Chapter 124

OLIVIA’S POV I walked in just as the sky began to turn a soft lavender, the first golden rays of morning brushing the tops of trees like a whisper. The front door creaked softly behind me, and for a brief, breathless moment, I stood still—half-hoping, half-dreading that someone would hear me. Thankfully, the house was quiet. James hadn’t noticed. I could hear the faint sound of his snores coming from the guest room. He must’ve fallen asleep after his call. But someone else had noticed. I froze in the hallway when I saw her—my mother—leaning against the kitchen doorway, arms crossed over her chest and a steaming cup of tea in her hand. She didn’t say a word. Her eyes just swept over me, from my tousled hair to the faint marks on my neck and the shirt I’d obviously thrown on in a rush. “Morning,” I whispered, guilt already clawing at my throat. She raised a brow and took a sip from her cup. “Long night?” I swallowed hard and looked away. “You could say that.” There was no point pretendin