Olivia

I took a sip of my coffee for the second time, my palms sweaty. Mr. Nero was seated in front of me calmly. Yet, my heart was far from calm. I know I needed to talk but I had no idea how to start from. His wife had left us to talk. I finally gathered my strength and took a deep breath before focusing my gaze on the man in front of me.

It's now or never Olivia. A voice in my head said.

"Sorry for taking your precious time, father," I commenced, wrapping my palms around the cup as a form of keeping myself in control. The man didn't say anything, but the expression on his face was urging me to say whatever brought me to his room. "I will first of all apologize for what I'm about to tell you," I continued.

The man's gaze remained calm as he stared at me. "I know you are here against your wish. You sacrificed your time to accompany us here. I'm greatly appreciative at the gesture." I stopped to take in a deep breath.

"We required more than the time you'd give. I will be bold with you. The reason why we had organized this trip was so we could revive back the bond that had been lost between you and your sons. I believed that chaining them to work won't get you the respect you needed."

The man's eyes slightly wavered from the calmness. He wasn't expecting my statement. But I didn't back down. I won't stop until I reach my peak. He needed to know how much cuffs he had used in chaining his sons down. "Your sons need freedom. They need to focus on their lives better than worshipping your company. I'm sorry if I used an inappropriate word." I apologized again.

"What are you trying to say?" He asked, dropping his hand down. The expression on his face more serious than ever.

Olivia, you shouldn't let your guard down. Remember you're here to make things right. You're getting there. I mentally assured myself before speaking up again.

"What I'm trying to say is, allow your sons to fly their wings. Be it Scott, Bernard, Logan, Liam, and Collin." I mentioned their names one after the other.

"They are only fulfilling their duties as your sons, not because they really want to. Don't you think you should do the same? They have made your company successful as it is now. I'm sure you're proud of them."

Silence suddenly occupied the room as I stared at the man in front of me waiting for his reaction. His gaze finally shifted from me to the cup of coffee which he hadn't touched. He took a sip of it, placed it back down and locked eyes with me. This time around, it held questions. "So what do you want me to do now? Looks like I have gotten a preacher as a daughter-in-law." My eyes slightly widened. Not at his words, but the rare smile I found on his face which barely lasted more than three seconds.

"Am I safe to say my mind again?" I asked.

"You had already made your intentions clear. Who am I to stop you? I don't think I'd ever get a daughter-in-law who doesn't back down on a topic. You are as stubborn as Logan's mother."

I didn't fail to feel bitterness down my stomach at the mention of Logan's mother. Maybe if Logan hadn't told me anything about his mother, I wouldn't have felt a strange feeling towards the man. But now I know about the past. How he treated her. The respect for him in my eyes has reduced. But I wasn't going to let him know what I harbor towards him.

I managed to force out a smile. "Birds of a feather flock together," I uttered.

"So father, since you know I'm a stubborn person who doesn't back down, why don't we do this?"

"We are planning to explore Costa Rica as much as we can. And for that to happen, we need your full support."

His brows furrowed in question. "What might that support be?"

"You are going to be our leader throughout our exploration." I don't know whether it was the way I had said it, but the man didn't seem fazed at all. He was still seated calmly. Does that mean my mission had failed or succeeded?

"You guys can enjoy yourselves. I won't meddle in your affairs." He finally broke. I didn't know when I was quick at holding his hand through the table, catching both of us by surprise.

"No father. We want you to also enjoy. You and Mrs. Nero can use this opportunity to recall the days you have been in love with each other. You know..." I trailed off, hoping he'd agree.

Great Olivia.

"We don't need that when we're old."

"You're not old, father. You're still more handsome than ever." That somehow had worked on him as a smile broke at his lips.

"Please, father," I pleaded. "Do this for your upcoming grandson or granddaughter." I rubbed my palms on my baby bump. His eyes followed my action. I pouted on the accord.

Please agree, father. Please, I begged.

"Nero, I think Olivia's ideas are good," his wife's voice sounded as she made her way towards us.

"Why should we shy away when we're here to enjoy too? If you think you're old, then I'm not. My blood is still fresh." At that moment, I felt like hugging the woman. She was making my work easier. Damn! What a lucky day.

Her husband passed her a glare. The woman and I shared a look as she signaled me. "What's the big deal in being the leader? Aren't you the head of the house? They want to see whether their father will be able to handle a trip on his own," the woman explained. For the first time, my heart warmed up with respect for her.

I'm glad she decided to stand up not only for herself but for her sons too. She had always been quiet, allowing her husband to take charge of the decisions. It is high time she takes matters into her own hands.

"Mother is right, father. No one knows about this plan. You should take them by surprise." I added. It won't be bad to make up a lie right? I had promised Sarah and Amelia that I will get father to be the leader. I shouldn't let them down.

The man cleared his throat and took a sip of his coffee once again. "Being a leader isn't that hard."

**

"Ladies! Guess what!" I cheered excitedly as I met up with Sarah and Amelia.

"Shoot!" Sarah grinned.

"Father has agreed to take part in our activities. He agreed to be the leader!"

"OMG! Can't believe you did it, Olivia!" Amelia yelled out. We both wrapped our arms around each other and began jumping up and down like kids. I'm sure if Molly and Quinn had been there, they'd stare at us weirdly.

When we finally regained our composure, Amelia and Sarah exchanged teasing looks. "You have finally crept into the cold heart of Father. Welcome to the family. You're now qualified as the daughter-in-law of the Nero family."

Blush crept up to my lips. "You guys are too much. I didn't do anything. I just played one or two tricks," I said, playing ignorant.

"Still. You made an effort. Now we are good to go. Next is to put the men on board for the activities." I nodded my head in agreement. The earlier, the better.

"Let's head out then." I gestured.

"What do you think the three men are talking about?" Sarah muffled out. We had gone downstairs and found Scott, Bernard, and Logan seated together. From the looks of it, they were having a serious discussion.

"Do you think they're talking about us?" Amelia asked, eyeing them intently.

"I have the feeling it is about us. I can feel it," I replied. Up to that moment, they didn't seem to notice us. I saw Logan raking his hands through his hair as he leaned closer to Bernard, telling him something.

"I'm going to—" Sarah hissed out before I or Amelia could stop her, she charged towards them.

"What are you guys discussing behind our backs!" she yelled out, getting the attention of the men. They instantly rose to their feet.

"What are you ladies doing here?" I could swear Bernard's voice cracked.

Sarah glared at her husband. "You guys are planning on running away from us, right?" She accused, her voice dimmed with visible annoyance. Logan and I shared a look. I pursed my lips into a thin line, trying to hold back from laughing.

"We are not. As you can see, we are bonding together as—"

"Shut it!" Amelia hissed, passing Scott her own glare. So both the two are angry at their husbands? I might as well join. I stepped in between the two ladies, resting my hand on my waist.

"Yes. We want you guys to get your legs moving. Father is waiting for us in his room. He'll be the leader of our tour around Costa Rica!" I announced excitedly.

"What?" The three men shouted at the same time, their eyes widening.