SIXTY EIGHT

Olivia turned back to Lucas as she continued sipping on her glass of drink,is ignoring Mia's presence.

Mia made her way to a secluded corner of the ball room, where one of her hired hands, a sleazy looking man in a dark suit, awaited her instruction.

“Everything set?” Mia asked in a hush tone.

The man nodded, “Yes ma’am. The camera's in place. All we need is for Lucas to see it.”

Mia's lips curled into a sinister smile, “Good. Make sure he gets the footage. And remember I want it to look like Olivia is flirting.”

The man nodded again and disappeared into the crowd. Mia watched him go, feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Back at the party Olivia began to feel the effects of the drug Mia had slipped into her drink. Her vision blurred slightly . She shook her head trying to clear the fog.

“Are you okay?” Lucas asked, noticing her slight wobble.

She leaned into Lucas for support, “i'm just a bit dizzy, I think I need to use the restroom.” She said, her voice wavering slightly.

Lucas nodded, concern etched on his face, “I’ll wait right here for you.”

Olivia gave him a reassuring smile, before making her way towards the restroom. Unknownbest to her, Mia was watching closely. She signaled one of her hired hands, who followed Olivia discreetly.

Olivia walked into the restroom, and spattered water on her face, hoping to get rid of the dizziness. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel something was wrong, but she pushed the thoughts aside, attributing it to the thought of the evening .

As she walked back to Lucas, she stumbled slightly , and a charming but unscrupulous man named Anton, who had been paid handsomely by Mia, caught her by the arm. “Careful there,” he said, with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

“Thanks,” Olivia said, trying to steady herself. She glanced around, feeling a bit lost.

“Would you like to sit down for a moment?” Anton offered, guiding her to a nearby chair.

Meanwhile, the hired man maneuvered through the party, his camera discreetly capturing moments where Olivia, under the influence , seemed overly friendly, with various guests.

Anton finally led Olivia to the dance floor as they swelled to the music , his hand slightly down to the small of her back. Olivia in her drunk state , could barely process what was happening.

From across the room, Mia watched with glee. Finally the hired man sent the footage to Lucas' phone. Mia saw him pull out his device, his expression changing from confusion to anger as he watched the video. He excused himself from the conversation, and headed towards the dance floor, his eyes scanning in search of Olivia, finally his eyes locked on Olivia and Anton.

“Lucas!” Mia called, feigning concern as she hurried after him. “What's wrong?”

Lucas ignored her, his jaw set in a hard-line as he approached Olivia and Anton.

He grabbed Anton’s shoulder, pulling him away from Olivia.

“What do you think you're doing? Have you gone nuts?” Lucas demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

Anton raised his hands in mock surrender, “Just dancing, man. No harm done.”

Olivia, barely able to stand, looked up at Lucas with glazed eyes, “Lucas…..what's going on?”

Lucas's eyes softened momentarily as he looked at Olivia, then hardened again as he turned back to Anton, “Get lost,” he growled.

Anton shrugged and disappeared into the crowd. Lucas turned to Olivia, his anger giving way to worry, “Come on, let's get you out of here.”

As they made their way out of the ball room, Mia watched them with a satisfied smile, she knew that Lucas' trust in Olivia was shaken.

Outside, Lucas helped Olivia into the car, his mind racing with conflicting emotions.He couldn't deny the evidence he had seen , but his heart told him there had to be an explanation. He looked at Olivia, her head resting against the seat, her breathing shallow.

“Let's get you home,” he said softly.”

As they drove away from the ball, Lucas felt something off from within, he suspected that Anton was a bad guy.

When they reached the mansion, Olivia was already sleeping. Lucas lifted her gently in his arms, as he made his way out of the car , careful not to wake her. With Olivia sleeping peacefully around Lucas's arm, he turned to Vincent and issued his orders, his voice low and firm.

“Find a man named Anton at the ball party and bring him to me. Also track down the bartender who served Olivia her drink at the ball.”

Vincent nodded immediately and set off to carry out Lucas’ commands. Lucas walked into his room, carrying Olivia . He carefully laid her on the bed and changed her into a delicate nightwear. He then tucked her in, watching her sleep for a moment before heading to the side of his bed.

The next morning, Olivia woke up to the bright sun reflecting into the room. She groggily opened her eyes, stretching lazily. She checked the side clock, and saw it was almost noon. As her vision cleared, she noticed Lucas standing by the window , shirtless ,and wearing only a black pants.

“Lucas?” she called softly, feeling a dull headache throbbing beyond her eyes, she rubbed her temple slightly.

Lucas turned and walked closer to her, handing her some pain killers and a glass of water. “Here,take these. It will help with the headache.”

Olivia took the pills and swallowed them with the water, she looked up at Lucas, her eyes filled with confusion and guilt. “Lucas, about last night ….I'm sorry. I ….I feel like someone tampered with my drink.”

Lucas's expression was stern but understanding, “So you remember the face of the bartender who served you?”

“Yes I do,” Olivia replied, her voice shaky .

“Come with me.” Lucas said, extending his hand to help her up.

Olivia slowly got out of bed, and wrapped a robe around her body. Lucas led her to the basement. As they descended the stairs, Olivia’s heart began to race. When they reached the bottom, she saw the bartender tied to a chair, along with akther man who she couldn't recognize.

“That's him,” Olivia confirmed, pointing to the bartender.

Without saying a word ,Lucas grabbed a gun from Vincent and shot the bartender in the head. The sound of the gunshot echoed through the basement. Tears flowed down Olivia's cheeks. She wasn't expecting such a swift and brutal action.

Lucas turned to Olivia, his eyes softening slightly. “I’m sorry you had to see that, but no one messes with you and gets away with it.”