Billionaire’s Missing Darling

Chapter 19

Olivia Taylor folded her legs beneath her, aiming to distance herself from Daniel Sullivan. However, before she could move, Daniel had already shifted away. He was not a man to overstep boundaries, always pushing the line just enough to annoy but never enough to infuriate. Olivia was no fool. Despite her lack of experience in love, she’d observed enough couples at school to have a fair idea of what a relationship entailed. She understood that personal experience did not necessarily guarantee a deep understanding of relationships. Sharp–minded individuals like herself could discern the essence of relationships without direct involvement.

She had a hunch about what was playing on Daniel’s mind. Why else would a man relentlessly tease a woman? Olivia had no romantic interest in Daniel, and given her relationship with Andrew Sullivan, she had no desire to complicate matters further. In response to Daniel’s behavior, she decided to clarify that she harbored no feelings for him.

After mulling things over, Olivia lifted her gaze, prepared to voice her thoughts. But before she could do so, she heard a man’s resonant voice break into her thoughts. “Miss Taylor, I apologize for my behavior earlier.” His words were lightly spoken but wrapped in a chilling coolness. The swift change in his tone left the impression of a different man altogether, and his voice became oddly detached.

Olivia was confused. She looked at him, unable to comprehend his sudden shift in demeanor. She stared at him with wide eyes, lost for words. Daniel’s gaze lingered on her momentarily before he averted his eyes. He began to speak again, his words directed not just to her but seemingly echoing to an absent person. He said, “Miss Taylor, you remind me of someone I used to know, hence my earlier attitude.”

“An old acquaintance?” Olivia glanced at Andrew Sullivan. She surmised the person in Daniel’s account must be Andrew’s mother. The widespread assumption about Andrew’s mother was that she

was deceased. Considering that it was the peak of the power struggle within the Sullivan family, it was understandable that Daniel might not have been able to provide adequate care.

With these thoughts in mind, Olivia softened her manner, feeling a pang of sympathy for the motherless young boy. She also felt a twinge of embarrassment, thinking she had been quick to judge. No matter how

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glarive she was, Damist, who had seen his fair share of beauties, would not have fallen for her er brst sugh she had been too self–absorbed!

In summiraat. Ramisi arcmed at seas, as if he was there merely to play in this candions with his som His casual manner didn’t diminish his arten–rail–ama Even as he sat on the sand, his shirtsleeves were rolled up and his slender hands ding into the sand. Instead of making a massive airplane asulpums, as Andrew had suggested, he began drawing in the sand. The Anastupe slid across the flat surface of the sand, and with only a few canal strobes, a captivating and elegant face was drawn.

As evening neared, the setting sun’s warm, dappled rays caressed his face, highlighting his remarkable features. His expressive eyes were hidden with his head lowered, revealing only his prominent nose. From Olivia’s viewpoint, she could clearly see his concentrated expression and composed demeanor. Even as he was seated in the sand, this man radiated an authoritative presence and a royal aura that distinguished

Looking at Daniel Sullivan’s handsome profile, Olivia Taylor suddenly became entranced. She felt as if she had seen him somewhere before. His proble, eyebrows and eyes, and even his aura seemed to be etched in her mind, but they were etched too deeply for her to notice without searching carchilly.

Unable to extricate herself from the emotions in his gaze, Olivia Taylor shuddered, and her palms were sweaty,

she swayed and reached out to brace herself against a wall but found a pan of hands had already caught her. She looked up to see Daniel’s worried gaze and rightly clenched jawline, Before she could fully understand what had transpired, Daniel had released her. His previous concern vanished instantly, making her wonder if she’d misinterpreted it. “Careful, Miss Taylor,” he said flatly,

“Thank you” Olivia responded politely. However, seeing her detached demeanor. Daniel’s eyes cooled further, and he responded with an icy tone. “No need for thanks. I wasn’t worried about whether you would fall

I just didn’t want you to ruin my sand art.”

Ruin his sand art? “I apologize, I will be careful, Olivia said, a bit taken aback. She must have misunderstood. Why would Daniel Sullivan worry about her? They were hardly friends. They were acquaintances who had grown familiar. If not for Andrew Sullivan, their paths wouldn’t have Crossed.

Daniel’s sand art was now complete. However, after that, he seemed to

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Billionaire’s Missing Darling

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have suddenly lost his patience. He appeared irritated, though he voiced no complaint. Unable to sit still longer, he stood abruptly, towering over Olivia. His eyes burned with suppressed anger. “Splendid! Just splendid, Miss Taylor,” he muttered, each word forced out through clenched teeth as he stopped his emotions while studying Olivia and searching for any change in her expression while saying all that.

He was, unfortunately, greeted only by her composed gaze. In the end, Daniel’s anger faded to empty laughter. He turned and left without another word.

Left alone, Olivia bent to examine the sand art closer. The woman depicted had a face similar to hers but softer, more naive. A casual observer might mistake it as a portrait of Olivia. Still, a keen observer would notice the vibe was utterly different one delicate and captivating, the other distant and frosty.

Outside, Daniel Sullivan crossed paths with Zoe Carter, who had arrived with some fruit. She was about to greet him courteously as always but noticed his tight–lipped expression and rigid jawline. Having been a part of the Sullivan household for many years, Zoe had developed a fine sense of Daniel’s mood through his subtle behavioral changes, and she could tell he was incredibly vexed. She wisely decided not to greet him in his current state. She stepped back, shrunk into herself, and held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t notice her presence. Only after Daniel had gone did she dare breathe again.

Zoe decided against delivering the fruit and retreated to her room to gather her thoughts. It had been a while since seeing Daniel this enraged. The last time she’d seen him so angry was about four years ago when he had just brought young Andrew home. She wasn’t sure what exactly had occurred to Daniel, but his temper had grown increasingly unpredictable since then. He naturally had a cold temperament, giving people a sense of being hard to approach and exuding an indifferent aloofness. When he was angry, it seemed as if the surrounding air pressure dropped, giving others an immense sense of oppression.

During those times, Zoe learned to tread lightly, reducing herself to a whisper and being as inconspicuous as possible. Now, the feelings of anxiety and dread she had four years ago were resurfacing.