Hand it Over

Olivia’s POV

We made our way down the hallway, the air tense, our footsteps echoing off the walls like a countdown ticking in my ears. No one said a word. I didn’t know what scared me more – finding out who it was… or not finding anything at all.

As we neared the control room, I could see the tightness in Lennox’s shoulders, the way his hands curled into fists at his sides. He was pissed. Possessively pissed.

Louis punched in the code to unlock the door, and the heavy steel slid open.

Inside, the room was dim, lit only by the glow of monitors lining the walls. Dozens of feeds showed every angle of the house, the grounds, and the front gate.

Lennox didn’t hesitate. He moved like a man on a mission, fingers flying across the controls as he pulled up the timestamped footage from earlier this morning.

We all leaned in, holding our breath.

And then—

“There!” Levi pointed sharply.

The screen showed a tall figure approaching the entrance, dressed in black, hoodie pulled low, and face hidden beneath the shadows of a cap. They moved swiftly, confidently – too confidently. They bent down, placed the box gently in front of the door, then turned and walked off.

My heart was pounding in my chest as Lennox froze the frame. He zoomed in, trying to catch even a glimpse of a defining feature, but the figure had been careful – too careful.

“Damn it,” Lennox muttered.

Louis leaned closer. “They know where the cameras are… look at the angle. They’re deliberately avoiding a clear shot.”

Lennox’s jaw tightened as he rewound the clip, replaying the figure’s smooth exit.

“That’s not some random admirer,” Levi muttered. “That’s someone who knows how to move around the mansion.”

Lennox stepped back from the monitors, his breathing heavy. “Levi, find out who was on patrol at that hour. If someone let them in, I’ll have their head.”

He turned abruptly and looked right at me for the first time since we entered the room. His gaze pinned me in place.

“Whoever this is, tell him I’m coming for his head.”

I swallowed hard, unsure whether I should be scared or… strangely flattered.

Because something about the way Lennox said it – possessive, dark, furious – sounded less like he was jealous…

Confused, I left them at the control room and went back to the table, where Anita was still seated.

“Has your lover been revealed?” she asked, sounding curious. Obviously, I was by now certain she had no hand in it.

I ignored her question and picked up the box of jewelry again, staring down at it. Whoever sent this had money – serious money. The set of gold jewelry gleamed, exquisite and expensive.

I sat back at the table, the box of gold jewelry resting lightly in my lap.

The sound of hurried footsteps got my attention.

I looked up just in time to see all three brothers re-enter the dining room – Lennox in the lead, storming toward me like a thundercloud about to break. His eyes were locked on the box in my lap, dark and burning with emotion I couldn’t name.

“Give it to me,” he said sharply, stopping just in front of me.

I blinked. “What?”

“The box, Olivia. Hand it over.”

His jaw tensed, his nostrils flaring. “I said give it to me. I want it gone.”

I stood, holding the box tightly against my chest. “You already burned the teddy bear. I let you do that, even though it was a harmless gift. But this?” I shook my head. “No. I’m not letting you destroy this too. This is expensive.”

He took a step closer, his presence towering, his anger suffocating. “You think this means something? You think I can’t get hundreds of them for you with just a snap of my fingers?”

“But you never did,” I shot back, my voice rising. “What you couldn’t give, someone else did.”

Lennox’s eyes flashed. “Really? So gifts were your problem? You wanted them? Is that what you told him?”

I glared at him, my breath trembling. “Gifts were never my problem, and I don’t need your damn gifts, Lennox.”

That hit him. Hard. He flinched like I’d slapped him.

His eyes widened, darkening furiously. “Hand it over. That’s an order, Olivia.”

“I’m not one of your pack members to command,” I bit back. “I’m your Luna. You don’t get to bark orders at me just because you’re pissed.”

“Alright, enough!” Levi suddenly stepped in, his voice authoritative but calm. “Lennox, back off.”

Louis nodded in agreement, coming up behind him. “We need to focus on who left that box, not fight Olivia over it.”

Lennox didn’t move for a long second. His jaw clenched, and he stared at the box like it personally offended him. Like it had stolen something from him.

He stared at me, his breathing ragged, like he was fighting the urge to say something he’d regret.

I clutched the box to my chest, trembling, furious, confused… and somewhere deep down, aching.

Because the way he looked at me – it wasn’t just anger.

It was jealousy.

Possession.

That only comes from a man who’s in love.

Before anyone could speak again, Anita suddenly gasped and reached for the edge of the table.

“I don’t feel so good,” she whispered, swaying in her seat.

Louis rushed to her side, concern flashing across his face. “Anita?”

She blinked slowly, her body listing like she couldn’t hold herself upright. “Dizzy… everything’s spinning…”

Before I could even process what was happening, Lennox moved.

Gone was the fury, the rage – his whole body shifted into protector mode. He was at her side in an instant, scooping her into his arms as if she weighed nothing.

“Anita,” he said, voice tight with worry, “I’ll take you back to your room.”

I stood frozen as I watched him cradle her against his chest, murmuring something low I couldn’t hear. Her head lolled slightly, and she pressed her face into his neck with a soft, breathy sound.

Lennox didn’t hesitate. He turned sharply, striding out of the dining room, carrying her like she was something fragile – something precious.

Louis and Levi followed behind quickly, murmuring to each other in hushed tones.

And I… I just stood there.

The box of jewelry was still clutched tightly in my hands, pressed against my chest.

I couldn’t move.

Couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t feel anything beyond the sharp, cold pressure of watching him carry someone else like that. Watching my mates giving someone else such attention.

My legs threatened to give out under me.

I sank slowly back into my seat, the weight in my chest growing heavier by the second.

It was like I was invisible again.

Forgotten.

Like I’d never been the girl who once had all three of them fighting to hold her hand.

Like I hadn’t meant anything.

And maybe I didn’t.

Not anymore.

I glanced down at the box of gold jewelry in my lap, fingers tightening around it.

At least someone out there still sees me.