Even After Death novel (Olivia and Ethan) novel Chapter 6

The wind blew bitingly cold on her face. Olivia was frozen to the core, but she pushed herself up and continued chasing after the car.

She overestimated the current condition of her body and only ran for a couple of feet before crashing back to the ground.

The car door opened. She saw a pair of shiny, tailored leather shoes halt before her. Slowly, she moved her sight from the shoes and up the trousers until she met Ethan’s cold and unnerving gaze.

“Ethan …” Olivia muttered weakly.

A pair of slender hands reached out to her. In a trance, Olivia thought she caught a glimpse of the young man she had fallen head over heels for all those years back. She could not help but stretch out her hands to him.

Just as their hands touched, Ethan pulled back, extinguishing the light in her after giving her false hope and causing her to fall once more.

She had not injured herself before this, but when she slipped this time, she cut her palms on the pieces of shattered glass on the ground. Blood started trickling down her palms to her arms.

A shadow seemed to flit across Ethan’s face, but he stayed motionless.

Olivia was stunned. Back then, he would rush her to the hospital in the middle of the night even though she merely had a cut on her finger.

She remembered the doctor chuckling and saying, “Thank goodness he brought you here in time. Otherwise, your wound would’ve healed on its own.”

The man before her and the one in her memories were the same person. He had the same eyes and face. Looking back, she realized that the concern he once showed for her was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a shade of icy indifference.

In a cold voice, Ethan said, “Olivia, do you really think that I don’t know you? You could easily run a mile and do a somersault. Do you expect me to believe you’d fall after running just a couple of steps?”

He stared at her, the mockery in his eyes like a knife cutting through her.

Olivia bit her lip and tried to explain. “It’s not like that. I’m not lying to you. I’m just a little weak because I’m sick—”

Ethan did not wait for her to finish. He crouched and tilted her face upward to face him. His rough fingers brushed her dry, chapped lips.

“You truly are your father’s daughter. You two are pretentious to the extreme and would put on a stupid act just for some money.”

Those words stung more than the cold wind, and they stabbed at her heart repeatedly. She swatted his hand away from her face.

“My father is an upright person. He would never do anything to harm anyone!”

Ethan sneered. He decided he no longer wanted to discuss this matter with Olivia and plucked a check from his wallet instead. He carelessly wrote on the check, held it in between two fingers, and placed it in front of Olivia.

“Do you want this?” he asked.

Five million dollars certainly was not a small amount. It would spare Olivia the headache of securing funds for her father’s medical bills. However, she did not take the check because Ethan would not be so kind to her.

“I have one condition, though,” Ethan added and whispered in her ear. “This money is all yours if you repeat after me. Jeff Fordham’s an asshole.”

The look on Olivia’s face changed instantly, and her hand shot up in an attempt to slap him across the face.

Ethan stopped her by grabbing her by the wrist, and as Olivia struggled against him, she left a bloody handprint on his shirt.

Ethan’s grip on her tightened, and his tone became harsher. “Oh? You don’t want to do it? He’ll have to die in the hospital then. I’ve already picked a burial spot for him anyway.”

Tears streamed down Olivia’s face as she asked, “Why did you become like this?”

The man who had once swore an oath to protect her and cherish her for the rest of her life was long gone, replaced by a ruthless person who found joy in making her break down in tears.

The dim light from the nearby lamp post illuminated his face, further emphasizing his annoyance and impatience.

“So you’re not going to say it, right?” He released his grasp on her and slowly tore the check into pieces.

Olivia rushed forth to stop him, but he shoved her away and told her in a tone devoid of emotions, “I’ve given you a chance.”