Chapter 129: A Moment of Truth

The early morning mist clung to the grass, transforming the familiar park into a dreamlike landscape. Olivia's footsteps were muffled on the damp path, the only sound being the infrequent chirp of a bird greeting the new day. At dawn, she had left her apartment, goaded by this unrest that sleep couldn't cure. As she walked, the same thoughts that had been mulling over in her brain for weeks whirled in Olivia's brain. Mark's unchanging warmth. Nathan's burning intensity. The life she might have with each of them and the life she wanted for herself. She stopped at a fork in the path and let a wry smile pull. She wouldn't miss the symbolism in a metaphor, and she muttered to herself, "Universe, really? A little on the nose, don't you think?" Olivia chose the one less traveled, leading through the secluded clearing she had discovered years ago. It had been her sanctuary during tough times—a place for thinking, breathing, and creating. As Olivia broke the clearing, finally some of the t