Buffy was the kitten Giselle raised. Once upon a time, Olivia’s biggest wish was to raise a cat with Luca, but that dream had never come true since Luca was allergic to cat fur.

He had always claimed he did not like small animals, yet he adored Giselle’s kitten.

Just like tonight. If Buffy was truly sick, wouldn’t a vet be the best solution? Why did Giselle need him instead?

This was not the first time they had fought over this. But each time, the argument ended with Olivia swallowing her pride, apologizing and admitting she had been unreasonable.

But tonight, the nausea still had not faded and she did not have the energy to care about these petty matters anymore.

She rushed into the bathroom, rinsing her mouth over and over before she could breathe properly again.

When she finally looked up, she stared blankly at her own reflection in the mirror.

Years in the industry had taken their toll. To maintain her on-screen image, she had lost so much weight that doctors warned it was dangerous.

If not for her love for Luca, she would have pursued her management degree, graduated and returned home to take over her parents' company.

Her phone vibrated. It was a message from her agent, Yeva.

[The new drama starts filming next month. How’s your preparation going? I know you've been working hard for this role. Feeling confident it'll be a hit?]

If her past life was any indication, within the next two days, Luca would ask her to give up this role.

Olivia hesitated for a moment before typing a response.

[Yeva, if I suddenly disappear one day, would it cause a lot of trouble?]

Almost instantly, Yeva sent a string of voice messages.

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about, silly girl? If you disappear, what do you think will happen to me?"

"Have you been under too much stress lately? Don’t let it eat away at you."

"You're still so young. You’ve already done such amazing films, won so many awards. You have a brilliant future ahead. Why would you even think about disappearing?"

Olivia knew the weight of her choices. If she disappeared, a lot of people would be affected. But it was the only way she could think of to free herself from Luca.

She sent a few reassuring messages to Yeva before collapsing onto her bed.

For the first time in a long while, she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

It was not until the smart home system chimed to alert her of food delivery that she finally stirred awake.

She blinked awake, groggy from sleep and shuffled toward the door. The moment she opened it, a delicate little cake greeted her.

Beside it lay a handwritten note.

Luca’s familiar script filled the page. The message was predictable. It must be an apology for leaving in a rush last night and a promise to visit that afternoon to "discuss something important."

Luca knew she had a weakness for sweets. Every time he needed to smooth things over, he sent her a cake.

But this was not just an apology. It was a preemptive strike.

Olivia let out a quiet, bitter laugh. Without hesitation, she picked up the cake and tossed it straight into the trash. The note was torn into irreparable pieces.

She already knew why Luca had come to persuade her to give up the lead role in the new drama.

That afternoon, he arrived right on time, just as she expected. In his hands was a bouquet of deep red roses. Her favorite.

Olivia lay on the sofa, idly flipping through a book. Without looking up, she asked, "What is it?"

Luca set the flowers on the coffee table, flashing a gentle smile.

"What's wrong? Still upset?"

Her voice was steady, indifferent. "No."

Unbothered, he crouched beside her, closing the distance between them. With an easy familiarity, he plucked the book from her hands.

"Olivia, I want to discuss something with you."

Olivia gave a small nod.

Luca continued, "Well, Giselle wants the lead role in your upcoming drama. Can you let her have it?"

As if sensing resistance, he quickly added the real bargaining chip before she could respond.

"Olivia, if you step aside and let Giselle take the role, I’ll seriously consider marrying you."

To Luca’s surprise, Olivia agreed almost instantly. "All right."

His heart skipped a beat.

He had been prepared for a drawn-out argument, but he had not expected her to yield so easily.

"You…" Luca hesitated, his brows furrowing. "Isn’t this drama really important to you? Haven’t you been preparing for it for a long time?"

Olivia scoffed inwardly.

So he knew. He knew she had poured years of effort into this drama. And yet, he still had the audacity to ask her to give it up for Giselle.

Love? Hate? What was the difference?

Even though he had gotten the answer he wanted, a sense of unease crept into Luca’s heart.

Olivia had been acting strange lately and so unlike herself. It was as if she had become an entirely different person.

Seeing the doubt flickering in his eyes, she smiled and lied effortlessly. "No matter how important this drama is, isn’t our wedding more important?"

Luca’s tense expression softened.

Yes, that made sense. Olivia had always dreamed of marrying him since they got together, hadn’t she?

"I knew you were the best."

Luca raised her hand and touched Olivia's cheek, but Olivia instinctively flinched away.

Luca did not seem to mind. Instead, changed the subject. "Did you like the cake?"

If he had been just a bit more observant, he would have noticed it sitting in the trash.

Olivia smiled again, her lips as smooth as silk. "I ate it. It was delicious."

Luca nodded approvingly, his voice gentle. "Good. Then you should start setting aside time to pick out a wedding dress."

Olivia narrowed her eyes and abruptly changed the subject. "When do you plan to make our relationship public?"

After four years together, this question remained the biggest landmine between them. One question that always led to an argument.

