Liam opened the conversation without hesitation and replied immediately. [If you take much longer to come back, I'll drop everything and come get you. Take care, beautiful. Never forget… you are the great love of my life.] After sending that, he locked his screen. His expression didn't change. He walked into the closet and started getting dressed without thinking. He grabbed a pair of dark dress pants, put on a white shirt, and buttoned it with automatic movements, like someone who just wanted to get it over with. He chose his sharpest suit, smoothed the lapel out of habit, and picked a watch from the case. The first one that seemed suitable. He sprayed cologne on his neck and wrists. Then he glanced quickly at the large mirror in the closet. The same serious and untouchable expression stared back at him.He went back into the bedroom, picked up his phone from the bed, slipped it into his jacket pocket, and left. He walked down the hallway without even considering looking at

Isis shifted in her chair, slipping off her shoes and resting her feet on the rug. "It was calm," she said, letting out a breath. "I got a decent fee. I'll be able to pay off a debt, which is a relief." She paused. "It was a charity event. A fundraiser to build a children's hospital for kids with leukemia." Olivia's spoon froze halfway to her mouth. She blinked. "Leukemia?" she repeated carefully. "How did you handle that?" "Yeah…" Isis gave a small smile, but there was something deeper in her eyes. "It hit hard. Seeing all that, hearing the speeches." She took a deep breath before continuing. "But I stayed in character. The hardest part is after. When you get home. When you take the makeup off. When the performance ends. And you're just… yourself again." Olivia nodded slowly, her expression tired. "Yeah…" she murmured. "The worst part is always when your head hits the pillow." Isis studied her more closely. "And why are you so afraid to open up to me?" she asked gent

She dropped the spoon and wiped at her tear-filled eyes. "And when I thought nothing could hurt more…" Olivia struggled to breathe. "I went to his room wanting to fight. Then I picked up his phone and saw message notifications from Barbara… and someone called 'Princess,' saying she loved him too." Isis leaned forward slightly, fully focused. "And he said 'I love you' to another woman…" Olivia murmured, wiping the tears that started to fall. "Because… from her message, it was clear he had told her he loved her. And then I thought, maybe the problem really is me." The silence that followed felt alive. It was pulsing and heavy with pain. Isis took a few seconds before speaking. "Olivia…" she began slowly. "…you've been emotionally used. More than once. But…" She took a deep breath. "…the part of you that still wants to understand him is the part that shows how hurt you are. And how stuck you are between feeling and pretending you don't feel." Olivia dropped her gaze to the b

Olivia took a deep breath and walked into the closet. She picked out a pink set of a sports bra, leggings, and white sneakers, and got dressed slowly. She tied her hair into a high ponytail, put on a cap, and stopped in front of the massive mirror. Her curvy body reflected back at her looked different. Not physically, but in posture. She grabbed her phone, took a mirror selfie, and opened her social media status. She typed a caption. [Because God made me this way. In control of my own life.] She posted it, grabbed her gym bag, and left the room, heading toward the kitchen. In the kitchen, Lana was finishing a generous sandwich, and a large bowl of fruit salad with yogurt and granola was already sitting on the island. She looked up as Olivia walked in and smiled. "That talk worked, didn't it?" she said, setting the plate down. "Your snack is all ready, my girl." "Lana, the soup was delicious." Olivia sat on the stool and pulled the bowl closer. "I'm going to work out. I ne

Liam stopped typing for a second, only to switch to another email. "No woman is trustworthy," he shot back coldly. Alex let out a short, humorless laugh. "I'll be the first to admit I'm no saint," he said openly, lifting his hands. "I'm a total womanizer. But I'll tell you this. The day I meet the right woman, I'm not letting her go." He looked straight at him. "And you… you're doing exactly the opposite. Throwing away something everyone can see is different. Because whether you want to admit it or not… Olivia isn't like the others." Liam slowly lifted his gaze, not to argue. Just to make it clear the conversation was over. "This conversation is over." Alex opened his mouth to argue… when something buzzed. Both their phones went off at the same time. It was a notification from their friends' WhatsApp group: "VIPs of Chaos." Alex unlocked his phone. Liam did too. One of the guys had just posted a photo of Olivia at the gym with a caption. [That girl on the stretchi