CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ryan had this whole plan cooked up. He asked Olivia to whip Sarah because he was dying to see Zelda's face when she found out the girl she picked for him was the one who hurt her precious daughter. He was picturing this dramatic reaction, thinking it would be pure entertainment. But honestly, seeing those red welts crisscrossing Olivia's arms? That actually got under his skin.
It was weird, almost like someone had damaged something that belonged to him, and that just rubbed him the wrong way. Made him feel… off.
Olivia was holding the whip, staring down at Sarah, who was all curled up on the floor, practically vibrating with fear. Sarah finally looks up at Olivia, her voice shaky as anything. "You… you wouldn't dare hit me with that, or else—" But before she could even finish her threat, whack! Olivia had already brought the whip down.
She hit Sarah again, and you could see her hands trembling a little, like maybe she wasn't enjoying this as much as they thought she would. "Sorry, Sarah," she mumbled, her voice softer this time. "I really don't want to hurt you."
Now, Sarah had never been on the receiving end of something like this before. The shock and the sheer humiliation of it all almost made her pass out. "You stupid bitch!" she spat out, her voice thick with anger. "I will absolutely kill you for this… I swear!"
Olivia just ignored the threat and swung the whip a third time. This time, it landed on Sarah's arm, almost exactly over one of the marks on her own.
Then, Olivia said something that sounded almost… motherly? "You know, I really think you shouldn't use such bad language all the time. You'll get yourself into trouble. You might even end up not finding a mate or a chosen one if you keep that bad character or yours."
Sarah was beyond furious. "How dare you!" She glared at the servants, who all had their heads bowed, trying to disappear into the floor. "You all can consider yourselves dead!" she shrieked.
Immediately, the servants moved forward, trying to shield Sarah, putting themselves between her and Olivia.
"Alright, that's enough," Ryan's voice boomed through the air, cutting through the tension. He'd honestly thought Olivia would try to get out of hitting Sarah. But now, he noticed this little, almost satisfied smile playing on her lips, and it made him wonder.
Had she actually enjoyed that?
Olivia was playing a careful game. She knew she couldn't let Ryan see that she might have actually taken some pleasure in what she did to Sarah. Guys like Ryan? They didn't go for the violent type. If she wanted to have his babies, acting all sweet and obedient was probably the fastest way to make that happen. So, she tossed the whip aside and walked over to Ryan, putting on her best innocent face. "My Alpha… I really didn't think hitting her was necessary. Please, I would be so grateful if you didn't make me do that again."
Ryan just stared at her, a look of pure confusion on his face.
Sarah spat out a mouthful of blood. "Oh, bitch, acting like she's in pain? Please. You're probably just really good at pretending but you fucked with the wrong guy."
Ryan didn't need anyone to tell him; he could see right through Olivia's act. He slowly reached out and took Olivia's hand in his. Her hand looked so small in his own hands, her skin as white as snow, and he couldn't help but notice the angry red mark on her palm from gripping the whip. "I'll make sure your hand gets looked at so it doesn't swell up," he said, almost absently.
Olivia was completely taken aback by his touch. Her fingers felt stiff in his grasp. She wondered if Ryan had a soft spot for girls who got hurt. Well, if that was the case, she could definitely play that part. After all, her only goal right now was to get pregnant with his child. Whether he actually liked the real her or not didn't matter in the slightest. Once she had his baby, their whole… entanglement would be over one way or another.
Olivia leaned into Ryan's arm, hugging it tightly. "Thank you for everything you've done," she said sweetly.
Now, Michael, Ryan's Beta, was practically picking his jaw up off the floor. If he remembered correctly, the Alpha had this major thing about cleanliness, and he absolutely hated being touched, especially by women. But here was this woman, clinging to Ryan's arm like they were old friends, and Ryan hadn't even flinched, let alone ripped her arm off. Was this even real? No one in their right mind would believe this story if he told them.
"My Alpha…" Olivia continued, her voice soft and conciliatory. "Even though Sarah here offended me, I don't hold any grudges. If she apologizes, I would be happy to forgive her."
Sarah was about to explode. What in the world was happening? Apologize to Olivia? No way in hell.
Ryan glanced down at Sarah, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You heard her, didn't you? Apologize to her right now."
Sarah's eyes practically bugged out of her head. "Why should I apologize to her? She—"
Ryan's gaze turned icy before she could finish her sentence. "I won't repeat myself. Apologize to her. Now."
A visible shudder ran through Sarah. She was clearly terrified of Ryan and knew better than to openly defy him. With gritted teeth, she forced out the words. "I'm sorry. I was foolish today, and I offended you. I hope you can forgive me and not… stoop to my level."
Olivia gave a small, radiant smile. "I'm so glad you understand your mistakes and are willing to change. I won't hold it against you. But you really shouldn't play with whips anymore. After all, it hurts when you hurt someone with them… I'm sorry for hitting you too."
"Get me out of here. Now!" Sarah practically screamed at the servants, who quickly rushed her away.
The moment Sarah and the servants were gone, Ryan turned to Olivia, his expression sharp. "If you're so powerful, why did you let her hold you down and hit you like that?"
"It's not a good look for me to create bad blood between us right from the start," she replied smoothly. "I didn't want her to hate me." She then added, her voice a little softer, "I was a tiny bit scared when you weren't here, but now that you are, I feel safe."
Ryan's face hardened. "Don't wander around aimlessly. I can't save you every single time."
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the place. "This place isn't safe. If you're not careful, you could end up with a lot of broken bones." Olivia wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that. Was he trying to warn her about something?
Before she could ask, Ryan turned and started to walk away. Olivia hurried to catch up, her footsteps echoing on the stone floor. "Will Sarah come after me?"
"What do you think?" Ryan sneered, making it clear he thought it was a ridiculous question.
"If she does, will you help me next time?" she pressed.
Ryan stopped, turning to look at her with a faint, almost amused smile playing on his lips. "Maybe," he said, leaving her hanging.
Olivia's eyes lit up, and she eagerly followed him. "Does that mean you'll always protect me from now on? My Alpha… I think I've fallen in love with you. Can we just go make babies already?" she blurted out, her lips in a little pout.
Ryan coughed, a surprised sound, and glanced at his Beta beside him, who looked utterly bewildered. Ryan couldn't understand this woman's boldness, the way she could say such things without a hint of shyness. He gritted his teeth before giving her a blunt answer. "No."
Olivia wasn't about to give up that easily. "But… why not? We're both grown adults."
"You want to know why?" he said flatly, his gaze unwavering. "Because you're ugly, and you're not my type."