Fated To Not Just One But Three novel Chapter 333

Chapter 333: My Problem

Olivia’s POV

My mother stepped inside. Of course. Because even in my worst moments, I was never allowed the space to breathe.

She furrowed her brows. "You don’t seem happy to see me," she said.

I frowned, pushing myself up so I could sit properly on the bed. I folded my legs beneath me and leaned my back against the headboard, steadying myself before looking her straight in the eye.

She looked beautiful today, dressed in a royal blue gown that swept elegantly across the floor. Her long black hair was pulled neatly into a bun, showing off the striking lines of her face. She was still beautiful, ageless almost. Despite nearing fifty, she looked remarkably young, her appearance still capable of being mistaken for a woman in her late thirties.

She had good genes, undeniably so, and a part of me silently hoped I had inherited them from her. At least if that were the only thing I could claim from being her daughter, her beauty and graceful figure, then maybe it was something worth holding onto.

"What do you want, Mother?" I asked, making sure she could notice the displeasure in my voice.

She didn’t answer at once. Instead, she stepped closer and stopped by my side. "Lord Frederick is downstairs with a few guests... he wants to see you."

At the mention of his name, my wolf growled furiously inside me, and a deep frown carved into my face.

I leveled my gaze at her. "I don’t want to see him," I spat.

Her lips curved into a tight line, the kind that always came before she began to lecture me. "Olivia, stop this nonsense. You will see Lord Frederick. He’s been waiting patiently, and it would be rude of you to refuse him. Do not make a scene."

I clenched my jaw, my wolf’s growl echoing deep inside me. "I said I don’t want to see him," I repeated, slower this time, my anger rising.

She sighed and shook her head as if I were a child throwing a tantrum. "Why must you always be so difficult? Do you think every choice in life is yours to make? You are endangering yourself. Your life is at risk here."

I laughed bitterly. "My life?" I leaned forward, glaring at her. "You mean your reputation. I don’t know what Lord Frederick has promised you that you seem so desperate about me marrying him." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Enough!" she snapped, her voice raised and enraged. "You are behaving like a spoiled child. What is so wrong with Lord Frederick? Tell me, what exactly is the problem?"

I tilted my head, watching her carefully, then let the words roll off my tongue like poison. "The problem isn’t him. It’s you."

Her eyes widened, but I didn’t stop. "If you like Lord Frederick so much, you should marry him. He’s old enough, isn’t he? Older than you, even. Maybe the two of you would make a perfect pair."

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. "Survival? What kind of survival is it if I lose myself in the process? If I become nothing more than a puppet for you and whatever schemes you’ve tied yourself into with Frederick? That’s not survival, Mother. That’s a slow death."

Her nostrils flared, her composure slipping for just a second before she caught it again. "Enough of this," she said firmly, her voice final. "You will come downstairs and meet Lord Frederick and the guests. That is not a request, Olivia. It is an order."

I felt my wolf bristle inside me, snarling with defiance, but my mother did not waver. She adjusted her gown, as though that ended the matter. "Fix yourself," she added coldly, "and do not keep them waiting any longer. I expect you downstairs."

Without waiting for my response, she turned and swept out of the room, the door shutting softly behind her, but the sound echoed like a sentence in my ears.

I scoffed. "She thinks she can control me?" I muttered under my breath, shaking my head with a humorless laugh. My wolf snarled again, restless and furious, but I forced myself to stay calm, to think.

Fine. If she wanted me downstairs, then I would go. But not the way she expected.

I swung my legs off the bed and stood, my jaw tight, my chest burning with rage. She thinks she can order me to smile and nod while they all plot my fate?

A dark smirk tugged at my lips as I straightened my gown and adjusted my hair. "Then let her watch me put on a show," I whispered to myself, my voice laced with mischief. "If she wants a spectacle, I’ll give her one. And neither she nor Frederick will see it coming."