Adam ended the call with Kai. He stared at the screen for a moment, then slid it into his pocket.Olivia glanced at him, her eyes flicking from the road to his face and back. "What's the problem?""Nothing." Was his curt response.She said nothing. Her hands stayed on the wheel, her gaze steady ahead. But he could feel her watching, waiting."Kai found the car," he said after a moment. "Driver's identity is clean. Cameras wiped."Olivia's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. "Someone covered their tracks.""Someone with resources."She didn't ask who. She knew he would have told her if he knew. Instead, she drove in silence, giving him space to think.Adam stared out, the city blurred pass, his mind turned the problem over, examining it from every angle.Not the Max family. They were finished. Luca was in custody. Dominic was broken, they didn't have time for this kind of operation so fast.Not the Black family. They had nothing. No money, no connections, no reach beyond their ow

Adam shook his head. "Olivia…""I said I'd help. I meant it." She reached out, her hand closing around his wrist, the same way she had grabbed him at the company door. "You need a wife? Fine. You have one. For as long as it takes to get what you need."Adam stared at her. Her grip was firm. Her face was set. There was no hesitation in her eyes."Olivia," he said again, softer this time.She squeezed his wrist. "Stop arguing with me. You're wasting time."Kai watched them, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he reached out and folded the map, tucking it into his pocket."I'll make the arrangements. You both leave tomorrow morning. Get some rest, it's an eight hour journey."He walked out of the room, the door clicking shut behind him.Olivia released Adam's wrist. Her hand dropped to her side. She didn't step back."Tomorrow," she said.Adam looked at her. "Thank you," he said.She smiled. "Don't thank me yet. We still have to convince them we're actually married."Adam chu

Adam pulled up to Olivia's house at dawn. The sky was gray, he killed the engine and sat for a moment, watching her door. She was already outside before he could knock.She looked like herself. Hair loose, dress pressed, heels that cost more than most people's rent. She smiled when she saw him. He didn't smile back."Get in."She climbed in, pulling her bag behind her. "Good morning to you too."He pulled away from the curb, his eyes on the road. "You look like you're going to a board meeting.""I am going on a trip. With a man I'm supposed to be married to." She smoothed her dress. "I want to look presentable.""Nah, you will just ruin our plans with your outfit."She opened her mouth and closed it.He drove to the edge of town, pulled into a strip mall, parked outside a thrift store. Olivia stared at the store. "You're joking."He got out of the car, walked around, opened her door. She didn't move."We need to blend in," he said. "You can't blend in wearing five thousand dollars.

Chapter 97Adam's eyes widened at her reaction. He held up his hands, a rare laugh escaping his chest. "Relax. I'm not getting you pregnant."Olivia's face went red. "I….that's not..I didn't think you were…"He was still chuckling. "We’ll fake the pregnancy."She stared at him. "That's the only way we can get in, without showing a hospital report. And if the place is not what we think, they will direct us to the place."She thought about it and nodded. "Fine," she said. "But I'm going to need a better belly."“I got you,” Adam responded, dragging their bags forward. They spread their clothes on the bed. Adam worked quickly, folding, stacking, shaping. In no time, he was already pressing the bundle against her stomach, stepping back, studying the shape."Too low," he said. He adjusted it, stepped back again. "Better."She looked down. The bulge was round, pronounced, the fabric of her dress stretched over it. She touched it.Adam stood back, his arms crossed, his eyes critical.

Chapter 99Before Adam could speak, Olivia stepped forward, her voice high. "It's in my lower abdomen. The pathogen. That's why the baby won't come. That's why we need the cure."The man's eyes narrowed. His gaze dropped to her belly, lingered, and darted to her face. "I want to see it."Adam moved, positioning himself between them. His voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it. "You want to see my wife's private parts? That's a bit rude, don't you think?"The man's face didn't change. His eyes stayed on Olivia. "If I don't see the pathogen, then there is no cure."Olivia's hand tightened on Adam's arm. Her heart was pounding. Just then, the door slammed open.A man strode in, flanked by two bodyguards. He was shorter than the hooded man, broader, his face flushed, a shisha pipe dangling from his fingers. Smoke curled around him, thick and sweet."You can't spend the whole day attending to one client," he barked. "Lazy dog. Be fast."The hooded man's jaw tightened. His fist