Chapter 143: A Patient's Journey
Elvis drove his Rolls-Royce Phantom in silence. Olive, concluding he was angry, turned to him.
"Mr. Augustine, are you angry?" she asked, attempting to ease the tension and start a conversation.
Elvis kept his eyes on the road. "Why do you ask?"
"Mr. Augustine, I can explain. I didn't know the principal of Holy Nile Academy was your aunt, or that Marvin was your brother. It was a coincidence."
Elvis glanced at her. "Is Marvin your colleague?"
He was unaware that Marvin was in Los Angeles, had joined the Ivory Council, and was now Olive's colleague. Marvin, an academician in Canada, was unusually young for his position.
Olive nodded. "Yes, I met him at the Ivory Council."
"Are you familiar with each other?"
"Not really. I only learned his name recently"
"Anything else?" Elvis asked, his gaze fixed on the road.
"What do you want to hear? Fine, Marvin has helped me a few times," Olive replied wearily.
Before she could finish, Elvis chuckled, a low, harsh sound. The Marvin he knew was aloof and uninvolved. Why would he help her if they weren't familiar?
He slammed his hand on the steering wheel, swerving the car. It accelerated rapidly.
Olive gasped, her face paling with fear. "Mr. Augustine, please slow down!"
His face was cold. He didn't slow down, instead pressing harder on the accelerator.
Olive felt nauseous and dizzy. "Mr. Augustine, if you don't slow down, I'll be upset. And, Bounty is your aunt, right? Did you use her connections to get Pamela into Holy Nile? You did, and you think it's nothing. But I don't understand why you're so angry with Marvin!"
She turned away, ignoring him. Silence filled the car, heavy with tension. This was a real argument.
Elvis ripped open his shirt buttons, furious about Olive's contact with his brother. He disliked the feeling intensely.
He adjusted his collar and looked at Olive, her face pale and drawn from the speed. She clutched her dress, hoping for the car to slow.
His anger subsided. As a rational man, he recognized the danger of his reckless driving.
He licked his lips, realizing how terrifying he became when he lost control. He slowed the car and pulled over. Olive quickly opened the passenger door, found a trash can, and vomited. She'd had some red wine earlier. Her eyes reddened.
Elvis got out and went to her side. He hesitated, then withdrew his hand from her back. He offered her a handkerchief. After she finished, she looked up at him.
"I understand you're angry, but please don't drive so fast again. It was very uncomfortable."
He saw her reddened, tearful eyes. A sharp pain pierced his chest.
"I can't control myself. Treat me as if I'm sick again."
Olive noticed his self-deprecation. She offered him a pill. "Take this medicine. You'll be alright."
He refused, a first. He usually obeyed. He took the pill from her and tossed it in the trash.
"Hey! What are you doing? You can't throw away your medicine!" Olive frowned, reaching into the trash for the pill.
He grabbed her waist, pulling her into his arms. "I should be asking what you're doing, sticking your hands in the trash!"
The Substitute Bride: Doted by My Billionaire Husband
At the Red Villa, Elvis and Olive entered the living room. Samantha, an elderly woman, greeted them eagerly.
"Welcome! Elvis, did you meet the talented girl your aunt mentioned? Does Marvin like her?"
Before she could finish, Elvis interrupted. "Yes, I did. I even brought her home."
Samantha looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Olive stepped forward shyly, taking Samantha's hand. "Grandma, there's a misunderstanding. The principal—Elvis's aunt—and I knew each other before."
Samantha stared. "Olive, you're the talented girl Bounty bragged about?"
Olive nodded. "It seems so."
"But everyone thinks you only graduated high school"
"Grandma, I don't know where that idea came from. I was accepted into a top Canadian medical university at thirteen, became a postdoctoral student at fifteen, and returned home. Aunt Bounty offered me admission to Holy Nile, but it was too far, so I refused. This time, she invited me to dinner"