Gia pushed Raven's wheelchair along the path she had seen from the room earlier. The wheelchair moved smoothly as the path was paved with thin stone slabs set into the ground, creating a flat surface.Her eyes caught sight of a price tag sticking out from the sleeve of her trench coat. Clicking her tongue, Gia pulled off the tag and tossed it away.All the clothes in "their" closet remained brand new, as none of Gia's clothes from Sweden had arrived. According to Raven, the house had beenvacated.The evacuation order had come so suddenly. Sophie and Marlow had only managed to bring a few essential items for Gia, like medical equipment and her supply of medicines.Gia could only accept the dozens of new clothes provided for her. It wasn't that she was ungrateful, but the person who selected the clothes had very different tastes from hers.Gia’s casual wardrobe usually consisted of plain cotton pants and comfortable T-shirts, but nearly all her new clothes were dresses. Some were ankle-
Gia stared at the pile of swimsuits, her brow twitching in irritation. After waiting for days for the pool to be ready, she could finally schedule her hydrotherapy. But just as she was about to start, Gia encountered an annoying setback.Sophie had purchased five revealing swimsuits. There wasn’t a single full-suit model like the ones Gia was used to wearing in Gothenburg. As she sifted through the pile, her irritation grew, especially when she spotted a yellow bikini at the very bottom.Gia buried her face in her hands, frustrated and confused.For the past few days, Gia had been working hard to get used to the dresses Sophie provided. She could now admit they suited her well. However, Gia refused to wear any swimsuits.The thought of herself in a one-piece swimsuit, with Raven nearby, was enough to make her blush. Let alone the bikini—that was out of the question!Gia slammed the closet door shut in frustration."Are you ready? And what did the door do wrong?" Raven, waiting behind
Gia lowered her head, drawing patterns in the sand with her shoe. Her mind was busy trying to push Raven away, but her heart felt touched because she realized that Raven actually cared for her a little.Raven had specifically called the doctor because he was worried about her condition.“Gia, don’t be moved by such a simple act. Any human would do the same when seeing someone sick! He just didn’t want the hassle,” Gia murmured to herself quietly.But despite her warning to herself, Gia could still feel warmth flooding her heart—a happiness born of feeling cared for. Even that small bit of attention was enough to make her feel joy. But that joy was soon followed by pain.Gia squatted down, watching the waves as they recede before they could touch her shoes. She stepped forward, took off her shoes, and deliberately let the cold sea waves wash over her feet, hoping the sting of the cold could help her forget the ache in her heart.“Understand, Gia!”“He will never be yours.”“He lives in
"Hazel?"Gia’s consciousness stirred slightly upon hearing a voice call her name, possibly Sophie’s. She tried to see more clearly, but her eyes felt heavy.Then, a familiar scent wafted towards her—the scent of disinfectant, the smell of a hospital. But that was all. As she attempted to cling to that conscious thought, sleep, exhaustion, and another force overcame her, drawing her back into slumber.***After a period of unknown time, Gia regained consciousness once more, this time due to a gentle touch on her cheek.The warmth of the hand brought her a sense of comfort, like spring sunlight—familiar, sweet, tender, and sending a feeling of security deep into her soul. But it still wasn’t enough to make her open her eyes.Just before drifting back into darkness, Gia felt a small kiss on her forehead.***Pain and soreness—these were the first things Gia felt. Her body was tired, weak, an
Gia adjusted her skirt once she was comfortably seated. Raven’s wheelchair looked like a throne when Gia was in it, as her petite frame seemed dwarfed by its size."Could you bring this for me? I forgot to change it this morning, and the flowers have all wilted,"Sophie said, handing over a vase of flowers from Raven's room. Gia accepted it with a smile.In Katastari, Sophie ensured there were fresh flowers every day for Raven’s room. She felt it suited the beauty of the room, contrasting with the cold, stiff decor of Raven's room in Gothenburg.“Ew!” Gia made a gagging sound as she caught an unpleasant whiff from the vase."Don’t sniff it! The rotten smell of flower stems is very different from the floral scent," Sophie chuckled as Gia held her nose."And now imagine someone pouring the water from a flower vase all over me. I went through a whole bottle of soap trying to get rid of the smell," Raven added,
