Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE

O live stared at her phone, her stomach churning as she read the headline for the fifth time:

"TECH TYCOON TIED DOWN: CHAOS AMATO ENGAGED TO SOCIALITE VANESSA SINCLAIR"

The article, complete with candid photos of Chaos and a stunning blonde at various events, burned into her retinas. She blinked hard, willing the words to change, but they remained stubbornly in place.

"This can't be real," she muttered, scrolling through the gossip piece with trembling fingers. Each word twisted the knife deeper, conjuring images of Chaos and this Vanessa woman laughing together, planning a future that didn't include her.

Her phone buzzed again – another text from Athena.

Olive? You okay? Talk to me.

Olive took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. Was she okay? Hell no. She typed out a quick response:

Not sure. Processing. Will call you later.

She tossed her phone aside, pacing her living room. The plush carpet muffled her footsteps, but it couldn't quiet the storm in her mind. Tia's words from their restaurant encounter echoed in her ears:

"Chaos is just killing time with you. He's going to marry Vanessa, you know."

At the time, Olive had brushed it off as jealous posturing. But now? The seed of doubt Tia had planted bloomed into a full-grown jungle of insecurity.

"No," Olive said aloud, her voice sharp in the quiet apartment. "I'm not doing this. I'm not letting some gossip rag and Tia's mind games ruin what Chaos and I have."

She snatched up her phone and sent out a text to Chaos:

Hey, you free to talk? There's something we need to discuss.

His reply was instant. Yeah, want me to come over?

I'd rather meet you at your place.

She grabbed her keys and purse, determination setting her jaw as she strode to the elevator. She jabbed the button for the parking garage, her foot tapping an impatient rhythm against the floor.

The drive to Chaos's penthouse passed in a blur of honking horns and flashing lights. Olive's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as she rehearsed what she'd say. By the time she pulled into the private parking area, her anger had crystallized into a sharp, brittle thing.

She marched to the private elevator, punching in the code Chaos had given her weeks ago. As the car ascended, Olive's reflection stared back at her from the mirrored walls. Her blue eyes blazed with a mix of hurt and fury, her blonde hair slightly mussed from running her hands through it in frustration.

"You've got this," she told her reflection. "No matter what he says, you deserve the truth."

The elevator dinged, doors sliding open to reveal Chaos's penthouse. Olive stepped out, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Chaos appeared in the entryway, his brow furrowed in concern.

"What's wrong?"

She held up her phone, the offending article displayed on the screen. "Care to explain this?"

Chaos closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them they glowed with anger. "I swear this is a lie."

"Are you sure?" Olive snapped. "Or are you engaged to Vanessa?"

Chaos's jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. "Of course not. This is complete bullshit."

"Oh really? Because your sister seems to think otherwise. She told me you were just killing time with me until you married Vanessa. And now this article comes out? What am I supposed to think, Chaos?"

She hated the tremor in her voice, the way her eyes stung with unshed tears. Chaos took a step toward her, but Olive held up a hand, keeping him at bay.

"Olive, please. Let me explain."

"Then explain," she said, crossing her arms. "Because right now, I'm having a hard time believing anything that comes out of your mouth."

Chaos ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched in every line of his body. "Tia's been trying to set me up with Vanessa for years. She's her best friend, and I think Tia sees it as a way to keep her in the family. I've told her repeatedly that I'm not interested, but she won't listen."

"And the engagement?" Olive pressed.

"Completely fabricated," Chaos growled. "I confronted Tia about it earlier. She leaked the story to try to force my hand. I've already got my PR team working on a retraction."

Olive wanted to believe him. God, how she wanted to believe him. But the doubt lingered, a poisonous whisper in the back of her mind.

"Why didn't you tell me about Vanessa?" she asked, hating how small her voice sounded.

Chaos's expression softened. He took another step forward, and this time Olive didn't back away.

"Because she doesn't matter," he said quietly. "Vanessa is Tia's friend, not mine. She's not anyone special. I didn't think she was worth mentioning because she's not a part of my life. You are."

The sincerity in his voice chipped away at Olive's defenses. She uncrossed her arms, letting out a shaky breath.

"I want to believe you, Chaos. I do. But your sister... she's made it clear she doesn't approve of me. And if she's going to keep interfering like this, I don't know if I can do it. I can't be in a constant battle with her over you. I can't keep wondering if every gossip article or rumor is true."

Chaos closed the distance between them, his hands coming to rest on Olive's shoulders. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down her spine.

"I know," he said, his voice low and intense. "And I'm sorry. I should have shut Tia down harder from the beginning. But I promise you, Olive, I put a stop to this. No more interference, no more schemes. You're the only woman I want in my life."

