Chapter 23: Dangerous Encounters
(Olivia's POV)
I sat between Rebecca and Lily at our corner table, the bar's ambient lighting casting a warm glow over our faces. The fruity scent of my cocktail mingled with the low hum of conversation around us.
Rebecca leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Back then, Vanessa's mother didn't just beg Mrs. Rivers to take in her daughter, but even shamelessly suggested that Connor Rivers should marry Vanessa in the future."
I nearly choked on my drink. "What?"
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Suddenly, Vanessa's hostility made perfect sense.
Lily's voice rose sharply, her eyes widening. "No way! She actually dared to say that?"
Rebecca shrugged, twirling the straw in her glass. "No one knows what Mrs. River
