His Dangerous Love On Ice Chapter 121: Olive's Pov

What kind of man destroys his own father and saves his girlfriend's stepfather's company in the same night?

What kind of man has the resources, the connections, the sheer ruthlessness to orchestrate something like this?

And what kind of man does all of it without asking for credit? Without demanding recognition?

I thought about the last conversation we'd had. When I'd asked him for help.

"Trust me, Muffin. It's being taken care of."

He'd said it so casually. Like it was nothing.

Like bankrupting his father and orchestrating a corporate takeover were just items on his to-do list.

My phone rang again.

Not Brenda this time.

Mom.

My stomach clenched, but I answered anyway.

"Did you see?" she asked immediately, her voice tight.

"I saw."

"Williams Mercer is finished," she said, and I could hear the satisfaction in her voice. "Everything I said about that family—everything—was right. They're criminals, Olive. And now everyone knows it."

I closed my eyes. "Mom—"

"Grayson's company is saved," she continued, not letting me get a word in. "Whoever bought those shares, whoever stepped in—they saved us. Saved Grayson from losing everything."

"I know you're still with him," she said quietly, and the satisfaction in her voice was gone now. Replaced by something that sounded like fear. "With Zane. But Olive, you need to understand what this means. His father is going to prison. His family's company is falling apart. And you're tied to all of it."

"I'm not tied to anything," I said, but my voice sounded weak even to my own ears.

"You are," she insisted. "Because everyone's going to be asking questions. Everyone's going to wonder how you're connected. How Zane's connected. How Hopkins suddenly got saved right when his father got destroyed."

She was right.

People would ask questions. Would draw connections. Would wonder if Zane had anything to do with it.

But they wouldn't find proof. Because Zane was too smart for that. Too careful.

"I have to go," I said.

"Olive—"

I hung up.

For a long moment, I just sat there. Staring at the TV. At the split screen showing Williams Mercer's fall and Hopkins Enterprise's rise.

Two stories. Completely unrelated to the public.

But I knew the truth.

This was Zane.

All of it.

He'd told me he would handle it. And I'd half-believed him. Half-thought he was just being arrogant. Just talking big.

I hadn't actually thought he'd do something like this.

My hands were shaking as I grabbed my phone.

I scrolled to his name in my contacts.

My finger hovered over the call button.

What was I supposed to say? Thank you? What the fuck did you do? Are you insane?

All of the above?

I thought about what my mother had said. About being tied to this. About the questions that would come.

And I thought about Zane. About the way he'd looked at me when I'd asked for help. About the way he'd said "what if he couldn’t do it, and trust me" at the same time.

About the way he'd destroyed his own father without hesitation.

For me.

My chest ached.

This wasn't just helping. This wasn't just using his connections or making a few calls.

This was calculated. Brutal. Complete.

This was the kind of thing you couldn't take back. The kind of thing that changed everything.

And he'd done it without asking me if I wanted him to. Without checking if this was what I needed.

He'd just... done it.

Because I'd asked him to save Hopkins. And in his mind, that meant burning down everyone who'd threatened it.

Including his own father.

I dropped the phone.

Put my head in my hands.

And for the first time in days, I let myself cry.

Not because I was sad. Not because I was upset.

But because I finally understood.

Zane Mercer would burn the world down for me.

And I had no idea if that made me the luckiest woman alive or the most terrified.

My phone buzzed again.

Another text. Not from Brenda this time.

Unknown number.

I opened it, my heart pounding.

Unknown: You should thank him. Not many men would destroy their own family for a woman they're supposed to walk away from in a month.

Unknown: But then again, you already know he's not going to walk away, don't you?

Unknown: The question is... are you?

I stared at the message, my blood running cold.

Who the hell was this?

And how did they know about our arrangement?

Before I could process it, my phone rang.

Grayson.

I took a deep breath and answered.

"Olive." His voice was calm. Too calm. "I need you to come to the office. Now."

"Grayson, I—"

"It's not a request," he said quietly. "We need to talk. About what happened. About who saved the company. About everything. Because I am fucking scared right now."

My stomach dropped.

He knew.

Somehow, he knew. Or maybe I was overthinking.

"I'll be there in thirty minutes," I said.

"Good. My office. And Olive?" He paused. "Come alone."

He hung up.

I sat there for a moment, staring at my phone.

What the hell had Zane done?

And why did I have a feeling that finding out was going to change everything?