Gia gazed at the two large suitcases she planned to bring with her. She had only brought one medium-sized suitcase when she arrived in Gothenburg, and now she was returning home with three times as much.She could imagine Rose's reaction when she saw the suitcase contents. Her taste was similar to Sophie’s. Gia would gladly donate clothes that Rose would undoubtedly appreciate."Hazel, here’s a cake for you and your roommate. Keep this meat pie in the fridge; it’ll last for several weeks, no problem. And here are some milk and almond cookies. I made plenty so you can share with your friends at the hospital, except the ones in the blue box. I made those just for you."Sophie smiled and added two large boxes to Gia's luggage.Gia felt like crying, partly because of Sophie’s kindness. She felt like a schoolgirl about to go on her first picnic, with Sophie playing the role of a caring mother, showering her with food so she wouldn&rsquo
"Gia!""Gia, someone’s calling you." Beth touched Gia’s face to get her attention, as Gia didn’t seem to hear the call."Oh!" Gia turned toward the door and saw one of the nurses calling her to hand over some patient files."Just a moment." Gia excused herself from Beth to take the documents."Daydreaming? You look pale, Gia." Beth stroked Gia’s arm as she continued to massage her hand."I was just thinking about something," Gia replied with a reassuring smile.Gia was still not used to being called Gia again. When her mind was blank or she was concentrating, like she had been, she’d often ignore it. Naturally, she was annoyed; this wasn’t the first time it had happened.She still couldn’t fully shake off the impact of the name, even though it had been a month since she’d returned to her normal life as Gia Harken."It seems like you've been very busy since you got back
Gia hummed softly as she spread peanut butter on her toast, then poured herself a glass of apple juice—her favorite. With that, her simple breakfast was ready. Not that she couldn't afford other groceries, but this was all the fridge had.The pies and all the other treats from Sophie were long gone. Neither she nor Rose could cook, so Sophie’s provisions had been a blessing for them both.As Gia savored her breakfast, she mentally committed to purchasing groceries on her way home. She aimed to purchase some vegetables and fruit to enhance the nutritional value of tomorrow's meals. Still humming, she cleaned up her dishes and washed her plate and glass.“Aah!” Gia shrieked as hands suddenly wrapped around her from behind.“Rose… Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Gia groaned, her heart somersaulting from the surprise.“You’re back…” Rose rubbed her face affectionately agains
"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
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
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
“I think this works,” Sophie said, pulling out two suits—one in blue and the other in black. "Go ahead, try them on."Gia nodded obediently and took the two suits into the fitting room. She complied because she understood the necessity of it all. After checking herself in the mirror twice, Gia finally nodded. The suits Sophie had chosen fit her petite frame perfectly."How is it?" Sophie asked."I think they’re fine," Gia replied."Great! Now all we need is to find a party dress.” With quick movements, Sophie handed the two formal suits to the sales assistant for processing."Add these too," Sophie said, pointing to two more outfits she had picked earlier.Gia was already content with the first two suits, but Sophie thought two were far too few. There was no point in arguing with Sophie about the number of clothes. Gia had to comply, or things would drag on unnecessarily.After paying for the purchases, they moved to another boutique specializing in evening and cocktail dresses.Choos
