Love In High Stakes

Chapter 15

In the morning, as Olivia opened her eyes, a text on her phone made her shudder."Good morning, my princess. Good luck on your first day at work. Have a great day, baby.""Did he even sleep? It's 5 in the morning and he is already awake?" Olivia thought. Lucas' text came in a few minutes ago.Olivia did not reply and kept him on read. Then she checked other messages."Miss, I'm your driver, Jackson," that was the driver Alexander had assigned to pick Olivia up. The message was sent at night after she had slept.Olivia stared at the screen, squinting. She always despised the screen light, especially when she had just opened her eyes from slumber. She had no idea how when she had woken up, she had grabbed her phone, half asleep. She had had a rough night; thinking about Alexander and Lucas and then having a dream that turned into a nightmare.At first, she was with Lucas, and it seemed that they were both holding hands and sitting in a beautiful park with lovely flowers and huge trees around. Olivia could even grasp the scent of her surroundings when angry Alexander had come in with a gun.In a flash, he fired three bullets at Lucas. Olivia had felt paralysed, hurt and cold. In a minute, the bloodied body of Lucas lay lifeless before her. Alexandra stared at her with a smirk, not a glint of regret showing in his eyes."What could this mean?" Olivia pondered on the dream-turned-nightmare.She could not comprehend how she was happy with Lucas in the dream and how his death had affected her. Furthermore, she was totally indifferent to Alexander."Could it be a sign? Oh, no! I shouldn't think about all this stuff," Olivia mumbled.Olivia had to be excited for her new job, or rather, wanted to be excited, but a sense of apprehension took over. While she should be glad that she found a job, she could not forget what Lucas had told her last night. Moreover, here he was, sending a lovely text in the morning. Nevertheless, Olivia had no plan of replying back to him.From today, Olivia decided to only focus on her career and to meet Amelia in the night to tell her about everything that had happened last night.Consequently, Olivia crawled out of bed, stood up, tied her hair in a bun and headed to the washroom.After Olivia was done, with the towel still hugging her lovely figure, she blow-dried her hair and then checked her office attire. Today, Olivia decided to wear a navy blue button-front half-sleeved dress, reaching the knees. A light makeup and a bow bun could work out perfectly. It was Olivia's first day in the most reputed firm in New York City and she should at least blend in.All of a sudden, the thought of the hot billionaire, Alexander Sterling distracted her. Olivia felt more at ease in his presence or when he was around. Although Alexander was a rich man, he never showed off. Well, even Lucas never showed off.Now, another thought scared Olivia; Alexander Sterling and Lucas Kennedy were friends! If she chose to be with Lucas, perhaps Olivia's chances with Alexander would be missed. If she chose to be with Alexander, then Lucas might try to harm either her boss or her."Oh, Lucas! Why am I even thinking about you!"Olivia frowned and threw the hairbrush away, which landed on the floor."Olivia, stay calm..." she mumbled as she bent down to pick up the brush, keeping it back in its place.***At half past eight, Jackson was already downstairs, waiting for Olivia."Miss, I'm here," Jackson"I'm coming out, thank you," Olivia replied.Soon, she was in the parking lot and a short Asian driver, in his thirties, opened the door for her to get in. Olivia did not speak to the driver on the way and neither did he.Minutes later, she reached the Sterling Tower, standing proud before her. The hexagon windows on the skyscraper left Olivia in awe. It was uncommon to see such architecture in New York and she could already make out that Alexander Sterling was drawn to unique designs."This is the place I want to work and grow!" Olivia thought.As she stepped in, the view of the vast lobby was just pleasing to the senses. Every step she took led her to another splendid area and now she was wondering how her office would look."Miss Olivia Montgomery? Welcome to the Sterling Tower. I'm Lydia, Alexander's assistant," a slender secretary, with dark brown hair, grey eyes and a charming personality approached Olivia."Thank you, Lydia. I'm thrilled to be here," Olivia replied with a warm smile.Lydia guided her through the modern and elegant corridors of the Sterling Tower, sharing anecdotes about the workplace culture and the talented individuals who contributed to its success.As they approached Olivia's designated office, she couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The door swung open to reveal a stylish workspace bathed in natural light, offering a breathtaking view of the city skyline. A sleek desk, adorned with a bouquet of Lillies, awaited her, along with a personalised welcome package."Your office, Miss Montgomery. I hope it meets your expectations," Lydia said, gesturing inside. Olivia was in awe of the thoughtful touches that made the space uniquely hers – from the carefully chosen artwork on the walls to the state-of-the-art technology at her disposal."That's beyond expectations!" Olivia exclaimed with joy.Lydia smiled and then said, "Alexander will be here soon. I'll let you know when he is ready to meet you. In the meantime, I'm sending Jane, the administration assistant, to help you with the contract signing and anything you would like to know.""Oh, that's great. So, you mean, I don't need to go to the HR department to complete the formalities?" Olivia asked in astonishment."No. Alex has given clear instructions that Jane should be in your office, instead," Lydia said."OK. Thank you very much," Olivia replied, beaming.As Lydia left, Olivia needed time to process everything. It all seemed like a dream and she had to pinch herself twice to make sure that she was not in slumber.How she wished that her parents could see her sitting on the twelfth floor, about to fulfil her dreams. But, she was curious about the special treatment which Alexander had reserved for her.