Billionaire’s Missing Darling by Theresa Wilde

Chapter 31

The door to the upstairs study was open, Olivia approached the door and leaned in to listen for a

moment, and when she heard no sound, she knocked a few times. “Mr. Sullivan, do you need help?”

The silence persisted, unbroken.

A knot of worry formed in Olivia’s chest, the fear that he might have lost consciousness gnawing at her.

Without a second thought, driven by a mix of concern and urgency, she decisively pushed the door

open.

The study room unfurled before her, grand in its expanse. Tall bookshelves laden with volumes of

knowledge lined the walls, their natural wood grain gleaming softly under the ambient light. Directly

across from her, to the right, a majestic desk held its ground. Its polished surface was home to a sleek

computer and an organized stack of important–looking documents.

At her initial glance, the room seemed devoid of human presence. But as Olivia’s eyes adjusted and

scanned the room more meticulously, a subtle detail caught her attention.

He was there but almost camouflaged. Nestled by the bay window, his silhouette was masked by the

heavy, dark curtains, making him appear as if he was a part of the drapery, a shadow blending into the

night.

Olivia walked over.

An overturned solid wood chair lay askew on the floor, hinting at a recent disturbance. Daniel Sullivan

was seated gracefully by the bay window, one leg casually crossed over the other, exuding an air of

nonchalance despite the evident chaos.

From Olivia’s vantage point, she could discern the telltale hues of blue and purple marring his toes. The

implication was clear: the chair must have fallen on his foot, causing the bruise.

“Are you okay?” Olivia bent down, asking with concern.

It seemed as though Dániel was lost in his own world, unaware of her presence. When he finally

noticed her, his eyes showed a momentary look of bewilderment. He stared blankly at her for a few

heartbeats as if trying to piece together the situation before recognition slowly dawned on his face.

“I’m sorry, the noise must have startled you,” he said.

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His tone was polite, starkly contrasting to his previous sarcastic demeanor, as if he were a different

person.

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Olivia’s nature was to be assertive with the strong and gentle with the weak. Seeing Daniel, clearly

injured, still concerned about whether she was startled, her fondness for him grew.

“It’s fine. How’s your injury? Is it serious? Do you need to go to the hospital?” she asked.

Daniel shook his head. “No need. A bit of ointment will do. Thank you, Ms. Taylor.”

“You’re too kind. I didn’t really help much,” she replied.

Daniel lowered his gaze, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, an apologetic look in his eyes.

“Actually, I owe you an apology, Ms. Taylor.”

Olivia looked up, a hint of confusion in her eyes, which sparkled beautifully.

Her innocent appearance made one wish to pull her close and plant a fervent kiss.

Daniel turned his head with effort, using all his strength to maintain composure. “It’s about the other

day.”

Olivia understood. He apologized for his odd behavior a few days ago.

Daniel explained. “Many women have tried to get close to me through Andrew. Andrew is my son, and I

value him greatly. So, I’ve been cautious. I’m sorry.”

Olivia remained silent. While his explanation was understandable, treating every woman as if she was

trying to latch onto him wasn’t fair. Daniel’s gaze was calm as he glanced at Olivia. Seeing her lack of

response, he quickly shifted his tone and gave an example. “Last year, a lady got along well with

Andrew. He really liked her, always calling her ‘sister‘ and frequently contacting her.”

That lady also liked Andrew, giving him many gifts. Andrew mentioned to me a few times, hoping that

‘sister‘ could become his new mother.”

Hearing the words “new mother,” Olivia instinctively furrowed her brows, feeling a sudden discomfort…

This unease came suddenly and inexplicably.

Daniel continued, his voice captivating, speaking with deep emotion, “I mostly thought this lady wanted

to get close to me through Andrew, to

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marry into the Sullivan family. But who would have thought…”

He paused, and Olivia felt a sudden tightness in her chest, a bad premonition forming.

Her premonition quickly became a reality as Daniel’s magnetic yet calm voice continued, “Her

ambitions were even greater. She was sent

specifically to woo Andrew, intending to kidnap and use him to threaten me.”

Olivia had been calm, but upon hearing this, her eyes suddenly burned, her heart feeling as if it was

being squeezed, causing her to shudder.

Unable to control herself, she squatted down, leaning close to Daniel, looking up at him, “What

happened next? Is Andrew okay?”

Daniel’s gaze lingered on her face, but he remained silent.

The more he stayed silent, the calmer his expression became, making Olivia’s heart race, feeling a

tightness in her chest, struggling to breathe.

Daniel was initially pleased with the fabricated story he had told, which explained his previous odd

behavior. However, seeing Olivia so engrossed in a mere fictional tale, showing immense concern for

Andrew but disregarding his own injury in front of her, irritated him.

He became incredibly agitated.