Chapter 81

NOAH Olivia went into the kitchen carrying the empty fruit plate I had finished earlier, her footsteps soft against the floor. I stayed leaning back against the sofa, one leg stretched out, my foot resting on the small wooden stool in front of me. My gaze drifted aimlessly toward the ceiling, unfocused. I had been deliberately cold toward Olivia these past few days, distant in a way that even I hadn’t fully sorted out yet. I didn’t know whether the anger simmering in my chest was directed at her—or at her husband. Am I angry at her for accepting a husband who puts his career above his family? Or am I angry at Liam for taking Olivia, Hannah, and even Margareth for granted? The thought gnawed at me. If I were in his place, I would never hesitate. My wife and child would come before anything else. Always. I knew I had no right to feel this way. It wasn’t my family. It wasn’t my place. I had no authority to judge their choices, there's no justification for my reaction. I picked up the glas