Chapter 235: Do you love him?

Olive pushed open the office door and looked inside. Several medical professors from around the world, all top figures in neurology, were arguing about Elvis's medical records. Olive's gaze fell on a tall figure quietly smoking a cigarette by the window. The professors' heated discussion seemed to have no effect on him. He turned when he heard the door open, swiftly walking to the desk to extinguish his cigarette in an ashtray.

Olive had seen Alpha Augustine in a magazine North had shown her, but standing before him, her heart palpitated. He was even more elegant and imposing than she'd imagined, feeling like she stood before royalty. Elvis, Marvin, and Derrick Rodriguez were influential, but compared to Alpha Augustine, they paled in comparison. She understood their deficiency: Alpha's aristocratic aura. His gaze, though calm and unemotional, felt like it pierced her soul.

A knock sounded, and Jasper entered, exchanging a few words with the professors before they left. He looked at Alpha respectfully and then exited, closing the door behind him. Olive, who had initially perceived Jasper as arrogant and shrewd, now saw his deference to Alpha, understanding the power of Alpha's charisma to command unwavering loyalty.

Only Alpha and Olive remained. Alpha sat, gesturing to the chair opposite him. "Miss Hart, please take a seat," he offered, his tone normal yet possessing an inexplicable majesty.

Olive sat. Alpha's calm expression was inscrutable. "I apologize for summoning you, Miss Hart, but we must discuss Elvis."

Olive met his gaze unflinchingly. "What does Mr. Augustine wish to discuss?"

Alpha produced an envelope, sliding it across the desk. It contained photographs. The first showed Olive, blind and calling Elvis after leaving the hospital; he'd seemed indifferent on the phone. The brightly lit city was a backdrop to her reaching out to him, his pained expression captured in the image. Olive's eyes welled; her fingers gently traced his face in the photo, confirming it wasn't a delusion—he had been there.

Another photo depicted her leaving the Red Villa after agreeing to a divorce, with him chasing after her. Then came a photo of him lying in a pool of blood, eyes fixed on the departing car before he closed them. Another showed him outside North's apartment, smoking silently. The last was from the previous day, showing him following her as she strolled through Los Angeles. These moments, captured in photographs, brought tears to her eyes. She caressed his face, realizing meeting Elvis had been her greatest fortune.

Alpha's low voice broke the silence. "Elvis's worst period was his three years in the mental hospital. He was uncontrollable. I removed him, sending him to Los Angeles. He gradually learned self-control; he was improving. I allowed him to remain in Los Angeles, away from the Imperial and Augustine families. But I didn't anticipate this severe relapse."

Wiping her tears, Olive looked up. "So, what do you intend to do?"

Alpha studied her, knowing her intelligence. He was prepared. Though his business empire wasn't in Los Angeles, his influence was global; he knew everything about Elvis and Olive. "Miss Hart, I need you to save Elvis. You're the only one who can."

Olive looked at the photos. "And what of me? Saving him means my death."

"I'll provide the best doctors, but ultimately, your chances depend on your love for Elvis. I wager you'll trade your life for his."

Olive's lips tightened, her eyes shining with tears. "After he's healed, will you take him back with you?"

Alpha nodded. "Yes."

"Do you love him?" Olive asked abruptly.

The word seemed foreign to Alpha. He paused. "Elvis is my son. After returning to Imperial, he will inherit the Augustine empire."

Olive interrupted. "I asked if you love him. If so, I'll comply. If not, I'll leave."