Chapter 3

Olivia's POV

With big, enchanting green eyes that flickered with golden sparks like a beautiful wildfire in the forest, she lay on my lap. Strands of light brown hair clung to her face, and her parted lips suggested she was holding her breath. Her gaze fixated on me as though she had just seen a ghost.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement at her horrified expression. It was one of the cutest things I had ever seen. Using my finger, I gently brushed away the strands of hair that were stuck to her face, revealing her stunning features. To my surprise, her already large eyes grew even bigger when I touched her.

"Breathe! Your face is turning blue" I chuckled, trying to ease the tension.

As realization dawned on her, she exhaled deeply and covered her face, diverting her gaze from me.

"I'm going to embarrass myself to death," she murmured to herself.

"Are you alright? Should I give you a minute?" I asked, suppressing my urge to chuckle so as not to embarrass her any further.

She shook her head vigorously and attempted to stand up. I supported her while she wobbled and held onto my forearms for balance.

"You're moving too fast. Be careful. You hit your head pretty hard," I warned, checking her head for any potential injuries. Although her face was no longer pale, it had turned bright red, and I wanted to assure her that there was no need to feel embarrassed. However, I sensed that drawing attention to her unease was not wise.

"Does this happen to you often?" Ezra asked with a look of concern on his face. He had previously mentioned that she might be the perfect fit for the role, so I assumed he was worried about her well-being getting in the way of filming. If that was the case, I would have to scold him later.

"N-no, this is the first time. I received the audition notice while I was at my college across town, so I rushed here," she replied, shaking her head. She was looking directly at Ezra.

"So some water and fresh air should help you, right?" I asked. She nodded, but she was looking down at the floor and wasn't making eye contact with me.

"I think we can let you go rest now. We'll finish the rest of the auditions and then contact everyone's managers," Ezra said, dismissing the poor girl.

She continued to nod, her eyes still fixated on the ground as she walked out of the room, leaving me behind with the three men.

"Ezra, you embarrassed the girl even further," I said with a strict tone as I followed her outside.

She was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, clearly not having enough strength to move.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I approached her, and she quickly moved away from the wall in panic.

"I can ask my driver to take you home," I offered, feeling genuinely worried about the poor girl.

"The TV show I just auditioned for, is it yours?" She asked, struggling to speak.

"Yes, but please keep that a secret. We don't want the word to spread just yet," I said, looking around for my assistant to help the girl.

I saw her standing at the end of the hall and motioned for my assistant to come closer. I asked her to get me some fresh juice and food from the cafeteria, which she quickly left to get.

"Come and sit here," I motioned for the girl to follow me when I noticed she was frozen still after I answered her question.

"I knew this was too good to be true," she said as she took a seat in the waiting area.

"Excuse me?" I asked, surprised by her tone. Was she upset about the show's star, or was there something else bothering her?

"S-sorry, no, not like that. I am your biggest fan…it's just that there's no way they would pick me to stand even in the same room as someone as talented as you," she rambled nervously when she noticed that I seemed offended. I let out a hearty laugh at her cute venting. This girl was adorable.

"Is that why you're so nervous?" I asked as I took a seat beside her. She quickly turned her head to look ahead, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Yep, Olivia Lopez, the famous actress, is sitting next to me and having a casual conversation about my emotional state. It's just a typical Monday, no big deal, Zoya," she muttered to herself, half-jokingly. I couldn't help but chuckle, trying my best to cover my mouth.

"You do realize that I can hear you, right?" I studied her face with genuine curiosity.

Her face snapped back towards me, and her jaw hung open. "I said that out loud?" she yelped, appearing as though her embarrassment had reached a painful level.

"You kinda did," I said, giggling and shaking my head. I was used to getting attention from people, but it usually involved a lot of screaming and crying. The silent freak-out was a new thing for me.

My assistant came rushing in the almost empty hallway and handed me the food and drink that I had requested. I thanked her and turned my attention back to Zoya, extending the food towards her. She hesitated for a few seconds before taking it off my hands.

"I need to go back inside, but it was nice to meet you, Zoya," I said, flashing her one last smile before turning to make my way back to Ezra.

I opened the door to see Ezra, Peter, and Andrew at the table, deep in discussion about their final decision. I took a seat next to Ezra and picked up Zoya's portfolio.

