Gia hugged Al one more time before handing him over to Marlow. Sophie and Marlow would take care of them. Eventually, Marlow was summoned back to Geirangerfjord, leaving Sophie unable to handle them alone.Fortunately, Al and Frey no longer relied heavily on breast milk since they ate complementary foods. The frozen breast milk supply was also enough to last for a week.Frey immediately reached out his hand as soon as Gia freed hers. He always felt jealous whenever his older brother received more attention, whether from Gia or Raven.Sensing Gia’s unease, the little girl nestled her head against Gia’s neck and wrapped her arms around it in silence, offering comfort and reassurance.“I’ll be back soon, sweetheart. Wait a little longer. I’ll bring Daddy home,” Gia whispered.Frey missed Raven the most. He often cried and became fussy at night, his only way to express how much he missed his father. Gia understood the meaning behind those cries, which made her feel even more devastated.W
Svvere laughed as he listened to Gia’s criticism.“It’s not pleasant at all. I hate it too,” Svvere said.“Does it have to be like this every year?” Gia questioned the gloomy tradition, secretly wishing Svvere didn’t have to go through it annually. It would be too sad if he did.Svvere nodded with exaggerated enthusiasm. “It’s annoying, isn’t it? But thankfully, Mamma replaced it with another party.”“What do you mean?”“When the formal party ends, Mamma hosts a second birthday party the next day. It’s more relaxed, with just cousins and a few close relatives attending.”“That’s wonderful!”Svvere nodded and smiled, knowing the additional party was meant to cheer him up. No wonder he grew up to be such a cheerful young man despite enduring such odd traditions. Mette had ensured that Svvere’s childhood was as normal as possible.Gia’s admiration for Mette grew a little more. At first, she had judged the family for holding such a stiff and formal birthday party.But while they adhered t
"Yes. Just a few days ago,” Gia answered smoothly, without hesitation. Quite convincing.“And you?” Martha pointed at Matteo. “What happened to Dion?”Gia didn’t know who Dion was, but based on the context, he seemed to be Haakon’s usual bodyguard.“He’s sick. Resting,” Matteo answered coldly and briefly.The sunglasses hid almost all of his facial expressions. The other bodyguard glanced at Matteo. He surely knew it was a lie, but he didn’t interfere.“Really? I didn’t know he was sick. He seemed fine yesterday,” Martha said, looking surprised. She trusted Matteo but was puzzled by the sudden illness.“A severe flu,” Matteo added to clear Martha’s remaining doubts.“What about Natalie?”After hearing Matteo’s reasonable explanation, she turned back to Gia. This time, Gia knew that Natalie was the name of Mette’s usual assistant.“She had a sudden family emergency. They couldn’t be left alone. She left unexpectedly yesterday.”Gia inwardly groaned as she realized she had unintentional
When Gia received Natalie’s schedule for Mette, she didn’t pay much attention. That was a mistake because the schedule for the visit was packed, and Mette enthusiastically followed every event, as she was used to such a busy pace.Once the official welcoming ceremony at the palace was over, Mette and Haakon parted ways. Mette accompanied Queen Silvia, while Haakon had separate engagements with King Gustaf.Matteo was supposed to shadow Haakon, staying true to his undercover role. However, Matteo chose to stay with Gia due to their unique situation. Haakon’s actual bodyguard didn’t comment on Matteo joining Mette’s entourage instead.After just two events, Gia’s feet began to protest. Her admiration for Natalie soared as she watched the girl stand all day in those shoes and still move effortlessly. Meanwhile, Gia’s toes were starting to burn, screaming for freedom.The bad news was that Mette’s schedule was only halfway done. They were attending a luncheon hosted by a brain cancer rese
Gia brushed off the clumps of dirt stuck to the hem of her pants. She then rubbed the soles of her shoes against the grass to dislodge the muddy soil clinging to them.It rained heavily last night, leaving the ground today covered in leftover mud. However, the mud didn’t pose a problem for Mette.Mette’s schedule today involved attending another charity event. Unlike yesterday’s event, which focused on illnesses, today’s organization was dedicated to environmental conservation and sustainability.At the event, Mette donated a significant sum of money to purchase tree saplings to be planted worldwide. The donation was enough to buy millions of saplings.Mette had to step onto the soil and plant a tree in a designated spot as part of the symbolic donation ceremony, including documentation and other formalities. This was why Gia’s shoes and pants got dirty.Once the event concluded, Gia was responsible for cleaning Mette’s shoes, which were in a similar condition.Earlier, a rather amusi
“Look at that!”Mette exclaimed excitedly, making Martha pause while arranging Mette’s hair. Mette leapt from her chair and approached Gia, who had just entered the room.Gia entered, already dressed in the party attire Sophie had prepared for her. Sophie had instructed her to style her hair and makeup to perfection. The makeup was soft and subtle, enhancing Gia’s beauty without being overwhelming.Gia wore the red dress Sophie had selected the day before. It was slightly longer than knee-length and had open sleeves. Detailed floral embroidery and sequins adorned the V-shaped bodice extending to her waist.The dress gave Gia an intimidating aura and amplified her presence. Her petite frame seemed taller by a few centimetres, making her appear more striking than usual.Perhaps that added height was due to the high heels she wore. Though not as extreme as the killer heels from a few days ago, they were still tall enough. More importantly, Gia felt comfortable in these moderately high he
