Chapter 34

Olivia's POV

The steady rhythm of the heart monitor was the only sound breaking the silence in the dimly lit room. I sat beside Elijah's hospital bed, my hands clasped tightly in my lap, the cool metal of my wedding ring pressing into my skin. His face was so peaceful, almost as if he were simply sleeping and not tethered to machines, keeping him stable.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, my gaze locked on his face. He looked so much like the man I married—strong, confident, reassuring. But now, he was still unmoving, and I felt like I was holding my breath, waiting for a sign of life, something to assure me that he was still here.

"You always know what to say," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Even when I'm a mess, you pull me together. I need you to do that now, Elijah. Please."

The lump in my throat grew, but I swallowed it down, forcing myself to stay composed. I couldn't break, not here, not now. But deep down, the cracks were already forming, spreading like spiderwebs through the mask I had been wearing for so long.

The sound of the door opening startled me, and I quickly wiped at my eyes before glancing back. Ava stood in the doorway, her expression softer than usual, the sharpness in her eyes replaced with something I couldn't quite place. Pity, maybe? Or concern?

"You've been here all day," she said quietly, stepping inside. "You need a break, Olivia."

I shook my head. "I can't leave him. Not like this." My voice was steadier than I expected, though my hands betrayed me, trembling slightly as I clenched them tighter.

Ava sighed and pulled up a chair beside me. For a moment, neither of us spoke. She just sat there, her presence strangely comforting in the stillness of the room.

"You know," she began after a while, her voice unusually gentle, "when I first met you, I thought you had everything. The career, the marriage, the perfect life." She paused, glancing at Elijah before turning back to me. "But now... I'm not so sure."

Her words cut deeper than I expected. I looked away, my eyes finding Elijah again. "I don't want your pity, Ava," I said, my tone sharper than I intended.

"It's not pity," she replied softly. "It's... understanding."

I blinked, surprised by the vulnerability in her voice. Ava was always so composed, so guarded. But now, she looked at me like she could see every crack, every flaw I worked so hard to hide.

"You love him," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "But you're not happy, are you?"

My breath hitched, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. The truth of her words hung in the air between us, heavy and undeniable.

"I don't know what I am anymore," I admitted finally, my voice barely audible.

Ava reached out and placed her hand over mine, her grip firm but comforting. "Whatever you're feeling, Olivia, you don't have to go through it alone."

Ava's hand remained on mine, her warmth grounding me in a way I didn't expect. For a fleeting moment, I felt like I could let go of the mask I'd been wearing for years. But as the silence stretched between us, a nagging thought pushed its way to the surface, shattering the fragile calm.

I pulled my hand back and straightened in my chair, my voice low but firm. "Ava, I need to ask you something."

She tilted her head slightly, her brows knitting together in confusion. "What is it?"

I hesitated, studying her face for any hint of deceit. Ava had always been a pillar in my career—blunt, calculating, and fiercely protective. But this... this had been eating at me since the whispers started.

"The rumours about me and Zoya," I began, my voice tighter than I intended. "They didn't come from nowhere. Someone had to leak it."

Ava's eyes widened, and for a split second, I thought I saw a flicker of hurt cross her face. "You think it was me?" she asked, her tone sharp, almost defensive.

"I don't know," I admitted, my gaze dropping to my lap. "But it had to be someone close, someone who knew where we were, what we were doing."

"Olivia." Her voice was steady now, her usual composure returning. "I've been by your side for years. Why would I sabotage you like that?"

I swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at me. "It's not sabotage. It's... control. Damage control, maybe. Spinning the narrative before it gets out of hand."

Ava leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she regarded me. "If I wanted to control the narrative, don't you think I'd do it in a way that didn't make you look bad?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off.

"I've kept secrets for you, Olivia. Big ones. Things that could've destroyed you if they ever got out." Her voice softened, but there was an edge to it. "Do you really think I'd throw all of that away now? Over this?"

I pressed my lips together, the weight of her words sinking in. Ava was right—she'd always been my shield, the one person I could count on to protect me from the chaos of my own life. And yet, the doubt lingered, clawing at the back of my mind.

"Then who?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Who would do this?"

Ava sighed, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. "I don't know, Liv. But whoever it is, they're not your friend. And they're certainly not on your side."

I exhaled slowly, her words settling heavily in the quiet room. She was right—this wasn't just a betrayal. It was calculated. Deliberate.

"You're right," I said, my voice quieter now. "But I can't ignore the fact that the views for the show skyrocketed after the rumours started." My lips curled into a bitter smile. "Funny how a scandal always gets people's attention."

Ava didn't respond immediately, and when I glanced at her, she was staring at the floor, her jaw tight.

"What?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

She hesitated, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "I don't want to say this, Liv," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

My chest tightened. "Ava... just say it."

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with something I couldn't quite place—regret, maybe. "What if it was Ezra?"

The words hit me like a punch to the stomach. I blinked at her, my mind racing.

"Ezra?" I repeated, incredulous. "You think Ezra would leak something like this? About me?"

"Think about it," Ava said, her voice steady but cautious. "He's the showrunner. The buzz around this is exactly what he needs to keep the show in the spotlight. And you know how focused he is on making sure this project succeeds."

