Chapter 4

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 head back in. But it was nice meeting you, Zoya,” I said, offering her one last smile.

Inside, Ezra, Peter, and Andrew were already deep in discussion. I took a seat beside Ezra and picked up Zoya’s portfolio.

Andrew was listing off candidates, Peter passed two names to Ezra, and I spotted Zoya’s among them.

“I like her,” Ezra said, flipping through her details. “But she seemed hesitant.”

“Was she like that before I came in?” I asked.

“No. Are you saying she got starstruck?” Ezra raised a brow. “Then how will she act working beside you?”

“Oh, please,” I rolled my eyes. “I surprised her. That doesn’t make her unfit. She’s not the first person to fangirl. Doesn’t mean she can’t act.”

“So you think we should give her a shot?” he asked.

“I didn’t see her audition, so it’s not my call,” I replied honestly. “But be fair. She might surprise you.”

Peter scanned our faces, then said, “I think we should go with Zoya.”

Ezra nodded. “Zoya it is. Call her manager.”

As the meeting wrapped, Ezra turned to me. “Dinner with us tonight?”

I smiled. “Can’t. Elijah’s taking me out.”

“Still dating your husband after three years? That’s disgusting,” Andrew teased.

I gave him a sweet smile. “That’s the magic of marrying someone you actually like.”

Andrew wasn’t convinced. “But how do you know? Have you even explored your options?”

“I’m not out here comparison shopping, Andrew. Elijah and I just work.”

Peter chimed in. “The heart wants what it wants.”

Ezra, silent until now, gave me a strange look. I knew he didn’t love that I married Elijah. But it was my life.

“Elijah gets me,” I said simply. “Our life is calm, stable, and real. That’s what matters.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “No spark? No chaos?”

I shrugged. “That stuff fades. Love that lasts? That’s the real magic.”

When I left the room, my security team, manager, and assistant were already waiting. I slipped into the car and gave Noah directions home. I had an hour before the hairdresser and three until my date.

Ava, my manager, glanced at me. “So? How was the audition?”

I grinned. “Zoya. She’s... interesting.”

“She’s not a stuck-up celebrity like the rest of them,” Ava muttered. “Maybe she’ll balance the set out.”

I blinked. “You think the cast are snobs?”

“They’re polite to you. To everyone else? Not so much. Right, Noah?”

Noah didn’t answer.

“He didn’t deny it,” Ava said, smirking. “That’s as close as you’ll get.”

Maybe Ava had a point. Maybe Zoya would shake things up. And maybe, just maybe... she and I would hit it off.