"Ranallo? Your brother is Ranallo?” Lonan asked, still unable to accept it."Yes. And because of that, Raven is still alive. Unlike your wish to kill him.”“I DIDN’T KNOW THEY WERE TRYING TO KILL RAVEN!” Lonan shouted, his voice loud but still drowned out by the music. Only Gia and Matteo heard his desperate outcry.“I don’t care what your intentions were. The fact remains: you cruelly led your own brother to his doom!” Gia snapped with scorn.From the start, Gia had hated Lonan for his lies. However, betraying Raven’s location was the most unforgivable act in her eyes. It had shattered Raven’s heart. Even now, Raven barely touched on the subject, unwilling to reopen old wounds.Gia knew this well, even though Raven never explicitly said so. He avoided mentioning Lonan because he didn’t want Gia to curse him further. After everything, Raven still wanted to protect Lonan’s reputation in her eyes.“He was the one who convinced—”Lonan stopped himself mid-sentence, realizing he had almos
Queen Silvia pulled Gia closer without paying attention to the confusion on her husband’s face. “There’s someone who wants to speak with you.”Gia was genuinely curious. Was Queen Silvia’s sweet tone the one she usually used when speaking to King Gustaf daily?However, seeing her husband’s surprise made it clear the tone was deliberate. Queen Silvia intentionally used it to heighten the surprise when she introduced them.“And who is this? I’ve never seen her before,” King Gustaf asked.Gia suddenly felt nervous as his piercing green eyes studied her intently. Only then did she realize the man addressing her was the ruler of one of Europe’s most powerful nations?“She’s my guest.” The words slipped from Queen Silvia’s lips almost instantly—a lie crafted without hesitation.Like Gia, she had decided not to involve Mette.Queen Silvia chose to take full responsibility herself, which was a smart move. Even if King Gustaf became angry later, it would remain a private marital argument rathe
“There’s been a slight change of plans. We cannot return to Norway today,” Raven said, accelerating the car after the traffic light turned green.“What about Al and Frey?!” Gia protested loudly. She had been holding back her longing for them, and Gia was sure Raven felt the same.“Don’t worry. Jasper has sent a plane there. I think they’ll arrive here tomorrow.”"Oh, that’s good.” Gia sighed in relief.“The problem we faced earlier isn’t as simple as I thought. It might take a month or two to resolve. You don’t mind staying here for a while, do you?” Raven knew Gia loved their cabin in Norway the most.Gia quickly shook her head. “I don’t mind being anywhere as long as they’re there and you’re with me.”Raven smiled gratefully, appreciating how easily Gia understood and accepted the situation without making many demands.“Then where will we stay?” Gia asked. Raven was now driving toward the city area.“We don’t need to hide anymore. So I think it is safe to return to my old home.”"Th
However, they immediately faced west. They didn’t notice Gia sitting behind them.Gia felt cornered, as she had no other space to hide or escape. The entrance to Raven’s office was far to the east.Reluctantly, Gia sat still, waiting for them to leave.“You’re not joking, are you?” one of them, a woman with wavy red hair, exclaimed in shock.“I saw it with my own eyes. Sia came out of the elevator with Mr. Lindgren. And you should have seen it. Mr. Lindgren was carrying a coat and a large box, even though he usually never carries anything in his hands when he’s with someone else.”Gia’s heart raced as she realized they were talking about her, making her nervous.The lengthy explanation came from the woman Gia had first seen welcoming Raven. Her short black hair swayed as she nodded enthusiastically.“Is she pretty?” another member of the group asked."Her face is decent. Not extraordinarily beautiful, but sweet and pleasant to look at.”As if she had just passed a challenging test, Gi
Gia’s face flushed with embarrassment. She remembered how nearly everyone had stared at her face and scrutinized her body earlier.“They were just staring; no one made any comments. The rule still stands, Haze. If any of them had commented about you, and I happened to know or hear it myself, I would send them to hell faster than you can blink,” Raven asserted.“Bad comments, you mean,” Gia corrected.Gia didn’t support Raven’s habit of firing or punishing employees, but there wasn’t much she could do when Raven was so determined. Besides, it wasn’t like she could keep track of every employee Raven had let go.Gia made a slight correction, hoping the number of employees fired would be fewer. She also hoped no one would comment negatively about her, so no one would have to lose their job.***“Come in,” Raven said as they arrived in front of a large wooden door engraved with the name ‘Raven Corbin Lindgren’ in gold ink.Raven’s office was located in the most strategic corner of the floo
