Chapter 161 Unless I'm Dead
Olivia's POV:
The driver pulled up to the curb, and I stared at the gleaming glass facade of the building. STARSHINE MEDIA blazed across the top in bold chrome letters, catching the morning sunlight.
I gathered my resume folder and reached for the door handle.
"Miss Reed." Logan's voice stopped me. "Where are you going?"
I held up the folder. "Job interview."
He exchanged a glance with Gavin in the rearview mirror. Neither spoke, but I could feel their hesitation.
"You can follow me inside if you want," I said, stepping out. "But keep your distance. If people see me with bodyguards, it'll ruin my chances."
Logan caught up to me on the sidewalk. "But what if—"
"Then stay close but pretend you don't know me." I didn't slow my pace. "That's the deal."
"Fine." His jaw tightened, but he nodded at Gavin.
They flanked me as we entered the lobby, maintaining a careful distance.
The reception area was packed with candidates, all of us clutching our resumes and checking our phones nervously.
Fifteen minutes crawled by. I reviewed my answers to common interview questions, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest.
"Olivia Reed?"
I stood, smoothing my blazer. A young woman with a bright smile gestured toward the hallway.
"Right this way. I'm Sherry, from HR. The hiring manager is ready for you."
The previous candidate emerged from the interview room as we approached—a tall blonde who looked shell-shocked. The hiring manager appeared in the doorway, offering me a professional smile.
"Please, come in." He extended his hand toward a chair. "Have a seat."
"Thank you." I settled into the chair, placing my folder on the edge of the desk.
Sherry poured water into a glass and set it before me, then retreated to the doorway. But she didn't close the door.
The manager opened my resume. "So, Olivia, I see you're currently—"
A voice cut through the air from the hallway. Clear. Confident. Familiar.
"Yes, I just finished here. I'll head over in a few minutes."
My head turned instinctively.
Emily Sullivan stood in profile, phone pressed to her ear, completely oblivious to my presence. She wore an elegant cream pantsuit, her dark hair swept into a low chignon.
The hiring manager cleared his throat. "Miss Sullivan."
She glanced over, offering a distracted wave. "Don't let me interrupt."
Then her gaze slid past me like I was part of the furniture.
My throat constricted. Of all the companies in Los Angeles—
"Miss Reed?" The manager's voice pulled me back. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." The words came out steady, even as my pulse hammered. "Please, continue."
But Emily's voice drifted through the open door, impossible to ignore.
"No, don't apologize. No one expected Grandfather Bennett to pass so suddenly." A pause. "The engagement can wait. We're both young—there's no rush for children. A few more months won't matter."
My pen slipped from my fingers, clattering against the desk.
"Right, October then." Emily's laugh was warm, intimate. "That works perfectly."
The manager frowned at the disruption, but Emily kept talking, her voice pitched just loud enough to carry.
"What about your little college girlfriend?" Another pause, then a knowing laugh. "Do you need me to handle it for you?"
Ice spread through my veins.
"Alright, you deal with it yourself. But be gentle—breakups should be civil." Her tone shifted, becoming almost indulgent. "If she makes a scene, I can step in. You know I'm good at smoothing things over."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. I'll be there soon." Her heels clicked away down the corridor.
I sat frozen, the manager's questions fading into white noise. My vision blurred at the edges, everything narrowing to a single point of searing clarity.
October.
Engagement.
Little college girlfriend.
The words looped through my mind, each repetition driving deeper like shards of glass.
"Miss Reed?" The manager's voice seemed distant. "Would you like some water?"
I blinked, realizing I was staring at nothing. "I'm sorry. Could you... could you repeat the question?"
But I couldn't focus. Couldn't think past the roaring in my ears.
Somehow, I made it through the interview. Somehow, I smiled and shook hands and thanked them for their time.
Somehow, I walked out of that building on legs that felt like water.
The sunlight hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled, catching myself against a planter.
Logan materialized at my elbow. "Miss Reed—"
"I'm fine." The lie tasted bitter.
My phone vibrated. Ethan's name flashed across the screen.
I stared at it, my finger hovering over the answer button. Part of me wanted to ignore it. To throw the phone into the street and watch it shatter.
Instead, I swiped to answer.
"Where are you?" His tone was clipped. Cold.
"Out."
"Doing what?"
Something reckless sparked in my chest. "Out screwing someone else. Thought you should know."
His laugh was low, dangerous. "You don't have the guts."
"Then why ask?"
"Answer the question, Olivia. What are you doing?"
"I had a job interview." The words came out bitter. "At your fiancée's company, actually. Small world, isn't it? Lucky she didn't recognize me, or I might've been run out like a rat in the street."
"Olivia." His voice dropped to a warning. "Don't start this. Not today."
"Start what? Telling the truth?" My hand shook around the phone. "Ethan, I want to leave LA. I want to do my internship somewhere else. Anywhere else. Please."
The pause that followed felt eternal.
"You're still trying to leave me?" His voice turned glacial. "After everything?"
"I'm exhausted." My throat tightened, tears pricking my eyes. "These two years with you have drained me dry. Just... let me go. Let me breathe for six months. When I come back, if you still—"
"There is no if." He cut me off, each word precise as a blade. "Don't even think about leaving me. Not unless I'm dead."
"And if I go anyway?"