Chapter 107: Revelations

A gentle clink of a spoon on a ceramic cup echoed in the kitchen. Deceptively mundane, the sound belied the import of the moment. Olivia cradled the warm mug in her hands, drawing in the comforting aroma of chamomile tea. At a small dining table sat Alex, his untouched drink beside his drumming fingers on the polished surface of a wooden tabletop. "Liv," he murmured, his voice wavering slightly, "we need to talk about something." Olivia's heart skipped a beat. She knew that something was weird. Alex had been acting strangely for the past couple of days. His smiles did not reach his eyes, and his laughter was always a beat too late. Now, though, with the seriousness etched across his face, she was ready for whatever was incoming. "What is it?" she asked, with a fleck of pride that she had managed quite well to keep her voice steady, although in her chest, some riot of fluttering anxiety was going on. "Is it about the treatment? Did something change?" He shook his head, then seemed t