"Wait." Raven stopped Jasper from entering the elevator, then pressed the button for the top floor, marked P. The elevator doors closed.“If you want to change clothes before meeting the occupants of this building, you’ll have to do it here. Right now."That was the reason Raven had prevented Jasper from entering the elevator. She explained this before Gia could accuse her of being cruel for leaving Jasper behind.“Once these doors open, a room will be full of employees working under the board of directors. So, you need to change now.”That wasn’t a fabricated excuse, but Gia still had to think twice before doing something so bold. She would be undressing in a public space, even inside an elevator.At the moment, her outfit wasn’t appropriate for making a good impression. She had dressed casually, thinking today’s event was just about picking Raven up from prison—an occasion that didn’t require fancy attire."How about it?" Raven asked."What about you? You’re changing too." Gia point
"Take good care of her!""No need to tell me!" Raven snapped upon hearing Matteo's message.As they left the prison, Matteo expressed his desire to return to Italy again. He had urgent matters to attend to.Seeing no way to stop him, Gia finally gave up, trying to persuade him to stay. Raven kindly lent one of his planes to Matteo to take him to Italy.“Send my regards to Aria and Vero,” Gia said.Matteo nodded, briefly hugged Gia, and gently touched her face. “Take good care of yourself. Come visit as soon as you finish your business here.”“Sure,” Gia nodded confidently. Matteo then walked up the plane’s stairs, waved his hand, and the door closed behind him.“We need to take off soon, too,” Raven said, leading Gia toward another plane Jasper had prepared.But just as they were about to step forward, Raven’s phone vibrated. “What now?" Raven asked, answering the call with an annoyed expression.“What for? Isn’t it clear that I..."Raven paused momentarily, listening to what was undo
Yesterday, the political world of Sweden was shaken when Prime Minister Ronald Errikson suddenly resigned from his position. He cited health reasons, but three people in the car knew the reason.Gia was sure Caius knew since she had shared everything in that room with Jasper.“I hope Queen Silvia lets him go,” Gia muttered, shivering as she recalled Caius’s mother’s threats.“Don’t worry. My mother loves making threats, but considering her calculated moves so far, I think she’ll forgive him,” Caius replied confidently.Gia felt a bit sorry for Robert, who had also been manipulated by Willow. Yet, remembering what the two of them had done made Gia feel nauseous.“I met your brother. You two look alike,” Gia said, steering the conversation to a lighter topic.“I’m better looking, of course,” Caius smirked, refusing to back down.“Yeah… sure,” Gia conceded half-heartedly as Matteo snorted in disgust.That was all they said about Daniel. Gia fell silent, unable to comment further. She did
Gia stared at the building in wonder, then turned to Matteo, who was frowning as he tried to park the car neatly.The remaining parking space was narrow, requiring full concentration to fit their car in without grazing the vehicles on either side.“Are you sure we’re in the right place? We’re supposed to pick Raven up from prison. Why did you bring me here?" Gia protested as Matteo turned off the engine.“That building is Tabellen 4 Sollentuna, the highest-security prison in Stockholm,” Matteo explained.“Are you sure you didn’t mix up the address?” Gia asked, still doubtful."No, Gia. You can read the nameplate over there.”Gia wanted to argue again, but when she read the nameplate, she froze.She realized the tall building was indeed a prison. However, since the exterior was entirely covered in glass, it didn’t look like a typical prison but resembled a modern office building. From this angle, the sunlight reflecting off its surface made Gia squint slightly, even though it wasn’t ho
Matteo uttered the keyword “materialistic” and sparked an idea in Gia’s mind.King Gustaf greatly valued money if it served the nation’s interests. Taxes were the answer—essential to the country’s finances, with the funds allocated for the people’s welfare. He would never willingly lose that much money in an instant.Lindgren Corp likely contributed at least ten to fifteen per cent of the nation’s tax revenue. This is a small percentage, but in monetary terms, it was immense. The sum was roughly equivalent to the nation’s needs for two months. Losing it would disrupt the economy.Gia regretted not realizing this sooner, but it seemed Matteo had prepared it as a final negotiation card if all else failed. Still, she felt proud of herself for quickly deciphering Matteo’s brief hint.Once again, laughter erupted behind Gia. “I like your style, Gia. I really do…” Queen Silvia clapped in delight. She enjoyed the drama Gia brought and seemed thoroughly satisfied. “Someday, I’ll invite you
CRASH!As Queen Silvia finished her sentence, an ashtray flew through the air and slammed into the wall behind Ronald. King Gustaf had thrown it. He snatched the ashtray from the table and hurled it with all his strength in Ronald’s direction.His fury had reached its boiling point. Anyone could understand the implication behind Queen Silvia’s words about “spreading legs.” Imagining Willow doing such a thing with Ronald was enough to make Queen Silvia’s disgust apparent.Especially for King Gustaf. Though he found it hard to believe his wife’s words, Ronald’s increasingly bowed head confirmed the truth.Gia covered her mouth, trying to stifle her gasp. She hadn’t expected Willow to stoop so low to achieve her plans. Matteo, however, seemed utterly unbothered, the only one in the room unimpressed by the unfolding drama. He’d witnessed far more shocking events in the past.“I knew that girl was disgusting! But you are even more repulsive for accepting her. She’s the same age as your dau