Gia walked with a straight back and a raised chin, exuding perfection. Yet profound inside, she longed to rub her arms out of nervousness. In her mind, she kept replaying the last reflection she saw in the mirror earlier. Her appearance was impeccable—there was no way it could be better.
"You’re beautiful, and there’s nothing wrong with how you look!” Gia affirmed that she wanted to boost her confidence, recalling Raven’s comment that she lacked self-assurance.
“You are a Lindgren; there is nothing to fear.” She repeated Raven’s words from memory, letting them strengthen her resolve.
“Gia!” When she entered the main room, Mette greeted her with open arms and a wa
Two individuals older than Mette were the wives of nobles with the rank of Baron, a title lower than Count. But according to Raven, such matters no longer held any significance.Since Raven was no longer a Count, Gia didn’t need to do anything. Once again, Raven emphasized that they should not get involved in politics.Baroness Jonsson, a middle-aged woman, scrutinized Gia from head to toe. Her eyes were brown, almost yellow. However, her blonde hair seemed suspicious to Gia—it didn’t appear natural. It seemed dyed, likely to hide the grays.The other, Baroness Everling, was similar. While her mouth smiled warmly in greeting, her eyes critically assessed Gia’s appearance from head to toe, judging her. The wrinkles around her lips deepened as she forced a smile, ensuring her perfect teeth were
Essentially, Svvere was a cheerful child. Despite his unique circumstances, Svvere enthusiastically described every detail of his treehouse. Using sign language, occasionally interspersed with words, his deep blue eyes sparkled with excitement.Seeing this, a hint of sadness crept into Gia’s heart. She imagined Svvere’s future, which would be far from easy. By birthright, he would one day become king after his father. His challenges as a king with hearing impairment would not be light.If being an ordinary king was already demanding, Svvere would have to work twice as hard as any other king. However, Gia felt slightly relieved. Mette and Haakon seemed to be raising Svvere well.The boy grew up like any typical seven-year-old—cheerful, full of laughter, and quick-witted. Gia hoped those traits would
“Let’s go home, Max. The sooner, the better!”Gia threw herself onto the back seat and rubbed her temples as a sudden headache set in. She had resolved not to take their words to heart, but those sly and unkind remarks still echoed in her mind.Since her wedding day with Raven, Gia had imagined moments like this would come. There would always be people pointing fingers and making cruel accusations. She had steeled herself, yet it still hurt.Gia reached for the phone in her bag, debating whether to call Raven, but she decided against it. He already had too much on his mind with the trial; she didn’t want to add to his burdens.“Are you alright, Mrs. Lindgren?” Max asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. He had heard Gia sigh heavily at least fiv
When they finally arrived at the airport, Gia still felt like she was in a dream. Max had to guide her by the arm as they walked inside.The man assumed Gia’s shock was due to the chase they had just endured. He didn’t realize she was struggling to hold on to her sanity. Gia was desperately trying not to scream as shards of her memories clawed at her consciousness.“Mrs. Lindgren, please wait here for a moment. I need to make a report,” Max said, pointing to his phone.Gia nodded blankly and sat on a sofa in the airport lounge, her expression vacant.Slowly, she raised her hand to cover her mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to escape as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She wanted to deny what she had just seen—that her eyes had
Gia woke up, and fear gripped her heart as the scent of disinfectant once again assaulted her senses. She feared her nightmare had become a reality.Slowly, she sat up; tears welled in her eyes as she saw the man curled up and sleeping soundly on the sofa beside her. It was Max.Seeing Max there meant only one thing: everything that happened at Schwechat Airport was real—it wasn’t just a bad dream as she had hoped. Raven would never allow another man in her room if everything had been fine.Gia closed her eyes, trying to process the painful memories. Every word Max had told her was accurate. She glanced down at her body, still clad in the red dress. So it happened...“Raven...”Even in her mind, she co
For a moment, Willow’s green eyes widened, glaring at Lonan in fury. Not only Gia but even she hadn’t expected this—Lonan, who always obeyed Willow’s every whim like a loyal dog, dared to ‘bite his master’ for the first time.Lonan’s defiance was a breath of fresh air for Gia.“Your Majesty! I believe it’s now your turn!” Gia began with biting sarcasm. No one has ever acknowledged Willow’s status as the king’s daughter, and Gia purposely addressed her with mocking politeness.“You…” Willow shook off Lonan’s grip, but Gia didn’t allow her to raise her hand again.Gia stepped closer, narrowing the distance to the point where Willow couldn’t slap her. Automatically,
Gia had seen medical equipment and life-support devices attached to patients thousands of times. Thousands!But seeing Raven lying there with his eyes closed, surrounded by the entanglement of tubes and wires, stole every breath from Gia’s lungs, replacing it with the piercing sensation of thorns.Every breath Gia took sent a stabbing pain down her throat. The tears she had been holding back cascaded uncontrollably, soaking her hands.Gia raised a hand to cover her mouth, muffling the painful cries that threatened to echo through the silent hallway. Her other hand touched the glass wall separating her from Raven. She knew full well that during a critical condition like this, no family members were allowed to approach."Rave... open your eyes, please..." she pleaded
Gia gently moved the oxygen tube under Raven’s nose and applied shaving cream evenly across his cheeks and chin. She began shaving the two-day stubble on his face with the utmost care.It took some time, as Gia had to avoid the oxygen tube and ensure she didn’t nick Raven’s skin. Once done, she wiped his face with a warm, damp towel, ensuring all traces of cream were gone. Her fingers softly caressed Raven’s now-smooth face, her forefinger brushing against his still-closed eyes.“Open your eyes, Rave. Don’t you miss me?” she whispered, resting her head beside Raven’s cheek.Gia broke hospital rules and lay down beside him. She lifted Raven’s hand, the one free from IV needles, and placed it on her stomach, which had yet to show any significant change.
"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