Chapter 5 The Return

Jason stared at his phone, his pulse hammering in his ears.

A second message.

"Meet me tomorrow. We need to talk."

He swallowed hard.

For days, he had been chasing Olivia for answers. And now, she was the one seeking him.

But something about her message sent a chill down his spine.

She had left their last encounter with an air of mystery, almost like she had been toying with him. But now, it felt different. Urgent.

Was this a trap? Affection? A warning? Or something else entirely?

Jason exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

His instincts told him he was stepping into something dark, unknown and with a aura of danger. But the need to know the truth-about her, about whatever was drawing him to her-was stronger than his fear.

Tomorrow, he would finally get some answers.

He just wasn't sure if he was ready to hear them. But his home came calling as he had to hurriedly fly back to his home for an important business meeting the next day and to avail him the time to prepare for the family reunion even though he wasn't really cut out for it, the urgency of his departure did not create the chance of him meeting Olivia again. A few hours down the line, Jason was back in the air, his private jet slicing through the night sky on its way home.

The city lights below flickered like stars, but Jason barely noticed.

His mind was still tangled in Olivia's words, her knowing glances, the way she had seemed to recognize him before he had even introduced himself.

It didn't make sense.

She had been a stranger in a foreign country. And yet, she had known things about him-things she had no reason to know.

Who are you, Olivia?

The jet touched down smoothly at the private airstrip outside his family's estate. As Jason stepped onto the tarmac, the cool night air did little to clear his thoughts.

His driver, Thomas, was already waiting for him.

"Welcome back, sir," Thomas greeted him, taking his bags.

Jason gave a tight nod and slid into the backseat. The ride home was silent, except for the faint hum of the engine.

As the car approached the grand Williams estate, a sense of unease settled in his gut.

Something about coming home after this trip felt... different.

Like he was walking into something he wasn't prepared for. The grand double doors of the mansion swung open before Jason even reached them.

His mother, Evelyn, stood in the entryway, arms crossed, her sharp blue eyes studying him like a puzzle she was trying to put together.

"You're late," she said.

Jason smiles, stepping inside. "Good to see you too, Mom."

Evelyn didn't smile back, she kept a straight face.

She studied him in a way that made Jason feel like he was being x-rayed.

"You have that look," she said.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "What look?"

"The one you get when you're hiding something from me."

Jason sighed, shrugging off his coat. "I'm not hiding anything."

Evelyn tilted her head, clearly unconvinced.

"Fine," Jason said, relenting. "I met someone."

That got her attention.

"Someone... interesting?" she asked carefully.

Jason hesitated.

Interesting wasn't the right word. Unsettling. Familiar.

And yet, he couldn't stay away.

"Something like that," he muttered.

Evelyn's eyes flickered with something unreadable, but she didn't press further. Instead, she changed the subject.

"Well, I hope you haven't forgotten about the family reunion tomorrow," she said, leading him toward the dining room.

Jason sighed. "I didn't forget and that's part of the reason I am back from my trip, leaving someone.......he paused, realizes his environment and kept mute."

"Leaving who?," Evelyn asked smoothly.

Jason smirked. Evelyn didn't press on.

Evelyn sat down, pouring herself a glass of wine. "This year is special," she said after a pause.

Jason arched a brow. "Oh?"

She took a slow sip, then set the glass down.

"You'll finally meet someone I never thought I'd see again."

Jason's stomach tensed.

There it was again. That coded tone.

His mind immediately jumped to Olivia, but that didn't make sense. His mother couldn't possibly-

"Who?" he asked carefully.

Evelyn simply smiled. "You'll see soon enough."

A chill ran down Jason's spine. Jason lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling.

The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, but none of them fit.

Olivia.

His mother's strange behavior.

The reunion.

Was it all connected?

His phone buzzed.

Another message from Olivia.

"Don't trust everything you've been told. See you tomorrow."

Jason sat up, heart pounding.

A warning.

A secret.

Something was coming.

And Jason had no idea if he was ready for it. The next day, the powerful , exquisite and luxurious estate buzzed with life. Family members from across the country gathered for the annual reunion, filling the mansion with laughter, clinking glasses, and the hum of old stories being retold.

Jason played his part, shaking hands, flashing polite smiles. But his mind was elsewhere.

He needed to get through this, then find a means to meet Olivia again.

But just as he was preparing to slip away, his mother's voice stopped him.

"Jason," Evelyn called.

He turned-and his heart stopped.

Standing beside her was a woman.

Dressed in a sleek black dress.

Piercing green eyes.

A slow, knowing smirk.

Olivia.

"Meet my sister," Evelyn said. "She's finally come home."

Jason's world tilted.

No.

No.

This wasn't possible.

The woman he had chased, obsessed over-

His mother's sister. His aunt.

The breath left Jason's lungs.

Many questions ran through his mind at the same time.

Olivia's gaze met his.

And for the first time, Jason realized-

She had known all along.