I shook my head, the thought too jarring to process. "Ezra's been my friend for years. He wouldn't—he couldn't."

Ava leaned closer, her expression firm. "I'm not saying he doesn't care about you, Olivia. But Ezra is a businessman before anything else. And if he thought stirring up a little controversy would boost the show's success... I wouldn't put it past him."

Her words hung in the air, suffocating. I wanted to deny it, to dismiss the idea entirely. But a small, nagging part of me whispered that she wasn't entirely wrong.

I looked back at Elijah, my fingers tightening around the armrest of the chair. "If you're right..." I trailed off, my throat tightening.

"If I'm right," Ava said softly, "then you need to be careful. Ezra might be your friend, but this business? It changes people. And you need to protect yourself, Liv."

Silence settled between us again, heavy and oppressive. I tried to focus on Elijah, on the sound of the heart monitor, anything but the seed of doubt Ava had just planted.

"Do you really think he'd do that to me?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

Ava didn't answer right away. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft but firm. "I hope I'm wrong. But you need to be prepared in case I'm not."

I nodded slowly, my mind a whirl of confusion and unease. I didn't know who to trust anymore—not Ezra, not Ava, and maybe not even myself.

Zoya's POV

The faint hum of the coffee machine filled the silence as I sat cross-legged on Sebastian's plush couch, nursing a steaming mug between my hands. He was pacing the room, his brows knitted together in a way that told me his mind was racing.

"Seb, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet," I said, trying to inject some humour into the tense atmosphere.

He stopped mid-step, turning to me with a frown. "You're not worried? About Olivia?"

I hesitated, staring into the swirling steam of my coffee. "Of course, I'm worried. She's... she's been under so much pressure lately. Between Elijah, the rumours, and the show—it's a lot for anyone."

Sebastian sat down across from me, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward. "That's what I mean. Everything feels off. These rumors—they're too perfect, you know? Like someone's pulling the strings to make sure the story keeps going."

I looked up at him, my grip tightening on the mug. "You think someone's doing this on purpose?"

He nodded, his expression grim. "Think about it. Every time something starts to die down, another piece of gossip pops up. And it's not random stuff, Zoya. It's calculated. Like whoever's behind, it knows exactly how to keep the public hooked."

I bit my lip, a sense of unease settling in my chest. "But who would do that? And why? Olivia doesn't deserve this. She's been nothing but kind to everyone."

Sebastian sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That's the thing. It's not about Olivia. It's about the show. The ratings are higher than ever. The press is eating up every scandal, and it's driving attention straight to the project."

My stomach churned at the implication. "Are you saying... someone from the production is behind this?"

He didn't answer right away, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I hate to say it, but... it's possible. And if that's the case, there's only one person who stands to gain the most."

"Ezra," I whispered, the name falling from my lips like a curse.

Sebastian didn't answer immediately, but his silence spoke volumes. He sat down across from me, elbows on his knees, and ran a hand down his face. "I don't want to believe it, but who else would benefit this much from all of this? The show is at the centre of every headline, and the ratings are higher than they've ever been."

I stared into my coffee, my fingers gripping the mug tightly. "Even if it is Ezra... it doesn't change anything."

Sebastian frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?"

I met his gaze, my voice firm, despite the turmoil in my chest. "It doesn't change the fact that Olivia made her choice. She chose to stay with Elijah, to keep up appearances, to play this role in her life. And no matter how much we want to help her, we can't force her to see things differently."

Sebastian leaned back, crossing his arms. "So what? We just let her suffer in silence? Let Ezra—or whoever it is—keep pulling the strings?"

"No," I said firmly, setting my mug on the table. "We protect her by staying out of her personal life. By not giving Ezra—or anyone else—any more fuel for these rumours. The best thing we can do is finish this TV show without any drama."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly sceptical. "And you think that's enough? That staying distant will actually help her?"

I nodded, though my heart ached with the weight of my own words. "Yes. Because I'm tired, Seb. I can't keep going in circles with Olivia. One minute, it feels like she's opening up, and the next, she's retreating behind her walls again. I'm exhausted trying to figure out where I stand with her."

Sebastian's expression softened, and he reached across the table, his hand covering mine. "Zoya..."

"I care about her," I admitted, my voice breaking slightly. "But I can't keep doing this. If I keep letting myself get caught up in her world, I'm going to lose sight of why I'm here in the first place."

"To act," Sebastian said quietly, nodding in understanding.

"To act," I echoed, feeling a pang of sadness. "That's all this was ever supposed to be. A chance to prove myself, to show the world what I'm capable of. But somewhere along the way, I let myself get distracted. And I can't afford that anymore."

Sebastian sighed, leaning back into the couch. "I get it. I really do. But it's not easy, is it? Letting go."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "It's not. But if I don't, I'm going to fall apart. And Olivia... she deserves someone stronger than me right now."

He gave me a faint smile, his hand squeezing mine briefly before letting go. "You're stronger than you think, Zoya. But I get it. I'll follow your lead on this."

"Thank you," I whispered, feeling the tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.

For the first time in what felt like weeks, a sense of clarity settled over me. I couldn't control what was happening around Olivia, but I could control how I responded to it. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.