Chapter 28

TWENTY-EIGHT

O live hummed along to the radio as she navigated her sleek Audi through the bustling streets of Manhattan. The late afternoon sun glinted off the towering skyscrapers, casting long shadows across her path. Her heart fluttered with anticipation as she thought about the evening ahead - a quiet dinner with Chaos at his penthouse.

She smiled to herself, recalling their conversation earlier that day. Chaos had sounded stressed, the tension in his voice palpable even over the phone. When she'd suggested coming over, his relief had been immediate and palpable.

"You're a lifesaver, bella mia, " he'd said, his deep voice warming her from the inside out. "I could use a distraction from all this corporate nonsense."

Now, as she approached a busy intersection, Olive pressed her foot on the brake pedal, expecting the familiar resistance. Instead, the pedal sank to the floor with no effect. Her heart leaped into her throat as she realized what was happening.

"No, no, no," she muttered, pumping the brake frantically. The car continued to barrel forward, picking up speed as it rolled downhill. Panic surged through her veins as she yanked on the emergency brake, but it, too, failed to slow the vehicle.

Time seemed to slow as Olive's mind raced through her options. She could see the intersection ahead, the light turning red, cars beginning to cross. With a surge of adrenaline, she jerked the wheel hard to the right, aiming for a narrow alley between two buildings.

The world exploded into a cacophony of screeching metal and shattering glass as the car sideswiped a dumpster, spinning wildly before coming to a violent stop against a brick wall. The airbag deployed with a deafening pop, slamming into Olive's face and chest.

For a moment, everything went black. When Olive came to, she was dimly aware of voices shouting, the acrid smell of smoke, and a throbbing pain in her head. She blinked, trying to focus, but her vision swam.

"Miss? Miss, can you hear me?" A concerned face swam into view - a paramedic, she realized groggily.

"I... yes," Olive managed, her voice sounding strange and far away to her own ears. "What happened?"

"You've been in an accident," the paramedic explained gently. "We're going to get you out of here and to a hospital, okay? Can you tell me your name?"

"Olive," she mumbled. "Olive Russo. I need to call Chaos..."

The world faded in and out as the paramedics worked to extricate her from the wreckage. Olive caught snippets of their conversation - "possible concussion," "multiple contusions," "lucky to be alive." She wanted to protest, to insist she was fine, but her body refused to cooperate.

The next thing Olive knew, she was being wheeled into a brightly lit emergency room. The fluorescent lights sent spikes of pain through her skull, and she squeezed her eyes shut with a groan.

"Olive!" A familiar voice cut through the chaos, and suddenly Chaos was there, his hazel eyes wide with worry. "God, bella , what happened? Are you okay?"

Olive managed a weak smile. "Hey there, handsome. Looks like I'm going to have to raincheck on dinner."

Chaos let out a strangled laugh, taking her hand in his. "You scared the hell out of me. When the hospital called..."

A doctor approached, interrupting their reunion. "Mr. Amato? I'm Dr. Green. We need to run some tests on Ms. Russo - CT scan, X-rays. Would you mind waiting outside?"

Chaos looked like he wanted to argue, but Olive gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Go on, I'll be fine. Maybe see if you can get me some decent food? Hospital Jell-O is the worst."

With a reluctant nod, Chaos pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'll be right outside. Don't you dare try to sneak off to any book signings while I'm gone."

As Chaos left, Dr. Green began her examination. "Ms. Russo, can you tell me what you remember about the accident?"

Olive recounted what had happened, her brow furrowing as she recalled the brake failure. "It was like they just... gave out. But that's impossible, right? I just had the car serviced last week."

Dr. Green made a note on her chart. "I'll make sure to mention that to the police. They'll want to take a statement once we've cleared you medically. Now, let's get you to radiology..."

The next few hours passed in a blur of tests, questions, and prodding. By the time Olive was settled into a private room, she felt utterly drained.

Olive blinked awake, the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital room assaulting her senses. Her whole body ached, a stark reminder of the car accident that had landed her here. As her vision cleared, she saw Chaos slumped in a chair beside her bed, his usually impeccable appearance rumpled from a night of uncomfortable sleep.

"Hey, sexy lion man," she croaked, her throat dry.

Chaos startled awake, his hazel eyes immediately focusing on her face. "Olive! How are you feeling?"

Before she could answer, the door burst open, and a flurry of activity filled the room. Olive's parents, Nicholas Russo and Mariah Harper, rushed in, followed closely by her sister Sapphire and cousin Athena.

"Oh, my baby!" Mariah cried, tears streaming down her face as she gently embraced Olive.

