What's going on here?

In the Hess mansion,

Rayden looks to his right, noticing Olivia's amused expression as she stares at her phone.

"You seem to enjoy whatever it is that you're doing. Should I be concerned about sharing my attention with someone else?" Rayden asks, trying to mask his interest.

Olivia feigns ignorance, "hmm? Oh, it's nothing much, just a couple of text messages from work."

"From work?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at her.

He reaches to get her phone but is interrupted by the squeaking sounds of wheels coming toward them.

"Ray, could you give me this little moment to myself?" Olivia asks with a smile.

She turns to her left to see who is approaching.

"Don't mind me," Mr. Hess says with a smile as he wheels into view.

Maxwell stands behind him, his hands clasped firmly together, as he waits for his boss to notice him.

Olivia holds onto Rayden's hand, pulling it away from his side, and flashes a bright smile.

"Father-in-law, how are you today?" Olivia asks, sounding almost a little too enthusiastic.

Mr. Hess smiles warmly, "I'm well, though I must say, I am surprised to see you here. Is there anything wrong, dear?"

Before Olivia can respond, Rayden interjects, "We're here because she needs your help."

"Well, now," Mr. Hess turns to Olivia, "you've come to ask for a favor, have you?"

Reluctantly, she nods in agreement.

"How about we go to a place much more relaxing?" He suggests, starting to wheel himself towards the lounge area.

Maxwell stands frozen, unsure if he should follow or stay.

The dark glare in Rayden's eyes makes it clear, he doesn't want to be disturbed.

Giving a slight bow, Maxwell steps aside to allow the two to walk past him.

At the lounge, the first thing Mr. Hess sees is an open book lying on the glass table.

Picking it up, he slams it shut. His brows furrow deeply, "I take it this is one of those books I specifically told you not to touch, Rayden!"

Raising the book that reads: 'Project Zero', he grimaces and shakes his head. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Without a word, Rayden presses his lips tightly together and stares at the book.

"What were you doing with it?!" Mr. Hess yells in rage.

"It was me. I was curious about its title," Olivia mutters, looking to the floor.

'Wow! Such a smooth liar,' Rayden thinks as he watches the interaction.

"So, you were just curious?" Mr. Hess says with a raised eyebrow, folding his arms as he leans on the backrest.

"It's alright if she reads it and a crime when I do, am I right?" Rayden mocks with a chuckle.

Mr. Hess looks to Rayden with a stern look, "don't give me that attitude."

Raising his hands in surrender, Rayden gives him a wide grin. "You know what? It's fine, father. I'll go get some fresh air while you talk it out with the daughter you never had."

He turns around and leans close to Olivia for a whisper. "Make sure to get that piece of information from him. I can trust you to do this for us, right?"

"Sure," Olivia nods and pulls back to stare lovingly into his eyes.

She kisses him softly on the cheek before turning to Mr. Hess with a bright smile.

Unwilling to wait any longer, Rayden walks towards the door, slamming it shut as he leaves.

'You've been an unpredictable child since your mother's death,' Mr. Hess thinks as his lip curls into a pitiful smile.

"How are things between you and my son?" Mr. Hess asks, turning his attention to Olivia.

"It's been great. We've grown closer than ever," Olivia replies with a big smile.

Her answer didn't convince Mr. Hess, though. He hums a melody and pulls out a magazine underneath the table.

"Have you thought about getting married?" He asks, opening the magazine and placing it on the book.

"Yes, we have talked about it. I don't think it would work out for now with our busy schedules," Olivia answers quickly without hesitation.

Pushing the magazine toward her, he nods to it and says, "how about checking the cover?"

Olivia smiles, picking up the magazine and staring at the cover with Rayden's face plastered across it, a weak smile spreads across her face.

Mr. Hess sits back in his chair, smiling as he reaches for a wine bottle. "Oh yes, prepare for the media frenzy once he announces your engagement."

'If he ever announces it,' Olivia thinks with a defeated sigh.

As she flips through the magazine, her heart sinks further as she sees Rayden captioned with glorified headlines.

Swiftly changing the topic, Mr. Hess recalls what Rayden said. "About the question, you wanted answers to… uh… well, I'm all ears."

Hesitating, Olivia looks down to avoid her father-in-law's piercing gaze. "Hmm, it's nothing important…"

"No, I insist. I owe you an honest answer," Mr. Hess states firmly with a warm smile.

Olivia looks up to meet his gaze. Readying her thoughts on what she and Rayden had discussed.

–––––––––––

Rayden and Maxwell sit outside of the balcony, smoking cigarettes.

Rayden looks over a few encrypted messages he received the previous day.

A chuckle escapes his lips as he stares at the screen.

Maxwell looks up from the cigarette he's holding before speaking. "It must be good news, sir?"

"It will be if Livia gets what I want," Rayden says, not taking his eyes off his phone, he inquires, "so, what did you find out from that little stunt she pulled at the restaurant?"

"Well, I haven't found anything concrete yet, but I know she's hiding something," Maxwell responds.

"She is," Rayden agrees as he looks up.

Then he looks back at his phone and says, "It's only a matter of time before I force those anomalies out of hiding and get my prized possession."

"It wouldn't be that easy, sir," Maxwell argues.

"We're talking about a boy who brought down a state-of-the-art facility with the help of those puny outlaws," Rayden says, putting his phone away. "You saw what happened to the scientists and soldiers, right?"

"I remember," Maxwell states. "But that was because they were unprepared for a sudden attack from an anomaly of Sylvester's caliber."

"Exactly!" Rayden continues, grinning. "They underestimated him and that won't happen again. Besides, now my eyes and ears in that hideout would prove invaluable."

Rayden lets out a laugh as he lights another cigarette. "I can't wait to see the look of shock on their faces when they find out who they trust is working for me."

Sneaking a glance at Rayden's phone while he is distracted, Maxwell's expression grows darker as he sees the headline: "Z–1 SENTIENT".

He stares at a picture of a lady in a stasis pod, surrounded by scientists and military officers.

'What's going on here?!!!' He thinks to himself.

Maxwell shakes off the thought, clears his throat, and affirms, "they stand no chance against you, Sir."

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Author's note

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