As Andrew, the script director, continued to shortlist candidates that could fit the character, Peter, the casting director, chose two and handed them over to Ezra. My smirk grew, seeing Zoya's name in the final list.

"I like Zoya but she seemed hesitant," Ezra commented to himself.

"Was she like this before I entered the room?" I asked curiously, wondering if I had caught her off guard.

"No. Are you saying she was star struck? Then how would she act by your side?" Ezra wondered aloud.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ezra," I dismissed his thought. "I surprised her walking in the room like that. It doesn't mean she's unfit just because she fangirled a little bit."

"So you think we should give her a chance?" Ezra asked me.

"I wasn't here for her audition, so I have no say in the matter," I said earnestly. "But let's try to be fair and open-minded. And who knows, she might surprise us." I really had no preference, the girl was funny but this was work.

Peter looked around the room, trying to read the expressions on his colleagues' faces. "I think we should go with Zoya," he concluded.

Ezra nodded . "Zoya it is. Call her manager and get things going," he said, collecting the portfolios lying in front of him.

As they wrapped up the meeting, Ezra turned to me. "Olivia, are you joining us for dinner?" he asked curiously.

I shook my head apologetically. "No, I can't. Elijah is taking me out on a date," I said, trying to hide my grin.

"Even after three years of marriage, you two still keep it interesting," Andrew said, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

I smiled warmly at Andrew. "That's the magic of marrying who you love, Andrew, you don't have to settle for anything less," I said before playfully slapping his shoulder.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "But how do you know that he's the one? Have you even explored all of your options?" he asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice.

I shrugged. "I don't believe in looking for something that's not broken. Elijah is an amazing partner - he's kind, caring and we just fit together. That's all that matters," I replied, not willing to engage in an argument.

"But what if there's someone else out there who you're meant to be with?" Andrew pressed on.

Peter, who was listening in, stepped in to support me. "The heart wants what it wants, Andrew. You can't argue with that. Olivia and Elijah are happy together and that's what's truly important," he said.

Ezra, on the other hand, remained silent, eying me with what looked like disapproval. I knew he wasn't thrilled about my marriage to Elijah, but I also knew that it was my life and my decision to make.

"In the end, Elijah and I just fit perfectly together," I smiled. "Our life is calm, stable and free of problems. What else could a woman want other than an understanding partner?" I said, feeling content and happy.

Andrew rolled his eyes, clearly not convinced. "But don't you think there should be that spark, that chemistry that we see in movies and books?" he asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "Those things don't always exist in reality. And even if they do, they're not always sustainable. I'm happy with the love and commitment Elijah and I share. That's what truly matters," I replied, feeling confident in my decision.

"Elijah is an amazing guy, we all love him and we know he treats you really well," Ezra finally spoke up. "But we just think you're comfortable in your relationship, and not particularly happy."

I let out a small sigh. "I appreciate your concern, but I am happy. Elijah understands me in a way that no one else does. He loves me for who I am and supports me in everything I do. I couldn't ask for more," I said, feeling a pang of guilt for brushing off my friends' concerns.

Feeling a sudden need to retreat, I gave my friends a quick kiss on the cheek and headed outside. I was immediately surrounded by my guards, manager and assistant. I climbed into my car and instructed my driver, Noah, to take me home. I had an hour before my hairdresser arrived and three hours to get ready for my upcoming date.

My manager, Ava, asked me how the audition went. I excitedly told her about Zoya. We laughed together about how cute she was.

"At least you'll have someone on set who's not a stuck-up celebrity to ease the tension," Ava said, rolling her eyes.

I gave her a look of confusion, not quite understanding what she meant.

"I don't like the cast selection. They're amazing actors, but personality-wise, they're snobs," she said, rolling her eyes in disgust.

"Really? I never noticed," I said, surprised at her perception of everyone on set.

"Yeah, because they're nice to you. You're everyone's idol. But to everyone else, they're rude, right Noah?" she asked him, chuckling.

"Keep me out of the gossip, Ava," he said sternly, as always.

"He didn't deny it. He's just as grumpy as always," Ava said, mimicking Noah's serious expression.

"Perhaps Ava is right," I thought, realizing that having someone new on set could lighten up the mood. And who knows, maybe Zoya and I will hit it off and become good friends.