Page 52 of No Mane, No Gain

“What is it? Can you fix it?”

Ziggy’s grin faded slightly. “I can definitely get your site back up. But... you might want to sit down for this, Ms. Russo.”

With growing dread, Olive sank into the nearest chair. “Just tell me.”

“Your site was deliberately taken down. And I traced the attack back to its source.” Ziggy hesitated, glancing nervously at Olive. “It came from an IP address registered to Tia Amato.”

The name hit Olive like a physical blow. Tia. Chaos’s sister. The woman who had made it abundantly clear that she didn’t approve of Olive’s relationship with her brother.

“Are you sure?” Olive asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ziggy nodded grimly. “One hundred percent. I’ve got the digital trail to prove it.”

As the reality of the situation sank in, Olive’s shock gave way to a simmering anger. How dare Tia attack her livelihood? This wasn’t just petty jealousy anymore - this was sabotage.

For a moment, Olive considered calling Chaos immediately to tell him what his sister had done. But as she reached for her phone, a new thought struck her. The family dinner. Chaos’s parents had invited her over that evening to officially meet her as Chaos’s girlfriend. What better time to confront Tia than in front of the entire family?

Decision made, Olive turned back to Ziggy. “Can you get my site back up without letting Tia know we’re onto her?”

Ziggy’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Oh, absolutely. She’ll never know what hit her.”

As Ziggy worked to restore her website, Olive’s mind raced with plans. She’d bide her time, play nice at dinner, and then, when the moment was right, she’d reveal Tia’s treachery to everyone.

Hours later, Olive stood before the full-length mirror in her bedroom, smoothing down the front of her red cocktail dress. She’d chosen the color deliberately - bold, vibrant, impossible to ignore. Just like her.

A soft knock at the door preceded Chaos’s entrance. He paused in the doorway, his hazel eyes widening as he took in her appearance.

“You look stunning,” he said, crossing the room to pull her into his arms.

Olive allowed herself a moment to melt into his embrace, drawing strength from his solid presence. Then she stepped back, meeting his gaze with determination.

“Ready to face the lion’s den?” she asked, only half-joking.

Chaos chuckled, but his eyes were serious as he cupped her face in his hands. “They’re going to love you, Olive. And if Tia tries anything...”

“Don’t worry about Tia,” Olive cut in, perhaps a bit too quickly. At Chaos’s questioning look, she forced a smile. “I can handle your sister.”

As they drove to the Amato family mansion, Olive’s mind buzzed with anticipation. She’d faced down internet trolls and cutthroat business rivals, but somehow, the prospect of this dinner filled her with a unique blend of excitement and dread.

The Amato estate sprawled before them, a modern architectural marvel of glass and metal nestled amongmanicured gardens. As they pulled up to the entrance, Olive took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come.

Marco and Isabella Amato greeted them at the door, all warm smiles and European charm. Olive found herself immediately drawn to Isabella’s kind green eyes and Marco’s booming laugh.

“Benvenuta, Olive!” Isabella exclaimed, pulling her into a surprisingly strong hug. “We’ve heard so much about you.”

Marco’s handshake was firm and genuine. “Any woman who can make our Chaos smile like that is welcome in our home.”

As they made their way to the dining room, Olive caught sight of Tia, hovering near the bar with a glass of wine in hand. Their eyes met, and Olive saw a flash of something - anger? Fear? - before Tia’s face settled into a mask of polite indifference.

“Olive,” Tia greeted coolly. “So glad you could join us.”

Olive plastered on her best vlogger smile. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Throughout the appetizer course, Olive chatted easily with Marco and Isabella, sharing stories about her vlog and her work with the family foundation. She could feel Tia’s eyes on her, watching for any misstep.

As the main course arrived - a mouthwatering osso buco that had Olive mentally taking notes for her next cooking vlog - Tia finally spoke up.

“So, Olive,” she began, her tone deceptively light. “How’s that little website of yours doing? Still reviewing trashy romance novels?”

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