His Dangerous Love On Ice Chapter 117: Olive's Pov

I shook it off quickly. Hard. I didn't mean it like that. I couldn't mean it like that.

But the tiny traitorous voice in my head whispered that I did.

"Trust me, Muffin," he said quietly, his voice serious now. All traces of teasing gone. "It's being taken care of."

I stared at him, my mind still trying to catch up. "How is it being taken care of?"

He just looked at me. Didn't elaborate. Didn't explain.

That non-answer made my stomach twist with unease. What did that mean? What was he planning? What had he already done?

Before I could push for more information, my phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand.

We both looked at it.

I walked over and glanced at the screen, my stomach immediately dropping.

Mom.

"Fuck. Not now," I whispered under my breath.

I knew exactly what this call would be about. And I wasn't ready for it. Wasn't ready to hear her voice. Wasn't ready to defend my choices when I wasn't even sure of them myself.

But I picked up anyway. Because ignoring her would only make it worse later.

"Hello?"

"Olive." My mother's voice came through the speaker, tight and controlled in that way that meant she was barely holding it together. "We need to talk."

I closed my eyes. Here we go. "About what, Mom?"

"About you ending things with Zane Mercer," she said, and her voice had that edge to it. That tone that said she'd already made up her mind and wasn't interested in hearing otherwise.

My hand tightened around the phone. "We've been over this—"

"No, we haven't," she interrupted sharply. "Because every time I try to talk to you about this, you shut me down. You refuse to listen. You act like I'm being unreasonable when I'm trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" I asked, exhaustion seeping into my voice.

"From him!" Her voice rose. "From that man who runs illegal operations and destroys people's lives and—"

"It's not illegal, Mom. How many times do I have to tell you—"

"I don't care if it's technically legal or not!" she snapped. "The racing club, Olive. The underground racing club. Do you have any idea what kind of people are involved in that world? What kind of danger you're putting yourself in?"

I pressed my fingers to my temple where a headache was forming. "How did you even find out about that?"

There was a pause. A long one.

"Someone told me," she said finally, her voice careful now. "Someone who wanted me to know. Who wanted me to keep you safe."

My stomach dropped. "Who?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Mom—"

"They asked me not to," she said firmly. "And honestly? I'm grateful they did. Because clearly you weren't going to tell me yourself that you're dating someone who—"

"I don't need you to protect me," I said, cutting her off. "I'm not a child anymore."

"You're my child," she corrected. "And I will always protect you, whether you think you need it or not. Especially from men like Zane Mercer who—"

"Men like what?" I challenged. "What exactly has he done that's so terrible?"

"Where do I even start?" Her voice was getting higher now, more agitated. "Grayson's company, Olive. His company is being destroyed and I know Zane is behind it. I know his father is behind it and Zane is just—"

"That's not—" I started, but she talked over me.

"And Walter!" she continued, her voice breaking slightly. "Your father has been working for him. For years. All those lies about having a legitimate job, about turning his life around, and the whole time he's been working in some underground racing operation for your boyfriend's family. Do you understand how that makes me feel? To know that everything was a lie?"

Guilt twisted in my stomach because again, I'd known about Walter. Had known for weeks and hadn't told her.

"Mom, I know you're upset, but—"

"Upset?" She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I'm beyond upset, Olive. I'm furious. I'm terrified. Because my daughter is involved with a man who is dangerous and manipulative and—"

"He's not like that," I said again, the words coming out automatically even though I wasn't entirely sure I believed them.

"Isn't he?" she challenged. "Then explain to me how his father is trying to destroy Grayson's company. Explain how that's not exactly what his family does—destroys people who get in their way."

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Because I didn't have an answer. Didn't know how to defend Zane when I was still trying to figure out the truth myself.

"You need to be careful, Olive," my mother said, her voice softer now but no less intense. "Please. I know you think you know what you're doing, but you don't understand who you're dealing with."

"I appreciate your concern," I said carefully, "but I can handle this."

"Can you?" she asked. "Because from where I'm standing, you're in way over your head."

I was about to respond when Zane spoke from across the room.

"Muffin, the coffee's getting cold," he said, his voice carrying easily.

The line went completely silent.

I could feel the exact moment my mother realized what she'd heard. Could practically see her face changing, her expression shifting from concern to pure rage.

"Olive Monroe." Her voice was deadly quiet. The kind of quiet that came before an explosion. "Are you there with him right now?"

My heart started pounding. "Mom—"

"Are you at his house?" Her voice was rising. "After everything I just said? After I specifically asked you to end things? You're there with him?"

"I can explain—"

"Explain what?" she demanded. "Explain how you're still sleeping with the man whose father is trying to destroy Grayson? Explain how you're choosing him over your own family AGAIN?"

The word ‘AGAIN’ hit even harder than ever.

"That's not fair—"

"Fair?" Her voice cracked. "You want to talk about fair? It's not fair that I have to find out my daughter's boyfriend runs an illegal operation. It's not fair that your father has been lying to me for years. It's not fair that Grayson—who has been more of a father to you than Walter ever was—is losing everything while you're in bed with the enemy!"

"Zane's not the enemy," I said, my voice shaking now. "His father is the one—"

"And you don't think the apple falls far from the tree?" she interrupted. "You don't think Zane is capable of the same manipulation, the same cruelty? Open your eyes, Olive!"

"My eyes are open," I shot back. "And what I see is you trying to control my life just like you always do. Just like you did when you sent me away after Klaus died. Just like you did when you—"

"Don't you dare bring Klaus into this," she said, her voice breaking. "Don't you dare use your brother's death to justify making terrible decisions."

Tears were burning behind my eyes now but I refused to let them fall. "I'm not using anything to justify anything. I'm just trying to live my life."

"With a man who is ruining ours," she said. "With a man whose father destroyed Grayson ten years ago and is doing it again now. How can you not see how wrong this is?"

"Because maybe it's not as simple as you think!" I said, my voice rising to match hers. "Maybe there's more to the story than you know!"

"Then tell me!" she demanded. "Tell me what I'm missing! Explain to me how any of this is okay!"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Because I couldn't. Couldn't explain. Couldn't defend it when I was still trying to understand it myself.

"That's what I thought," my mother said quietly. "You can't even defend him because deep down you know I'm right."

"You're not right," I said, but my voice was weak. Unconvincing even to my own ears.

"End it, Olive," she said. "Please. Before he destroys you the way his family destroys everyone else."

"I can't," I whispered.

"You mean you won't," she corrected. "And that's what scares me the most. That you're so far gone you can't even see what he's doing to you."

The line went quiet for a moment. Just our breathing, heavy and angry and hurt.

"I have to go," I said finally.

"Olive—"

I hung up before she could finish.

My hand was shaking as I set the phone down. My whole body was shaking.

I turned around slowly to find Zane watching me, his expression unreadable.

"How much of that did you hear?" I asked.

"Enough," he said quietly.

I nodded silently, not saying a word as I walked towards the closet to grab one of his shirt and walked out, and he was still standing in the same spot, staring at me from across his bedroom, and I didn't know what to say.

Didn't know how to bridge the gap between what my mother believed and what I wanted to believe.

"She's wrong about you," I said finally. "Isn't she?"

Zane was quiet for a long moment. Too long.

"Isn't she?" I repeated, my voice breaking slightly.

"I don't know," he said finally, and the honesty of it hit harder than any lie could have. "I don't know what I am anymore, Olive. All I know is that I'd burn the whole world down before I let anyone hurt you."

And somehow, that was exactly what I was afraid of.