My Forbidden Love

Chapter 27

Olivia's pov:

Me and Kent stare into each other's eyes for a few minutes in silence.

"Dad?"
Jack's voice reminds me that he is still there.

Kent coughs and lets go of my gaze.

I can see Kent consider the situation, processing the details.
I don't move a muscle.

"Well? What did he say?"

"Wait - are you serious? You're not going to do anything about this?"

"And what would you like me to do about it, Jack? Go back in time and stop her?"

My lips twitch at his sarcastic tone. Me, like Jack, had been expecting Kent's anger to be directed at me.
But apparently, at least for now, he's calmed down.

"Obviously, dad, that is not what I want! But she betrayed us tonight - and made me look like an idiot!"

"Is that true? Did you make Jack look like a fool?"

I exhale, exasperated, spreading my hands innocently.

"Oh honestly, I didn't do anything. Do you really think I planned for Ivan to be there? If anything, Lorenzo made Jack look like a fool. The whole thing was a setup - he threw the party so that he could introduce me to all his friend's single sons. By the time I figured it out, what was I supposed to do - storm out of there, like this drama queen here?"

Jack glares at me.
But Kent nods slowly, figuring out the darker motives behind my father's little party, considering the consequences for himself.

"Besides, it's not like Jack was playing Mr. Attentive fiancé all night; he was off playing volleyball for hours. What was I supposed to do? Just not talk to anyone because he wasn't with me?"

Jack and Kent both glare at me and then I realise, suddenly, that this is what they both would have preferred.

"Seriously!? Are you guys serious? How the hell was I supposed to any of this? I don't know who Ivan was until we were already talking with each other!"
I glare at them but neither flinch.
"Honestly, you two, you hold me to some seriously unfair standards. I don't know these people, I don't know what there rules are. And yet, you expect me to intuit them and act precisely how you want me to."

Jack sees that I have a point and he looks down at the floor, little ashamed of himself. Kent, however, doesn't give an inch.

"Leave us."

Kent says to Jack, not looking at him.
Jack opens his mouth to protest, but Kent cuts him off.

"Leave us,  Jack."

Jack shakes his head and leaves without another word, not even looking at me. I watch him go and then turn back to Kent.

"I don't know what to think, Olivia. I want you to be honest with me. Tell me everything you talked about with Ivan."

I can see that Kent believes me. I know this is my chance to let him know that I am on his side.

I sit in a chair in front of his desk, sighing as I try to remember everything that happened today.

"At first I didn't know who he was, Kent. My father made my brother distract Jack by playing volleyball. He then introduced me to several people, almost all of them were young boys around my age."

Kent sits down too, crossing his arms. I can see a vein in his neck swollen.... He's pissed.

"I didn't know what was going on until a guy asked me on a date. That's when I told him I was engaged and he left, angry. A few seconds later, a guy sat next to me and told me what my father was doing. He seemed nice. He explained that Lorenzo was trying to find me another man. And when I asked for his name, he told me that he was Ivan."