't admit it. "By the way, those looked like a star map," he said at random. Earlier he noticed Ursa minor standing out among the rest.

"No waaaay." Olivia's mouth hung open, Maxen had to push her lower jaw up to close it. Swatting Maxen's hand off her, she mused, "It is a star map. See? The rest are just constellations, but the one in Sir James contained a coordinate, a time, and a date. Meaning…"

"Those other coordinates are stars that were present during that night."

"Exactly. Wow. She's smart. This is… I'm impressed," Olivia sang praises to Xandra's name. "What's with Wyatt? Why do awesome girls fall for him?"

Maxen huffed. "You know… He is a great guy except in the lady department."

"Must be his ego. You see, he has Ollie the heir and you the prince as his best friends. He had to be someone somehow."

"Ok. Can we change the topic? I don't really like talking about other people," Maxen spoke, folding the paper into a paper plane. "Are you sure the kid's in the monastery?" He glanced at her side where Olivia's attention was glued.

"Yes, Max."

"Can you call me baby just once when you're not angry?"

Olivia's head slowly tilted to the side. She raised a brow on Maxen's direction as if questioning him what the heck was that request for. "It's weird calling a thirty-two-year-old man 'baby', so nope. You will always be my Max."

Maxen gave up. It's useless to argue with Olivia. She would call him baby eventually when she needed something and he would a hundred percent not give in to her bewitching. 

"Okay, whatever. I'll give Wyatt a call and we'll head out to the monastery first thing in the morning."

"Can I go with you?" Olivia batted her eyelashes, smiling sweetly at her husband.

Rubbing the skin above his eyebrows, he thought for a second if bringing Olivia along wouldn't be awkward for Wyatt. However, he shouldn't ignore the fact that it was she who figured out the puzzle that they were solving for years.

"Baby, please?" Olivia pouted for maximum effect even when she needed none. Just by calling him 'baby' was enough for Maxen to give in to her request.

"I didn't hear you," Maxen said, coughing to hide the laugh that was lodged in his throat.

"Baby can I cooome with you, please?"

"Olivia." Maxen kneaded her waist, pulling her closer to him, their c.h.e.s.t slammed on impact. "Want to cooome with me, huh?"

Biting her lower lip, Olivia knew she was in trouble. Although Aila Zhang told them to refrain from any s.e.x.u.a.l activities, Maxen had his ways other than entering her. She knew what came out of his mouth was not a question but a threat and a promise packaged in one.

Not one to back down, Olivia slowly unbuttoned Maxen's dress shirt. "Yes, baby. I want to cooome with you."

"Okay, that's enough." Maxen's hand stopped Olivia from completely unbuttoning his shirt because if she successfully did, he's afraid that all the restraint he caged in for a week would be unleashed and wreak havoc on his wife's healing body.

He buttoned his shirt back, tucking in the hem inside his pants.

"Where are you going? You didn't give me an answer yet," Olivia panicked when Maxen left without a word.

"What? Asked me what?" Maxen asked, halting his step before he reached the door.

"I wanted to go with you tomorrow. I'll stay in the car, I promise," she said and raised her palm, nodding her head.

"I don't know. I heard you were asking your baby. I'm not 'baby'. I will always be your Max." He winked, infuriating Olivia.

"But Max," Olivia uttered, her eyes pooled Oscar-worthy tears as she hooked her finger in the pocket of his pants and bowed.

The next second, her tear dropped, soaking the carpeted floor. It was enough to break Maxen's resolve.

Hugging Olivia, Maxen kissed the side of her head. "Just so you know...I saw you smiling. Nice try." He peeled Olivia off from him, holding her by the shoulders. "I'll ask Wyatt if you can join us. If he says no, then, we can set a date to meet his child. How does that sound?"

Heaving heavily, Olivia sighed her disappointment. How could they count her out if she's the one who made the discovery? "Okay. Okay. Is Wyatt even interested in finding the child?"

"Actually… He's not because he thinks it's a dead-end. "

"Then what happens then if the child is really alive?"

"He'll take responsibility. I know him. He did when he found out Xandra was pregnant but… She filed a restraining order on Wyatt. Saying she was against the idea of him touching the child or even going near her not after how the way the child was conceived."

"And he didn't tell you about Xandra being pregnant?"

Before he answered her question, Maxen opened the door, holding the small of Olivia's back to usher her out. "He didn't want us to b.u.t.t into his problem. He knew we would convince Xandra to drop the charges without him asking us."

"Or maybe, he didn't like you to convince Xandra," Olivia countered. Remembering the first time she met Wyatt, the two already butted heads. There was something about Wyatt that she didn't like even if he had done nothing wrong against her. 

"Why do you always have negative comments about him?"

Olivia shrugged. "If what everyone says is true that Wyatt is a great guy, then I haven't seen it with my own eyes. So… to see is to believe. Oh my gosh!"

Maxen scooped Olivia up, carrying her bridal-style as he walked down the flight of stairs. "Don't cry if he proves you wrong." He chuckled upon seeing Olivia scrunched her nose and shaking her head in a 'no'. 

...

Morning came, and another promise of hope could be seen on the horizon. Olivia was in a happy mood as she behaved inside the car on the way to the monastery. Last night when Maxen called Wyatt, the latter said it was fine for Olivia to tag along, adding that it would help him too just in case the child was a girl.

Soon their convoy reached the monastery, and the trio—Maxen, Wyatt, and Olivia— were inside the Mother Superior's office.

"We don't have any children here, Your Highness. We had an age requirement for everyone who wanted to work or join the convent, we don't run an orphanage too," the Mother Superior explained, her hand weaved together sat on top of the desk.

Wyatt was quiet the entire time, looking out the window. "What about those kids, Sister… Mother Superior?" Wyatt corrected himself immediately.

"Oh, those are kids from the House of Chamenos. They are here three times a week to learn botany, sewing, and other tools of the trade that would help them land a job in case they age out from the orphanage."

To their shock, Wyatt tipped a vase over when he walked closer to the window. Sitting by the mango tree was a child with auburn hair, just like him.

"Do you know that child's name?" he asked and looked over his shoulders, ignorant of the water soiling his pants.

Mother Superior stood up, whispering to the nun beside her to go and clean the mess on the floor. She walked at snail-pace towards the window where Wyatt stood. She didn't have to guess who the child was, the bright hair color was a dead giveaway. 

She sighed when she remembered how they first met the poor kid. Forcing the lump down in her throat, Mother Superior regarded the man beside her and a happy smile curved her lips when something told her the child would be coming home soon.

"Aerith. That's the child's name."