“You…?” she said, clearly caught off guard. “Weren’t you on the same flight as us?”Nick paused for half a second.Just half—But for someone like him, that was already a mistake.Conor’s gaze flicked toward him, sharp and unreadable. He hadn’t wanted Nick here in the first place—and now this.His fingers shifted slightly in his pocket.A subtle signal.Handle it.Nick caught it instantly.His expression relaxed—just enough.“Yeah,” he said, letting out a small, awkward chuckle. “What a coincidence, right?”Olivia frowned slightly. “What are you doing here?”Nick scratched the back of his neck, deliberately playing the part.“Well… actually…” he hesitated, then lowered his voice a little, as if embarrassed. “I have a distant relative working at DragonTech.”Olivia’s eyes widened a fraction.Nick continued quickly, filling in the gap before she could question further.“Not anyone too high up,” he added modestly. “Just… enough to get me in. I figured I’d come and see the world a bit. Br

Olivia froze. Thrown out? Here? In front of everyone? Her vision blurred slightly, tears gathering despite her effort to hold them back. “Conor…” she whispered. But Conor didn’t move. Didn’t argue. Didn’t explain. He just stood there— Looking at the man. And the temperature around him seemed to drop. The guards hesitated for a fraction of a second before stepping closer. “Sir, ma’am,” one of them said formally, “we’re going to have to ask you to—” “Hey.” A voice cut in. Low. Flat. Right behind the man. A hand landed lightly on his shoulder. Tap. The man’s face twisted instantly with irritation. He jerked his shoulder away as he turned. “Who the hell do you think you are?” he snapped. “How dare you touch me? Do you have any idea who I—” His words faltered. Because standing behind him— Was Nick. The annoyance on his face deepened, anger flaring again. “And you—” he started, clearly ready to lash out— Then he saw her. Cristina.

Carl, on the other hand—Was smiling.But there was no warmth in it.“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Ronan snapped, his voice low but filled with fury. “Throwing yourself at a man in public like that? Have you completely forgotten your place?”Olivia’s expression tightened.“It wasn’t like that—”“Then what was it?” Ronan cut in harshly. “Celebrating? Over what? Embarrassing yourself in front of everyone?”Emma crossed her arms, her lips curling slightly.“Honestly, Olivia,” she said lightly, “you could at least try to maintain some dignity.”Carl chuckled softly.“Now, now,” he said, his tone dripping with mock amusement. “Let’s not be too hard on her.”He took a step closer, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her.“Judging by that reaction…” he continued, a smirk forming, “you must have received some good news.”He tilted his head.“What is it? Did the Norman family secure the entry-level partnership?”Olivia looked at him.For a second—The earlier excitement faded.An