Page 64 of No Mane, No Gain

True to his word, Baxter had the footage ready in record time. Chaos leaned over his friend’s shoulder, watching intently as the video played.

There, clear as day, was Tia. She cornered a waiter, whispered something in his ear, and pointed directly at Olive. Moments later, that same waiter approached Olive with the fateful glass of champagne.

Chaos’s vision went red, a low growl rumbling in his chest. The evidence was irrefutable. His own sister had tried to harm the woman he loved.

“Send that to my phone,” he ordered Baxter, already heading for the door. “And clear my schedule for the rest of the day.”

The drive to his parents’ mansion felt interminable. Chaos’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his thoughts a tumultuous storm of anger and disbelief. How had it come to this? When had Tia’s petty jealousy turned into something so dangerous?

As he pulled into the circular driveway, Chaos took a deep breath, preparing himself for the confrontation to come. He found his parents in the sunroom, enjoying a late breakfast.

“Chaos!” his mother, Isabella, exclaimed, her face lighting up. “What a lovely surprise. How’s Olive feeling today?”

“She’s recovering,” Chaos replied, his voice clipped. “No thanks to Tia.”

His father, Marco, set down his coffee cup, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”

Without a word, Chaos pulled out his phone and played the damning video footage. He watched as his parents’ expressions morphed from confusion to shock to horror.

“I can’t believe it,” Isabella whispered, her hand covering her mouth. “Tia wouldn’t... she couldn’t...”

“But she did,” Chaos said, his voice hard. “She drugged Olive. She could have killed her.”

Marco’s face had turned ashen. “Son, I... we had no idea she would go this far. We thought she was just young, going through a phase..”

“Murder is not a phase,” Chaos replied. “And I’m done. I’m washing my hands of her. I won’t have her in my life, not after this.”

His parents exchanged a pained look. “How do you want this handled?” Marco asked.

Chaos ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. “I don’t know. But I can’t bring Olive around here, around you, until you deal with Tia. She deserves to feel safe with my family. And to think, she won’t let the police deal with Tia to give you a chance to find a way to reform her. So figure it out.”

Isabella nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. “We understand. We’ll handle this, Chaos. I promise you.”

As Chaos left his parents’ house, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It wasn’t a solution, not yet, but it was a start. He had stood up for Olive and chosen her over the toxic influence of his sister. It felt right.

Over the next few days, as Olive recovered and Chaos split his time between his penthouse, where Olive was staying and the office, his parents worked tirelessly to come up with a solution. When they finally called him and Olive over to discuss their decision, Chaos wanted it to be done.

They gathered in the formal living room, an air of tension hanging over them. Chaos held Olive’s hand tightly, drawing strength from her presence.

Marco cleared his throat. “After much discussion and consideration, we’ve come to a decision regarding Tia.”

Isabella nodded, her expression solemn. “We’re sending her to Africa for five years to do charitable work. She’ll be working with a foundation that builds schools in underprivileged areas.”

Chaos blinked, surprised. It was... not what he had expected.

“We believe it will give her perspective,” Marco continued. “A chance to see beyond her own selfish wants and understand the value of helping others. She’ll be completely cut off from us financially and will only live off the small stipend the foundation gives to it’s volunteers.”

“And after five years?” Olive asked, her voice soft but steady.

“After five years, we’ll reassess,” Isabella replied. “If she’s shown genuine growth and remorse, we’ll consider allowing her back into our lives. But not before then, and not without your approval.”

Chaos looked at Olive, searching her face for her reaction. She squeezed his hand and nodded slightly. “I think that’s fair,” she said. “Thank you for taking this seriously.”

As they left his parents’ house that evening, Chaos felt a sense of closure. The Tia situation wasn’t completely resolved, but it was no longer hanging over them like a dark cloud.

“So,” Olive said as they walked to the car, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Now that the family drama is out of the way…”

“Actually, there’s one more thing we need to discuss.”