Chapter 48

Zoya's POV

I sat curled up on the couch, staring at the clock on the wall, counting the seconds. Each tick felt like an eternity, a slow, agonizing reminder that Olivia was out there, facing the past I wanted so desperately for her to leave behind.

Sebastian sat across from me, his gaze steady, watching me with a mixture of amusement and concern. "Zoya, you've been biting your nails for the last ten minutes. At this rate, you're going to run out of fingers."

I shot him a half-hearted glare but didn't stop. "How can I relax, Seb? She's... she's seeing him right now. Signing the papers. What if—"

"What if nothing." He leaned forward, his voice gentler now. "You're worrying yourself sick over something that's already decided. She's divorcing him, Zo. For you. For herself. She'll finally be free."

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. "I know... but it's the first time they've seen each other since... everything. Since he walked away. What if it's harder than she thought? What if she realizes she—"

Sebastian groaned and got up, flopping down next to me on the couch. He nudged me with his elbow. "Listen to me. Olivia is yours. She's fought too damn hard for this to back out now."

I let out a shaky breath, nodding but not really believing it. "I should be happy, right?"

Sebastian smiled. "You should be ecstatic. She's finally going to be just yours. No more pretending. No more hiding."

I opened my mouth to say something, but the sound of the front door unlocking cut me off. My heart stuttered in my chest as Olivia walked in, holding a stack of papers high in the air.

"It's done."

For a second, I just stared at her. And then, before I could stop myself, I launched off the couch and into her arms. "Oh my God!"

She laughed, wrapping me in a tight hug, her voice muffled against my neck. "I know... I know."

I pulled back, framing her face in my hands, searching her expression. "How do you feel?"

She let out a deep breath, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Lighter. Relieved. Scared." She swallowed. "But mostly... I feel free."

I pressed my forehead against hers, my own tears threatening to fall. "You're free."

Sebastian clapped his hands loudly. "Alright, lovebirds, let's pop some champagne!"

I laughed, wiping my tears quickly. "Its mid afternoon."

"Who cares!" He screamed and ran to the kitchen.

Olivia's POV

The living room was filled with laughter, but beneath it all, there was an underlying tension I couldn't shake. I had done it. The papers were signed, and with them, the last remnants of my marriage to Elijah were gone. But some things—some relationships—weren't so easily erased.

I glanced at Ava sitting quietly on the couch, her fingers absently tracing the rim of her coffee cup. She was smiling, but I could see the weight behind it, the unspoken words pressing against her lips.

Taking a deep breath, I walked over and touched her arm gently. "Ava," I said softly.

She looked up at me, startled, as if she'd been caught lost in thought. "Yeah?"

"Come with me," I said, nodding toward the hallway. She hesitated, but after a moment, she followed me into the kitchen, away from Sebastian's playful teasing and Zoya's soft laughter.

The silence between us stretched as I gathered my thoughts. I could feel the weight of the years between us, the friendship we once had, the trust that had been shattered, and the ache of something we couldn't quite put back together.

Ava crossed her arms, shifting awkwardly. "If you're about to yell at me, just... don't. I don't think I can handle it right now."

I shook my head, a soft, bittersweet smile tugging at my lips. "I'm not going to yell at you."

She exhaled shakily, her eyes darting to the floor. "Then what?"

I hesitated, then reached out, my fingers brushing against hers in a touch that was once so familiar. "It's time for you to be happy too, Ava."

She stiffened, blinking rapidly as if my words took her by surprise. "Liv—"

"No." I cut in gently, but firmly. "No more guilt. No more holding onto something that isn't there anymore."

Her lips trembled slightly, her eyes flickering with emotion she was struggling to hold back. I could see the years of loyalty, of friendship, of love—different, but love nonetheless—woven into the hesitation on her face.

I smiled through the lump in my throat, reaching for her hand and squeezing it gently. "Go to Elijah."

Ava's mouth opened as if to argue, but instead, she let out a shaky breath and nodded. "You really think that's what I should do?"

I swallowed the ache in my chest and nodded. "Yeah. I do."

She studied me for a long moment, and then, without warning, she threw her arms around me. The force of it nearly knocked the air out of my lungs, but I hugged her back just as tightly.

"I'm sorry, Liv," she whispered against my shoulder, her voice breaking.

I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of the moment settle between us. "Me too," I whispered back.

When we finally pulled apart, I could see it in her eyes—relief. A kind of peace she hadn't allowed herself to feel in a long time.

She wiped at her eyes quickly, offering me a shaky smile. "Thank you."

I nodded, my own eyes wet. "Always."

After Ava left, I leaned against the kitchen counter, letting out a deep, shaky breath. The weight of everything—the divorce, the conversation with Ava, the endless chaos of the past few months—still clung to me, but something else had settled in too.

Relief.

I turned back toward the living room where Zoya was sitting, her eyes scanning me carefully. There was so much love in that gaze, and it made my chest tighten. I wanted to sink into it, to let it wrap around me like a safety net.

I pushed off the counter, forcing a small smile. "So... technically, I'm homeless now."

Zoya blinked, her brows furrowing in confusion. "What?"

I shrugged casually, though my heart was hammering in my chest. "I mean, Elijah's house isn't mine anymore, and I don't exactly have anywhere else to go." I took a slow step closer, my voice soft but steady. "So... can I move in?"