Luca averted his gaze, but his response was the same well-rehearsed excuse. "My career is on the rise right now. If we go public, it could affect me."

He had no idea that soon, Olivia would leave the entertainment industry entirely and was never to be a burden to him again.

She said nothing more, simply pushing Luca aside and murmuring, "I understand. I'm a little tired. You should go."

But Luca did not move. He reached for the hem of her sleeve, his voice soft. "Are you upset? I didn’t mean to leave like that last night. It was an emergency. Giselle loves her cat. I couldn’t just ignore it."

Olivia pulled her sleeve free, indifference flickering in her gaze.

That was when she noticed the red rash on Luca’s neck.

A telltale sign of a cat hair allergy.

Luca was meticulous about his appearance, so he would never allow something like this to happen unless it was unavoidable.

However, Giselle was always an exception.

Olivia let out a cold chuckle. "Angry? Why would I be angry? I wanted you to leave, but you insisted on staying."

Upon hearing these words, Luca’s irritation flared instantly.

"Olivia, how old are you? Stop acting like a little girl throwing a tantrum."

He had known Olivia for years, long enough to believe he understood her. She had always been quick to anger, but as long as he gave her an out, she would eventually back down.

Yet this time, she had been distant for days. If it were not for Giselle, Luca would not have been so careful with her feelings.

But instead of arguing back, Olivia simply sighed, resting her head in her hand as if she were too exhausted to care.

"If that’s what you think, then so be it."

Luca’s frustration only deepened. He stood up abruptly, heading for the door, but not before throwing one last warning over his shoulder. "Olivia, have you thought about what happens if you say things you can’t take back?"

Just as Luca reached the door, a sudden knock echoed through the apartment.

Glancing at the video doorbell, he saw Giselle standing outside.

It was the middle of winter, yet she was trembling in the hallway, clad only in a thin knit sweater.

A pang of guilt twisted in Luca’s chest. Without hesitation, he rushed to open the door.

"Luca, I knew you’d be here."

The moment she saw him, Giselle’s eyes turned red with unshed tears.

"Giselle, what are you doing here?" he asked, frowning.

Giselle didn’t answer. Instead, she stepped past him and headed straight for Olivia, who remained seated in the living room.

Her voice trembled as she spoke, tears welling at the corners of her eyes.

"Olivia, I never meant to steal your role. It was all because of my brother... He acted on impulse."

Olivia took her time, silently brewing a cup of black tea, curious to see how long Giselle would keep up the act.

Before she could talk more, Luca cut in, immediately coming to Giselle’s defense.

"I told you to leave this to me. Why did you come here?"

Giselle’s sobs grew louder. "Luca, how could you say that? Now Olivia must think I'm shameless!"

Luca's heart ached. Without thinking, he pulled Giselle into a gentle embrace and coaxed her softly. "Giselle, Olivia is older than you. There’s nothing for you to feel guilty about. It’s normal for her to look out for you."

As he spoke, he shot Olivia a meaningful glance, silently urging her to say something, but she only took a slow sip of tea, deliberately feigning ignorance.

Luca's patience finally snapped. His voice sharpened. "Olivia, didn’t you just agree to give Giselle the role? What’s with this attitude now? Are you going back on your word?"

Before Olivia could respond, Giselle stepped forward and gently took her hand.

"Olivia, I’ve admired you since we were kids. We grew up together. I know our friendship is stronger than this. You won’t hold it against me, will you?"

Olivia set down the tea leaves, pressing her fingertips against her heated temples before speaking in an icy tone. "You two are unbearably loud. You're disturbing my rest."

"I haven't been feeling well lately and need some peace. Can you do me a favor and give me some silence?"

The moment those words left her lips, both Giselle and Luca were stunned.

Luca quickly regained his composure, striding forward to seize Olivia’s wrist.

"Olivia, can you stop with this attitude? Do you always have to be so sharp-tongued?"

Olivia’s gaze turned ice-cold. She gritted her teeth, enunciating each word with deliberate precision. "I told you to leave."

That look in her eyes struck Luca harder than he expected.

There was coldness, there was impatience, but there was no love.

In nearly ten years, they had known each other and never once had she looked at him like this. Like he was nothing. Like he was an enemy.

Yet just moments ago, she had been speaking about marriage. About a future together.

Frustration flared in Olivia’s chest. She yanked her wrist free from Luca’s grasp and raised her voice. "I already told you I wasn’t feeling well! I told you to leave! Why don’t you understand?"

Giselle flinched in fear, clutching the sleeve of Luca’s coat. Her voice trembled with fear. "Luca, let’s go… Olivia is so scary."

But this time, Luca did not pay her any attention.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto Olivia, refusing to back down. His voice was hoarse, desperate. "Are you saying this because you're truly upset, or…"

"Because I truly want peace and quiet."

Olivia closed her eyes, exhaustion weighing heavily on her. She let out a weary sigh.

"Luca, just go. I just want some peace. You're both too noisy."