The Beginning Of All Sins

Tyler didn’t sweat throughout the small talk. He seemed to have gotten used to grand events like this.

However, it was a different story for Olivia; she felt uneasy being around him. Despite her efforts to remain inconspicuous, she couldn’t escape the attention of those chatting with Tyler.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Harris,” a guest extended his hand toward her.

Caught off guard, Olivia panicked. She was unsure how to respond.

Tyler intervened, introducing, “This is Mr. Freddie of Lucent Co..”

After a moment of hesitation, Olivia reluctantly shook hands with Freddie and stammered, “T–Thank you.”

Freddie chuckled, teasingly remarking, “You’ve married a young one, Mr. Tyler.”

Tyler smiled gracefully in response. “Olivia is indeed much younger than me. I hope you’ll excuse her

lack of manners.”

Freddie’s bright smile conveyed his approval. “Why would I mind? It’s good to marry someone young. You should cherish her. She’s too cute to worry about manners.”

Tyler responded subtly, “She has certainly made a few missteps.”

Freddie offered his blessings before moving on, leaving Tyler and Olivia alone. However, more people came to chat after he left, and it was chaotic.

Feeling overwhelmed, Olivia clung to Tyler’s arm like a lifeline as he deftly handled the conversations, accepting toasts and well wishes on her behalf.

Naturally, Tyler knew that she couldn’t handle an occasion like this. And so, he would gracefully sip a drink on her behalf during/toasts, allowing her to simply stand by his side and offer a smile now and

then.

As she quietly stood there, with guests approaching to chat with them, the Harris‘ butler approached Tyler and said, “Mr. Tyler, you’ll need to toast to certain guests before the banquet begins.”

He acknowledged the butler.

Concerned about Tyler’s alcohol consumption, the butler inquired, “Are you alright with drinking so

much?”

Tyler had basically drunk all of the toasts given to Olivia. Naturally, he didn’t need to drink on every occasion, but he did so when it was called for. As the evening progressed, the number of toasts added

1. up.

Yet, he appeared unruffled. “It’s all good.”

The butler nodded and left.

Nervous, Olivia tightened her grip on his arm. Tyler glanced at her, asking softly, “Are your feet tired?

Her heels, chosen to match his height, were particularly hard to walk in. Olivia, tense with the effort of not stumbling, whispered, “I’m okay.”

Tyler offered, “Do you want to change into more comfortable shoes?”

Thinking of the impracticality of doing so in the midst of the event, Olivia declined, “I can manage…”

Tyler respected her decision, refraining from further discussion due to the surrounding crowd.

When the banquet started, Tyler guided Olivia to toast the guests at each table. Amidst the sea of faces, Olivia suddenly recognized someone among the guests…NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.