Spoiling the Obsessed

Chapter 59: Echoes of Solitude

The atmosphere in the villa was tense.

The butler respectfully addressed Damien after arranging the steaming dishes prepared by the chef: "Mr. Thorn, dinner is ready."

Damien gave the butler a brief glance, signaling him to leave.

In the spacious dining room, Damien was left alone. He had been discharged from the hospital that morning, though his injuries were not fully healed. His bodyguards had wanted to stay and care for him, but he had sent them away too.

Over the years, he had grown accustomed to licking his wounds alone.

The aroma of the gourmet meal wafted through the air, but Damien had no appetite. Being alone had always been his norm, yet now he found it strangely uncomfortable.

Fingering the pebble pendant around his neck, Damien struggled to control his emotions. He longed to bring Olivia back, to keep her all to himself.

The mere thought of her talking to other people, of everyone admiring her beauty, made his skin crawl as if ants were gnawing at him.

But Daniel Stewart had advised that to truly win someone's heart, one must give them space and freedom, to know when to hold on and when to let go.

Damien had never understood human emotions, particularly when it came to pursuing women. He was at a complete loss. He thought, he would trust Daniel this time, as the man seemed quite experienced in such matters.

Damien sat at the dining table, holding his cutlery but not touching the food. Just then, his phone rang.

His gaze quickly shifted to see Olivia's picture on the screen. His dark eyes lit up instantly but soon were replaced by a sense of displeasure.

He answered the video call. Damien locked his eyes on Olivia's face in the video and scanned her surroundings. She was sitting alone on a couch, which pleased him greatly.

"Dami," Olivia noticed Damien in the dining room and asked, "Are you having dinner?"

"Not yet," Damien replied.

Olivia glanced at the time. "Why haven't you started? Is the food ready?"

Damien nodded.

"Then enjoy your meal! Call me back when you're done," Olivia said.

But even through the phone screen, she could instantly sense the chill emanating from him.

Olivia immediately realized her mistake and regretted not comforting him earlier.

"Dami, go ahead and enjoy your dinner, I won't hang up," she said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "I'll watch you eat."

Damien's cold gaze softened slightly, and the chill around him seemed to diminish. He picked up a fork and took a bite of the food.

Even with a phone in one hand and fork in the other, his dining etiquette remained impeccably elegant.

Olivia smiled at him. "Dami, you look so handsome while eating."

Damien looked at her, noticing the Galaxian necklace around her neck.

"Liv, you look even better," he said.

Olivia was surprised and delighted by the compliment, her eyes crinkling with joy. "Dami, why did you give me such a precious piece of jewelry? It's gorgeous, I absolutely love it!"

A subtle smile appeared on Damien's lips, his tone natural yet possessive:

"If others have it, you should too, Liv."

"And what they don't have, I'll give to you."

He wanted to give her the whole world...

Olivia felt unexpectedly flustered. Wearing earphones, his alluring voice seemed to penetrate straight to her heart. She knew he probably thought he was just making a simple statement, because that's how he genuinely felt. Yet, this straightforwardness made him particularly endearing at this moment.

Olivia glanced around quickly to make sure no one was paying attention to her in this corner. Then, she leaned toward the screen and planted a small kiss on his face on the screen. Damien saw her face magnified on his screen. His heartbeat quickened, and the healing wounds on his body tingled.

He moved closer to his phone and quickly pressed his lips against the screen. After two seconds, Olivia pulled back, noticing that the man's cheeks seemed a bit flushed. Was it just her imagination? It felt like Damien was trying to act calm.

As for herself, she truly wasn't calm at all. Even though she had only kissed the screen, her heart was pounding, and a subtle sweetness was rising from deep within her.

This feeling was somewhat unfamiliar, a mix of secret joy and a bit of shyness. Olivia found herself at a loss for words, even though she was usually good at talking.

She locked eyes with Damien in the video for a couple of seconds, felt a bit flustered, and quickly said, "Dami, I'll be home on time!"

Damien gave a soft "Mm" in response and added, "I'll be waiting for you."

Olivia's cheeks flushed crimson. Noticing Lily approaching, she quickly said, "Dami, see you in a bit!"

With that, she ended the video call first.

Lily came over and looked at Olivia in confusion. "Liv, have you been drinking? Your face is so red!"

Lily leaned in, sniffing but detecting no alcohol. She changed the subject, "Liv, look over at Stella!"

Olivia turned to look.

Stella was standing at the edge of the stage, seemingly in a heated argument with Mr. Clark, a notorious playboy, who was insistent on asking Stella for a dance.

But how could Stella possibly be interested in someone like him? The Clark family's status had already declined, and Mr. Clark himself was no prize either – he looked worn out, with a face devoid of vitality, likely due to overindulgence.

"Stella Pearson, still playing hard to get? Do you think you're really some high-society lady? Didn't the Pearsons only rise to prominence by taking advantage of the young Carlson sisters and snatching away their company and fortune? What's there to be so proud of?"

Mr. Clark, drunk and angry from rejection, was speaking without a filter.

"And besides, I thought Livia really had a thing for you! Turns out...ha! Asking you for a dance is already a compliment. Do you think someone like you, who's probably been with countless men, would ever catch my eye under normal circumstances?"

Stella, in the midst of her success, never expected to be humiliated by such scum. In her rage, she slapped him hard.

"You worthless wastrel! If it weren't for your family's background, would you even be allowed in here? This slap is on behalf of your parents to teach you a lesson! Someone as incompetent as you will eventually squander your family's wealth. Shame on you!"

Clark couldn't dodge the slap, and the sharp sound drew everyone's attention.

Clutching his stinging cheek, he was consumed by rage and moved to retaliate:

"B*tch! Livia has already made it clear they don't want you, so what are you still arrogant for? Don't tell me you actually slept with some Livia executive? Did they sweet-talk you, making you think you could actually become Livia's designer?"