Nicholas, his face etched with worry, placed a hand on Olive's shoulder. "Princess, what happened? Are you all right?"

Sapphire, ever the practical one, was already interrogating a nurse about Olive's condition, while Athena hovered nearby, her green eyes wide with concern.

Amidst the chaos, Baxter slipped into the room, making a beeline for Chaos. "I got here as fast as I could," he said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "How's she doing?"

Olive felt overwhelmed by the sudden influx of people but touched by their concern. "I'm okay, really," she assured them, wincing as she tried to sit up. "Just a bit banged up. The doctors say I'll make a full recovery."

As Olive recounted the accident to her family, she couldn't help but notice the way Athena and Baxter kept stealing glances at each other. There was a tension between them, but not the antagonistic kind she was used to seeing. Something strange was going on and she wondered why Athena hadn't mentioned anything to her.

"So," Athena said, sidling up to Baxter, "I guess we meet again under less-than-ideal circumstances."

Baxter's usually stoic expression softened slightly. "Indeed. Though I must say, you handle crisis with remarkable grace, Ms. Russo."

Athena smirked. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Lennox."

Olive raised an eyebrow at Chaos, who responded with a knowing smile. Clearly, something had developed between those two since their last encounter.

As the day wore on, Dr. Green returned with an update. "Ms. Russo, while your tests look good, we'd like to keep you overnight for observation, just to be safe."

Olive nodded, understanding the precaution. She turned to her parents, who had been anxiously waiting. "Mom, Dad, I really appreciate you coming, but you should go home and rest. It's been a long day for everyone."

Nicholas looked like he wanted to argue, but Mariah nodded in agreement. "She's right, dear. Olive's in good hands here. We'll come back first thing in the morning."

Olive then turned to her sister. "Saph, thank you so much for being here. But I know you left the kids with Jake. Go home to your family."

Sapphire hesitated before leaning in to hug Olive gently. "All right, but I'm just a phone call away if you need anything. And I mean anything."

As her parents and sister left, Chaos stood. "I'm going to grab some coffee and update Baxter. Do you need anything, bella?"

Olive shook her head. "I'm good, thanks. Maybe you could convince the nurse to let you smuggle in some real food?"

Chaos chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving. Suddenly, Olive found herself alone with Athena. A mischievous glint appeared in her eye.

"So," Olive said, patting the bed beside her. "Spill. What's going on with you and Baxter?"

Athena tried to play it cool for all of two seconds before breaking into a wide grin. She plopped down on the bed, barely containing her excitement. "Oh my god, Olive, he's amazing! We went on this incredible date last week..."

Athena launched into a detailed account of her date with Baxter - a surprise helicopter ride to a secluded beach for a sunset picnic, followed by stargazing and deep conversations that lasted well into the night.

"He's so different from what I expected," Athena gushed. "Sure, he's smart and successful, but he's also funny and thoughtful and... god, Olive, he's a beast in bed. I think I'm really falling for him."

Olive beamed, genuinely happy for her cousin. "That's wonderful, Athena. I'm so glad you've found someone who appreciates you."

Their girl talk was interrupted by the return of Chaos and Baxter. Olive couldn't help but notice the way Baxter's eyes immediately sought out Athena, a soft smile playing on his lips.

As the four of them settled in for the evening, Olive picked up her phone and noticed the flood of notifications from her vlog. Curious, she opened the app and began reading through the comments on her latest video update.

The outpouring of support was overwhelming. Followers were sharing their own stories of overcoming adversity and offering words of encouragement. Olive felt a warmth spread through her chest.

"You know," she said thoughtfully, "I think I've been looking at this all wrong."

Chaos raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I've been so worried about Tia, about what she might do next," Olive explained. "But look at all these people who have my back. Why should I let one person's jealousy overshadow all of this support?"

Chaos nodded, a proud smile spreading across his face. "That's my girl. You're stronger than Tia could ever imagine."

Olive set her phone aside, a newfound determination settling over her. "You're damn right, I am. And it's about time I started acting like it."

She looked around at the people in her room - Chaos, her rock and protector; Baxter, loyal friend and support; and Athena, her fierce and loving cousin. Each of them had dropped everything to be by her side.

Early in the morning, when she was discharged, she felt ready to take on the world.

"Ready to go home, bella mia ?" Chaos asked, offering his arm for support.

Olive nodded, leaning into him. "More than ready, my hunky lion. Let's go home."

As they left the hospital, Olive felt a renewed sense of strength. The accident had been terrifying, and the realization that someone had deliberately tampered with her car was sobering. But looking at the supportive faces around her, she knew she could face whatever came next.