Olive looked up into his hazel eyes, searching for any hint of deception. All she saw was earnest determination and something that looked a lot like love.

"You promise?" she whispered.

In answer, Chaos pulled her close, his lips crashing down on hers. Olive melted into the kiss, all her anger and doubt transmuting into a different kind of heat. Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer as his tongue swept into her mouth.

When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Olive rested her forehead against Chaos's chest.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I should have talked to you first instead of jumping to conclusions."

Chaos tilted her chin up, meeting her gaze. "Hey, no. You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who's sorry. I should have been more upfront about everything."

Olive nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "We're quite a pair, aren't we? A romance vlogger with trust issues and a tech mogul with a meddling sister."

Chaos chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. "Sounds like the plot of one of your books."

"God, I hope not," Olive groaned. "Those always have three more dramatic misunderstandings before the happily ever after."

"Well then," Chaos said, pulling her closer, "I guess we'll just have to write our own ending."

As his lips met hers again, softer this time but no less passionate, Olive felt the last of her doubts melt away. They still had challenges ahead – Tia's interference chief among them – but in that moment, she knew they'd face them together.

When they finally parted, Chaos led Olive to the couch, his arm wrapped securely around her waist.

"So," he said, settling beside her, "tell me everything Tia said to you. I want to know exactly what we're dealing with."

Olive recounted her encounter with Tia at the restaurant, watching as Chaos's expression darkened with each word.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with that," he said when she finished. "Tia had no right to speak to you that way."

"It's not your fault," Olive sighed, leaning into his side. "But, Chaos... if she keeps this up, I don't know how we'll make this work. I can't constantly be wondering if I'm just a placeholder until you find someone your family approves of."

Chaos tightened his arm around her. "You're not a placeholder, Olive. You're it for me. And I promise, I'm going to make that crystal clear to Tia and anyone else who thinks they have a say in our relationship."

Olive looked up at him, hope blooming in her chest. "Yeah?"

"Absolutely," Chaos nodded, his expression fierce. "In fact, I think it's time we made a statement of our own. How would you feel about going public with our relationship?"

Olive's eyes widened. "Are you sure? That's a big step."

"I'm sure," Chaos said without hesitation. "I'm all in, Olive. I want the world to know you're the woman I choose. I don't care what anyone else thinks, only you."

A slow smile spread across Olive's face. "Well, then, Mr. Amato. I believe we have some planning to do."

As they spent the next hour discussing how to announce their relationship, Olive felt the seed planted by Tia die in the dirt. The road ahead might not be smooth, but with Chaos by her side, she was ready to face whatever came their way.

And if Tia thought she could come between them again, well... she had another thing coming. Olive Russo didn't back down from a challenge, especially not when it came to matters of the heart.

As the night wore on, Olive found herself curled up on Chaos's couch, her head resting on his chest as they brainstormed ideas for their big reveal.

"We could do a joint vlog," Olive suggested, her fingers tracing idle patterns on Chaos's arm. "My followers would go absolutely wild."

Chaos chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. "I can see the comments now. When are you going to marry her?'"

Olive snorted, playfully swatting his chest. "Please. If anything, they'll be wondering how you managed to win over the pickiest romance critic on the internet."

"Oh, I have my ways," Chaos murmured, his voice dropping to a husky whisper that sent shivers through her.

She tilted her head up, meeting his heated gaze. "Care to demonstrate some of those ways?"

Chaos's response was immediate and thorough, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that left no doubt about his feelings. As things heated between them, Olive's last coherent thought was that no gossip article or scheming sister could ever compete with this – the real, tangible connection she shared with Chaos.

Later, as they lay tangled together in Chaos's bed, Olive's phone buzzed on the nightstand. She reached for it, squinting at the bright screen in the darkened room.

"It's Athena," she murmured, opening the text. "She wants to know if I'm okay."

Chaos propped himself up on an elbow, peering at the phone. "What are you going to tell her?"

Olive considered for a moment, then typed out a reply:

More than okay. Crisis averted, truth prevailed, and I may have just landed myself the lead in my own real-life romance novel. Details tomorrow over brunch?

She hit send, then turned to Chaos with a grin. "So, future co-star in my vlog. Ready to break the internet?"

Chaos pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Let's do it."

As Olive drifted off to sleep in Chaos's arms, she realized that for the first time in a long time, she wasn't afraid of what the future might bring. Whatever challenges lay ahead, she and Chaos would face them together.

And who knew? Maybe their story really would make for one hell of a romance novel someday.