Olivia entered the house through the back alley as usual. Even though she had to take a rather long detour, she didn't mind because she felt that she belonged there, to the servant class. She wasn't part of the core family and felt it inappropriate to enter through the front like everyone else. With a throbbing headache, she greeted the housekeeper who happened to be there. Olivia grabbed a glass and filled it with warm water. "Are you okay?" Mrs. Eli, a woman in her mid-forties, asked with a concerned look. Olivia smiled and nodded. "I'm fine, Mrs. Eli. I think I'm coming down with the flu," Olivia replied honestly. Her nose felt itchy, her throat hurt, and the throbbing in her head made Olivia sure that she had caught the flu virus that was currently spreading on campus. "Do you want some medicine?" Mrs. Eli asked again. Olivia nodded. Olivia approached Mrs. Eli, who was looking for the medicine, and accepted it. "This medicine makes you sleepy; if you have any assignments left
Ignazio's eyes searched for tissues to wipe away the sweat, as his hands were clearly not enough to dry it. He walked to the study table and found a large pack of tissues, bringing it back to the bed. Slowly, Ignazio continued to wipe Olivia's face and neck. The girl was still restlessly murmuring in her sleep. Judging by the sweat flooding her face and neck, Ignazio was sure that her whole body must be drenched in sweat. "Olivia?" Ignazio called her again, but Olivia didn't respond at all. This made Ignazio furrow his brow. Olivia was usually a fairly sensitive girl and not difficult to wake up, but this time, she seemed entirely undisturbed by Ignazio's calls and touches. Ignazio stood up, walked towards where Olivia's clothes were, and frowned to himself. What was he doing? What would he replace Olivia's wet clothes with? Feeling somewhat lost, Ignazio decided to leave Olivia's room and enter his own. He searched for his clothes to put on Olivia, and afterwards, he rushed downst
"You don't like looking at me until you kick me out, so I assume you also don't like what I just did to you," he said, reaching for the second top button of the shirt. "Not like this. I didn't ask you to change my clothes, but not like this, Sir. Please, don't," Olivia pleaded, holding Ignazio's hand to prevent him from unbuttoning her shirt. "So, you don't mind what I did?" Ignazio asked, and Olivia shook her head. Reluctantly, she had to give in. "Do you still want me to leave then? Because if you do, I'll still take this shirt with me because I don't want to lend it to you." "Sir, I will return it, but..." "I want to take it off just like when I put it on," Ignazio insisted and brushed away Olivia's hand that was holding his. Not forcefully, but with enough strength to make Olivia's hand slip away. "Sir..." "If you don't want me to take it off, then you can't kick me out, and I will stay here as long as I want," Ignazio said with a determined gaze. Feeling dizzy again, Olivi
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The panicked shout accompanied by the banging on the door made Ignazio instantly shield Olivia behind his body. Olivia trembled behind Ignazio; she knew that voice too well, and it truly frightened her. Meanwhile, Ignazio was surprised by the unexpected morning visitor. "U-Uncle? What is Uncle doing here?" Ignazio asked, astonished, addressing his father's younger cousin. "Who's the person behind you, Ignazio?" The man turned back to Ignazio, asking in a low voice that sent shivers down the spines of both Ignazio and Olivia. "This... She..." "Don't hide her from me," his uncle ordered with clenched teeth. "Uncle... she..." Uncle Ignazio approached quickly, gripping Ignazio's arm and pulling him to stand so that the seventy-year-old man could see the person Ignazio was hiding. "How could..." the man asked, eyes wide with shock and glistening with tears. "I-I'm sorry, Grandpa. I beg your forgiveness," Olivia whispered. The girl lowered her gaze with tears
Olivia brought items that she considered important. She packed quickly, putting in her textbooks and her old clothes that she didn't really need to bother packing because they had been stored in the large suitcase her foster brother gave her a long time ago. She deliberately put those clothes back into the suitcase after Granny Claire bought her new ones when she decided to take on the job as an assistant at Kralligimiz. The reason Olivia did this was because she felt that her worn-out clothes didn't go well with the expensive branded clothes that Granny Claire bought for her. Just like her current feelings, feeling unworthy to be alongside Ignazio, whose level she believed was far above hers. Olivia struggled to pull the super-large suitcase. Her small body was not as strong as needed to carry a suitcase that was almost half her height. What was actually making the suitcase feel heavy for her to pull? The books inside that became a burden, or her heart, which was not entirely willi
A party meant a family gathering. And wouldn't that mean Olivia would meet Ignazio again? Or would he not attend the event? Olivia didn't want to think about it. Olivia had dinner in the main house, forced by Ivana. She initially refused to have dinner, claiming she didn't want to risk infecting other family members, but Ivana insisted, saying that Hanna and Liam Watkinson—Ivana's husband—wanted Olivia to be there and eat with them. Olivia lost her appetite even though her favorite foods were on the table. She only spoke when asked, afraid to speak and even to lift her head. Olivia felt guilty and embarrassed, especially towards her foster father who, at that time, didn't say anything and chose to listen to his granddaughter's story. After dinner, Olivia excused herself and returned to the back house. As she sat on a chair outside the house, the sound of footsteps approaching made Olivia tense. Adaline appeared with a hot mug in her hand, smiling and opening the wooden gate, stepp
Part 35"The days that passed felt so long and, one could say, boring. Ignazio's parents didn't talk much when they returned from vacation and realized that Olivia was no longer in their residence. This was in stark contrast to Gianna, who continuously questioned where Olivia was and when the girl would return.Ignazio couldn't provide an answer because he himself didn't know what to say. He even felt embarrassed to face his parents, although both of them didn't comment on anything and could only calm Gianna, explaining that Olivia now lived at Granny Gisna's house because Granny Gisna needed her."There's already Elara, why does Granny Adaline want Olivia too?" Gianna asked innocently."Because Olivia is Granny Adaline and Grandpa Altezza's granddaughter," came the response from Meizar, Ignazio's youngest brother, who came to their parents' residence for breakfast. Meizar's answer made Gianna upset to the point that the little girl pouted."Now, what about Lorraine? She's gone, and O
"So, Lorraine just left like that, and Olivia was suddenly pulled out of work by Uncle?" Zello asked as they gathered in the evening at the bar in Quirino Hotel.Luca sent a message in the group of male cousins, inviting them to gather after work. Only Rayyan and Meizar accepted Luca's invitation, while Geremia was absent due to work. Ignazio, despite not giving any response, attended because he needed to distract his mind."Damn right," Meizar replied curtly. "And I don't know where she is now," he continued, dropping his body onto the back of the sofa.Next to him, Rayyan, stirring his drink, chuckled at Meizar's response, making Meizar look at him with a cynical look.For some reason, Ignazio suspected that Rayyan was behind Lorraine's disappearance, and his cousin knew where Lorraine was but was unwilling to reveal it."But why did Dad pull Olivia out too?" Luca asked Rayyan. Rayyan answered his cousin with a shrug."Olivia is sick," Rayyan replied, causing Ignazio to tense up ins