Edge of love and hate

After several strong margaritas, a wave of intoxication flushed Olivia's cheeks. She half-squinted her eyes, leaning against the outdoor bar as the cool night breeze, mixed with a hint of chill, brushed past, dispersing the haze. Loose strands of hair fluttered before her eyes, mingling with her eyelashes and blurring her vision.

On this quiet Monday night, the bar had only a few patrons, and even the sound technician couldn't be bothered to play music-it was as quiet as a library.

Her phone remained silent.

Her boyfriend of two years, Matthew, had suddenly announced his engagement to Dorothy, the heiress of the Fleming Hotel Group, without any reasons or explanations.

The chat interface with Matthew still showed her last message from two days ago-a simple "goodnight."

After making seven or maybe eight calls to the same number, with none answered, a chill crept over Olivia's shoulders, and she decided to head back inside.

As she passed the outdoor pool, Olivia noticed a small table between the lounge chairs adorned with a bouquet of roses and several flickering scented candles. An ice bucket held a bottle of champagne at an angle. The area was eerily silent, and Olivia wondered which lucky woman was meant to enjoy this setup. She chuckled softly, recalling the time when Matt had gifted her a huge bouquet of pink Ecuadorian roses.

Men's hearts change faster than New York weather.

Tiny ripples in the pool reflected the bar lights, flickering brightly then dimming. As Olivia walked along the poolside, her necklace suddenly snapped. The pendant shaped like Saturn clinked onto the ground, bounced, and rolled into the pool. The alcohol slowed her reaction, and she only stared as the necklace sank to the bottom. After a few seconds, she blinked, realizing she needed to retrieve it.

Kicking off her high heels, she descended the pool ladder. Misjudging the depth, the water quickly rose above her chest, making her head spin with intoxication. Olivia slipped and fell underwater, struggling weakly to grasp at the splashing water.

A splash behind her signaled someone else entering the water, and a wave of water spread from behind. Olivia felt a hand grab hers, pulling her back against a warm chest. Instinctively, she gripped the person's arm.

Her vision blurred by the water, Olivia took a moment to regain her bearings before looking up into a pair of anxious, restrained eyes.

"Matthew?" she murmured, recognizing the face.

The man hesitated at the name. Water dripped down from his wet bangs across his cheeks, soaking into his drenched white shirt which clung to his sculpted physique. Her gaze drifted down from his tightly pursed lips, over the moving Adam's apple, to the defined muscles of his chest.

With each downward glance, a deeper shade of pink tinged her cheeks.

"Risking yourself for a necklace?" he frowned, his gaze intense.

"Is this necklace really that important to you?"

It was Adrian, who had been quietly drinking alone in the bar. He hadn't met Olivia before, but had seen her photos on his older brother's phone-along with many others.

She had called him by his brother's name, obviously mistaking him for his brother.

Moonlight spilled behind her, illuminating her bare shoulders with a halo effect. The wine-red dress she wore was more stunning than he had imagined. Her head bowed slightly, her curled eyelashes quivering softly against Adrian's chest, tickling him.

Adrian leaned towards the pool edge, helping her out before sitting her down on the stone steps.

"I thought you never wanted to see me again," Olivia murmured, tears spilling from her eyes.

"I was..." Adrian seemed to want to explain.

In the next moment, Olivia leaned forward and kissed him. Her voice, frail and whispering near his ear, said, "Isn't this what you always wanted? Maybe I was wrong before. Take me to a hotel. I'll give you what you like."

Adrian chuckled lightly, biting her lip gently. "Are you sure you won't regret this?"

"As long as you don't leave me."

The dim hotel room light cast a soft glow on the couple engaged in a passionate embrace. The man's tall, handsome figure intertwined with the woman's delicate, supple form, creating a beautiful silhouette against the marble wall.

Olivia felt herself being gently laid down, Adrian's robust frame pressing down upon her. His kisses trailed down her neck to her collarbone, each touch sparking sensations like electricity, tinged with a moist masculine scent.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

Olivia, slightly dazed and weak, lay helplessly on the bed, hearing fragments of conversation about a hospital and someone named Roberts.

"It's handled," Adrian said after hanging up, looking down at Olivia with a mix of tenderness and amusement in his eyes. Shaking his head, he remarked, "I'm not interested in women who throw themselves at me so cheaply," before dressing and leaving the room.

The next morning, Olivia woke with a throbbing headache. She checked her clothes. Aside from a few undone buttons, everything was intact.

She called the front desk, and the clerk politely informed her, "Mr. Roberts instructed us to allow you extra rest, so feel free to take your time."

Matt had remembered their past, after all. She had been with him for two years.

The thought left Olivia feeling hollow. Last night's familiar yet strange scent lingered in her mind. Now, in the quiet hotel room, even the air felt cold.

Olivia got out of bed to freshen up in the bathroom. Seeing her lipstick-smudged lips in the mirror brought a blush of embarrassment, recalling the previous night.

Her phone rang. It was from the hospital.

"Is this Miss Olivia Williams? This is Roberts Hospital in New York. Your father has just been brought in by an ambulance; he collapsed and is in critical condition."

The news hit her like a thunderbolt. Olivia, trembling, hung up and quickly grabbed her bag to check out and rush to the hospital.

"Please, drive as fast as you can," she urged the taxi driver, clutching her purse tightly. Olivia had grown up with her father, her only family, as her mother had been incarcerated for a crime since Olivia's birth.

"Lord, please bless my father," Olivia prayed silently.