Her eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing as if she was struggling to form words. The color rushed to her cheeks, and I watched in amusement as she looked at me, then around the room, then back at me.

"Move... in?" she finally stammered.

I bit my lip, trying not to smile at how adorable she looked when she was flustered. "Yeah. You know... here. With you."

Zoya's hands fidgeted nervously in her lap, and I could see the internal battle playing out in her mind. "I-I mean... I—"

Before she could get another word out, Sebastian burst into the room, throwing his arms up in triumph. "FINALLY!"

We both jumped at his sudden outburst, and I couldn't help but laugh as Zoya buried her face in her hands. "Sebastian, please," she groaned, her voice muffled.

He grinned, waggling his eyebrows at us. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for this moment? I was this close to moving Olivia's stuff in myself."

I turned back to Zoya, still waiting for her answer. My heart was pounding, but I tried to keep my tone light. "So... what do you say?"

Zoya peeked up at me through her fingers, her face still flushed. "I... I don't know, Olivia. Are you sure?"

I reached for her hands, gently pulling them away from her face. "I've never been more sure of anything."

She looked at me for a long moment, searching for something—maybe reassurance, maybe certainty. And then, finally, a shy smile tugged at her lips. "Okay."

My heart soared. "Okay?"

She nodded, biting her lip nervously. "Yeah... okay."

Sebastian let out a loud cheer, clapping his hands together. "Oh my God, this is the best day ever!"

Zoya groaned, giving him a pointed glare. "You need to leave."

He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll give you two some alone time." He shot me a wink. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

I rolled my eyes as he disappeared down the hall, leaving me alone with Zoya.

The room fell into a comfortable silence, and I took a step closer to her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Are you really okay with this?" I asked gently.

Zoya smiled up at me, her eyes filled with warmth and something deeper—something I was sure I'd never get tired of seeing. "Yeah," she whispered. "I want this."

I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, feeling the tension of the past few days finally melt away. "Me too," I murmured against her mouth.

We stayed like that for a moment, wrapped in each other's warmth, until she pulled away slightly and smirked. "Just so you know... you're gonna have to do your share of the cleaning."

I laughed, tugging her closer. "Deal."

Zoya's POV

The set was buzzing with activity, but Olivia and I sat in a quiet corner, running through our lines. The words felt automatic now, slipping off our tongues with ease, but my mind kept drifting—to the way Olivia's lips moved, the way her eyes softened every time she looked at me.

"Focus," she teased, nudging me gently. "Aurora's supposed to be heartbroken, not staring at Amelia like she's the love of her life."

I rolled my eyes, fighting back a smile. "Maybe I'm just getting into character."

She smirked, shaking her head, but before she could respond, a familiar figure walked across the set. Layla.

Olivia straightened beside me, her gaze locking onto her. "I should thank her," she murmured.

I raised an eyebrow. "Thank her? For what?"

"For giving us the evidence we needed to take Anthony down." Olivia stood, calling out, "Layla!"

Layla hesitated, her eyes darting toward us before she reluctantly made her way over. There was something different about her now—less smug, less guarded. She crossed her arms, avoiding direct eye contact. "What's up?"

Olivia offered her a small smile. "I just wanted to say... thank you. For helping us. I know it couldn't have been easy."

Layla scoffed lightly, running a hand through her hair. "Don't thank me," she said, her voice laced with something that almost sounded like regret. "I didn't do it for you."

Olivia tilted her head. "Then why did you do it?"

Layla hesitated, shifting uncomfortably before finally sighing. "Because... I was in love with him."

I blinked in surprise, exchanging a quick glance with Olivia. Layla chuckled bitterly, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I thought if I stood by him long enough, he'd finally see me. But he never did. He was too busy chasing after you." She looked at Olivia then, and for the first time, I saw the vulnerability behind her sharp exterior.

"I spent so much time being angry at you, at Zoya," she continued, her voice quieter now. "But the truth is... I was jealous. Not just of you, Olivia, but of both of you."

I swallowed, feeling a flicker of sympathy despite everything. "Jealous?"

Layla nodded slowly, forcing a smile. "Yeah. You two have something real. I see it now. And I guess... I hated that Anthony was so obsessed with ruining it instead of seeing what was right in front of him."

Olivia's expression softened. "Layla..."

She shook her head quickly. "No, don't. I'm not looking for pity. I just wanted you to know." Her eyes flickered to me, and for the first time, there was no malice, no hidden agenda—just honesty. "I'm sorry, Zoya. For everything. I was awful to you."

I stared at her for a moment, feeling the weight of months of tension between us. Part of me wanted to hold on to the resentment, but another part... understood. "Thank you for saying that," I said finally, my voice softer than I expected.

Layla exhaled, relief flickering across her face. "Yeah, well... don't expect us to braid each other's hair anytime soon."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Noted."

She glanced back toward the crew, nodding once. "Anyway, I should get back. Just... take care of each other, okay?"

Olivia smiled. "We will."

Layla gave us one last glance before walking away, and I couldn't help but feel like something had shifted.

Olivia turned to me, nudging my arm. "That went better than expected."

I smiled, watching Layla disappear into the crowd. "Yeah... it did."

And maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something new—for all of us.