While waiting for Haakon, they enjoyed lunch. Al and Frey needed extra attention during the meal. Mette happily took over Sophie’s role and helped feed Frey. Matteo, on the other hand, wasn’t exceptionally skilled at this.It was clear that Svvere adored Freya. As he sat beside his mother, watching her feed Frey, his eyes never left her. Several times, Gia noticed him gently stroking Frey’s head with affection.Svvere even tried feeding Frey himself, though his hands were clumsy. When he succeeded, he clapped his hands like he had just won a prestigious competition. Frey’s laughter matched Svvere’s excitement, filling the room with joy.Seeing this warmed Gia’s heart a little. She truly hoped that Haakon would provide the answer she was longing for.“She doesn’t want to anymore. You don’t need to force her,” Gia explained, noticing Svvere’s sad expression when Frey refused to open her mouth again.“Is she full?” Svvere asked.“And she’ll probably feel sleepy soon,” Gia replied, explai
Mette’s residence was just as Gia remembered it, though perhaps a bit livelier now that flowers were beginning to bloom in the garden in front of the house. The last time she visited was during autumn when the garden looked much barer.“He’s the prince of Norway?” Matteo still seemed unable to believe that Gia could be close to someone of such stature. He had underestimated Lindgren’s influence before.Gia nodded. “Haakon, Mette’s husband, is the heir to the throne of Norway.”“Let’s see how this unfolds,” Matteo ended the discussion as the car stopped.Al clung tightly to Gia as they got out of the car. The boy always seemed uncomfortable in unfamiliar environments. On the other hand, Frey didn’t seem to care—especially since he was fast asleep in Matteo’s arms.The staff welcomed Gia the first time she visited. Today was special. She saw Mette standing at the main door; naturally, Svvere was with her.“Gia!” Svvere shouted, running toward her. The noise disturbed Frey, but Matteo ca
“It’s colder here,” Gia murmured. She had gotten used to Italy’s climate and forgotten that Norway was several degrees cooler.Italy’s spring temperature hovered below twenty degrees Celsius, but Norway was likely below fifteen. Gia was thankful she had dressed Al and Frey warmly enough.Jasper greeted them on the runway with Max. Their group was quite large, so he had prepared two cars. Besides Matteo, Gia brought Sophie along, as she was the only one who could help her manage the twins. Marlow had stayed behind in Italy and would only join them if necessary.“Geirangerfjord.”Gia pronounced their destination fluently as the car started moving, recalling how patiently Raven had taught her to say the name correctly.A wave of nostalgia hit Gia. Although she had left this country over a year ago, her memories of Norway remained vivid.She remembered how chaotic her emotions were when she first came here. Yet this country was also where she and Raven had gotten married, and it held a sp
Gia’s hands trembled as she listened to the dial tone. The long-distance call only played monotonously, indicating that Caius wasn’t answering.“Is he ignoring you?” Matteo asked.Gia wanted to say yes, but she trusted Caius more than that. So she called again.“Maybe he’s busy,” Gia said, trying to comfort herself while giving Matteo an excuse.The second call nearly crushed Gia’s hope. It, too, was nothing but an endless ringing tone without an answer. But just as the call was about to end, she finally heard a response.“Gia.”“Caz…”“I can’t help you.”Before Gia could even State," her request, Caius cut her off. He had already heard about Raven and guessed why Gia was calling.“I’m not asking for much. I just want to meet your father.”Caius let out a dry, bitter laugh at Gia’s request. “He won’t even meet me, Gia. How could I possibly get you an audience with him? He’s furious because I sided with Raven and didn’t take Willow’s side. I could’ve initially reported your marriage to
Gia honestly forgot about it. The warmth and happiness that had enveloped her these past few months made her unwilling to recall such unpleasant memories.Her mind effortlessly sorted out the fact that Raven was a fugitive and buried it deep in the back of her head. She refused to let that thought disrupt her happiness. But now, that very fact struck her, shattering the beautiful picture of her life at an unexpected moment. It destroyed the perfect world she had tried so hard to maintain.Gia crouched, crossing her arms over her chest, squeezing her arms and shoulders to keep herself conscious.She couldn’t allow herself to faint. Gia kept hurting her own body to stay awake. The pain from her tight grip was enough to hold on to the fragments of her sanity, preventing it from being consumed by panic and fear for the future.“Gia, what’s wrong?” Aria asked when she saw Gia’s phone fall to the floor. She got up and approached her, clueless about what was happening.“What’s wrong? Don’t d