“What other surprises do you have in store?” Gia asked, almost shouting.
The lack of a roof made the noise from Raven's car engine dominate the atmosphere. The rumbling occurred because the road leading to the old castle was full of steep inclines. This was one of the disadvantages of living in a house situated on a hill.
“Would it be a surprise if I told you now?” Raven replied with a question.
Gia responded with a pout. Earlier, Raven had promised her a surprise to make up for her disappointment that he had to leave again—to take care of business in Norway.
Gia didn’t actually need a surprise. It would be strange if Raven wasn't occupied, especially after seemingly neglecting all his tasks during their stay at Chateau Eza.
Rose gasped when she opened the large refrigerator in the kitchen. "What is this?" she asked, pointing at the dozens of boxes filled with food supplies, her expression puzzled.Just like when Sophie went on vacation, Raven doubted Gia's cooking skills and changed the usual fridge stock, which typically consisted of raw ingredients, into a supply of ready-made meals that only needed heating."Food. We just need to heat it when we want to eat," Gia explained.Gia grabbed a bottle of apple juice and placed it into the basket, along with sandwiches, croissants, and various fruits, including apples and grapes. Raven had remembered to stock the fridge with Gia's two favorite fruits.
"EZE, here we come!"Rose exclaimed cheerfully as the car they were in drove out of the gates of the old castle. Today, it was Eze's turn to be visited, and Rose couldn't wait any longer."Are they following us?" Rose asked, glancing nervously at the rearview mirror.The winding, hilly roads were not to be underestimated, especially since she wasn't familiar with the area. Gia knew the routes better but needed an international driving license, whereas Rose did. So, Rose had to take the wheel.Gia briefly turned to look behind them and spotted a black sedan following closely."Yes, one car," Gia replied.&
Willow wasn't alone; a man stood not far from her, rigid in posture and dressed neatly. Judging by his indifferent demeanor, he was likely her driver or bodyguard. Gia shifted her gaze back to Willow."That's right," Gia said, confirming Willow's assumption. She was indeed the girl who had been with Raven in Gothenburg.Gia walked closer to Willow until they were close enough to converse in normal tones.She tried to respond as calmly as possible, even though her heart was racing, making her ears feel hot. Gia hid her hands behind her back to conceal their trembling; she wasn't prepared for such a confrontation."Tree," murmured Rose softly behind Gia. Although she had
"Ow!" Gia groaned softly as she tried to open her mouth wider to bite into an apple.Her lips were still sore from the Tree's slap. Besides being unpredictable, the force used to strike Gia seemed disproportionate to the Tree's slim form. Just as Rose suspected, Gia's cheek was now a dark purple.Gia opened the fridge, grabbed an ice pack, and pressed it against her bruised cheek."Once again, I'm no psychologist, but that woman is not normal Gia. Did you see how quickly her demeanor changed? It was terrifying!" Rose said as she walked into the kitchen."I don't know, Rose." Gia grabbed a knife from the table and sliced the apple into smaller pieces so she wouldn't hav
"Ge... what?""Geirangerfjord," Raven repeated.Gia almost cursed as she tried to pronounce the name of their destination. The name sounded more like a complicated magic spell."Follow me. Say it slowly. Gei... ranger... fjord. The 'fjord' part is like saying 'York,' but slip an 'f' at the start and end it with a 'd,' not a 'k,'" Raven explained patiently."Gei—ranger—fjord," Gia repeated."Good. Not perfect, but decent enough." Raven smiled, appreciating her effort despite its imperfection."I regret not paying attention to fo
The pain of Willow’s slap was nothing compared to the wound Gia felt upon hearing Lonan’s words.“Don’t tell me you haven’t felt anything strange, Gia. I’ve never even tried to sleep with you! Doesn’t that make you wonder?"“SHUT YOUR MOUTH, LONAN!” Raven snapped again, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he restrained himself from hitting him.Gia, meanwhile, glanced fiercely between the two men. Memories of her struggle to overcome the despair from that incident flashed in her mind. It had taken her a long time to live normally again and stop burying herself in distractions to forget the pain.And now, two bitter truths ripped open the wounds she thought had healed, forcing them to bleed anew.Gia couldn’t comprehend
Gia gazed blankly at the greenery outside her room, even though the lush green view was undeniably enchanting.The scenery in Katastari was a warm yellow hue; Eze leaned towards shades of blue and white due to the sea, while Geirangerfjord was purely green. The verdant vegetation was soothing to the eyes.Gia’s cabin was nestled on a hillside overlooking the Geirangelva River—a vast and beautiful river with crystal-clear blue water. Close to its mouth, the river was large enough to accommodate sailboats and small ships gliding peacefully on its surface, offering a serene view of the picturesque valley.However, the sight that indeed took Gia’s breath away was the winding waterfall cascading down the hill opposite the cabin. The spray of water descending from the heights created a misty ambience around the cabin, as if the weather there was perpetually foggy. Gia adored it.If only her mood wasn’t so sour, she would have undoubtedly been jumping for joy at the sight. But instead of del
Gia was happy because her decision to go jogging had brought positive outcomes. The lush green of the Geirangerfjord matched what Gia had hoped for. She didn’t go far, just running along a deserted highway that seemed to be built specifically to reach Raven’s cabin. Not a single car passed by as she jogged.Even with the short distance, Gia was satisfied with everything she saw. The breathtaking panorama made time seem to stop for her, soothing her mind.Sweat dripped down Gia’s face, indicating she had run far enough. She looked for a place to rest and found a tall tree by the roadside. Its protruding roots provided a comfortable enough seat.Gia glanced to her side and saw Max had also stopped, standing still and staring ahead. She felt annoyed seeing that his face wasn’t even sweaty, and his breathing remained steady. His stamina was far superior to hers, though his wide-eyed expression of awe was unmistakable.It was a reaction she could understand because anyone would pause in si
"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