The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 242

Chapter 217: Olivier

Bella POV

Kindly meet me at my office on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Please don’t be late.

Then I pressed send

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On Thursday morning, I was sitting at my desk, finishing up some morning paperwork.

Suddenly, the desk phone buzzed. I picked up the line, and my assistant’s voice came through the speaker.

“Mr Olivier Marchetti is down here to see you,” she said.

I glanced at the digital clock on the corner of my computer screen, it read exactly 9:58 a.m.

I noticed that choice. Arriving two minutes early was very specific. It showed he took the meeting seriously, but he did not look too eager or nervous. Someone had taught him well, or he had learned it himself. Either way, I kept that detail in mind.

“Send him up,” I said.

A moment later, my assistant opened the heavy door and showed him into my room. I stayed right behind my desk, keeping the physical barrier between us.

Olivier wore a sharp, dark gray suit that was expensive but simple. He looked a lot like his father, Sebastien, but Olivier’s face looked harder and colder. He stood very straight and tall. It was easy to see he had been taught from a young age that good posture makes you look powerful.

He walked over and sat down in the chair across from me without asking. Even though it was rude, I liked the confidence.

For a moment, he just stared at me. “You’re older than me,” he said finally.

It was not just a comment. It felt like he was blaming me for it, and we both knew it.

“By some years, yes,” I said, my voice calm. “Is that going to be a problem for you?”

A look of worry flashed across his face, but then it went completely blank again.

“It changes things,” he said. “It changes who gets to run my family’s company.”

“Only if your father wants it to,” I replied. “That is his choice, not yours, and not mine.” I put my hands flat on my desk. “I am not here to take your company, Olivier. I just wanted to know the truth about where I came from. Those are two different things.”

“Are they?” he asked.

“Yes,” I told him firmly. “I have my own business. I built it from nothing, all by myself. I did it without your family’s money or help. I do not need your inheritance. You need to believe that, or we cannot have a real conversation.”

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Chapter 217-hviet

He was quiet. He kept staring at me, trying to figure me out. Then, he shifted in his chair.

“My mother died some months ago,” he said.

He changed the subject on purpose to surprise me. I kept looking at him and stayed completely calm.

“I know,” I said softly. “I am sorry.”

“Are you?” His voice was sharp, he did not seem to believe me,

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“Yes, truly,” I said. “I did not even know about her until recently. I have nothing against her. Her death has nothing to do with me, and I have nothing to do with her death. The timing is just terrible for you, and I understand that.”

His jaw tightened, he looked angry now. “A few days ago, my father cried in front of me for the first time in my life. It was right after he met you. In twenty-three years, I have never seen him cry. Not when my mother was sick, and not at her funeral. He had one dinner with you, and he cried.”

A lump formed in my throat, and I had to swallow it down. Hearing that Sebastien had cried-that this powerful, distant man had broken down over my me-hit me harder than I expected. It made my chest ache. I wanted to reach out to Olivier, to tell him that I wasn’t his enemy, but I knew I had to stay strong. If I showed any weakness now, he would use it against me.

“He told me about my mother, Elaine,” I said carefully. “He loved her very much, and he lost her. For years, he did not know why she left. Finding out the truth is hard for him. This is not about me replacing your mother, Olivier. This is just about a man finally getting answers after years.”

Olivier looked down at my desk, then looked back up right into my eyes.

“Right now, you are the only thing he talks about,” he said. There was something raw and hurt underneath his controlled voice. “He does not even know you. He has only met you one time.”

“He talks about me because I am Elaine’s daughter,” I said quietly. “Because I am. He cannot help that, and I cannot help it either.” I paused, letting the words sink in. “I am not trying to become your family, Olivier. I am not trying to take your place or rearrange your life. I am just trying to understand who I am. That is all this has ever been about.”

The silence stretched out between us.

“I assume your father does not know you are here,” I said.

“No,” Olivier said and leaned in a little. “And I hope you keep it that way by saying nothing to him.”

“Cool,” I replied.

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