Driven to Obsession

Chapter 10: The Outside World Part 2

He looked different—older, more worn down—but there was no mistaking the man who had once meant so much to her. His eyes widened slightly when he saw her, but he quickly composed himself, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Olivia," he said, his voice smooth, almost condescending. "It's been a while."

Olivia's breath caught in her throat, her mind reeling. She hadn't seen Mark in years, hadn't even thought about him since she had finally managed to put the pieces of her life back together. But now, here he was, standing in front of her, as if he had stepped out of a nightmare.

"What are you doing here, Mark?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady.

Mark's smirk widened slightly, his gaze flicking over to Sam before returning to her. "I heard you were back in town, figured I'd stop by and see how you were doing. I have to say, I'm surprised to find you here, of all places."

Olivia swallowed hard, trying to push down the wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. "Why are you really here, Mark? What do you want?"

Mark took a step closer, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I've been thinking about you, Liv. About us. I made a mistake, leaving you like that. I've been trying to find you for a while now—thought maybe we could... talk."

The words sent a shiver down her spine, and Olivia felt a surge of panic rising in her chest. She didn't want to talk to Mark, didn't want to relive the pain he had caused her. But the way he was looking at her, the way he was standing so close, made it clear that he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Before she could respond, Sam stepped forward, his expression darkening as he placed himself between Olivia and Mark. "She doesn't want to talk to you," Sam said, his voice low and dangerous. "So I suggest you leave."

Mark's eyes flicked to Sam, his smirk fading slightly as he took in the man standing in front of him. "And who the hell are you?"

"I'm the person who's telling you to leave," Sam replied, his tone cold.

The tension between the two men was palpable, and Olivia could feel the situation spiraling out of control. She had never seen Sam like this, his usually calm demeanor replaced by a protective anger that both frightened and reassured her.

Mark sneered, taking a step back as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, no need to get all worked up. I'll go. But this isn't over, Olivia. We still have things to discuss."

With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing through the parking lot as he disappeared around the corner. Olivia let out a shaky breath, her legs threatening to give out beneath her as the adrenaline rush began to fade.

Sam turned to her, his expression softening as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Olivia nodded, though she wasn't sure if it was true. Her mind was still reeling from the encounter, from the shock of seeing Mark again after all this time. "I'm fine," she said, her voice trembling. "I just... I didn't expect to see him. I haven't seen him in years."

Carlos stepped forward, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity. "Who is that guy, Liv? He seemed pretty intense."

Olivia hesitated for a moment, glancing between Carlos and Sam. She didn't want to get into the details right now, didn't want to dredge up the past in front of everyone. But she knew she couldn't avoid it forever.

"He's... someone from my past," she said finally, her voice quiet. "Someone I thought I'd left behind."

Carlos nodded slowly, his gaze flicking to Sam before he turned back to Olivia. "You don't have to explain, Liv. Just know that we've got your back, okay?"