Chapter 23: Leaving Him

Angelo drove for an hour before pulling into a rest stop to use the restroom. He then slid into the passenger seat.

Livia glanced at him before hopping into the driver's seat.

Truth be told, she had never touched his car, and she hardly ever drove.

Sitting in the car, she studied the controls with serious focus, unsure of where to begin.

Angelo looked at her, his brow slightly furrowed with her apparent confusion. "Having second thoughts?"

"I need a moment to figure this out," Livia said as she gripped the steering wheel tightly, pressing the accelerator gently with her right foot.

Calmly and coolly, Angelo pointed out, "The parking brake."

Realizing her oversight, Livia quickly released the handbrake and took a deep breath. "Alright, let's go."

Angelo observed her determined expression, akin to someone bravely facing their fate, and asked with a concerned frown. "You good?"

"Yeah," Livia replied, starting to feel the car move. She knew to use the turn signal and checked the mirrors before accelerating and straightening the wheel.

As the car sped along the highway, it felt as if they were floating.

She clenched the steering wheel, afraid to let her gaze wander. "Keep the GPS on, will you? I won't know where to turn otherwise."

Though he appeared relaxed, Angelo was vigilant, keeping an eye on the traffic. "I'll tell you when," he reassured her.

Livia was tense, with sweaty palms and all, and was more focused than she had ever been before.

Approaching a large truck ahead, she slowed down, checked the left lane, then switched lanes and sped up. Suddenly, Angelo reached over and nudged the steering wheel. "Straighten it out."

Livia felt she'd been driving straight on a straight path, but evidently not.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, noticing how cool his hand felt when he touched the steering wheel.

Angelo kept his eyes on the road. "I value my life."

"And you trust me to drive?"

"I'm regretting it now," he said.

Livia understood that he hadn't planned on driving to get some rest, but now, he was probably more anxious than ever.

She guessed Angelo might be genuinely scared now.

He was indeed bold to entrust his life to her so confidently.

They continued driving cautiously until reaching another rest stop, where she willingly gave up the driver's seat.

Angelo was tired, but what was a little fatigue compared to staying alive?

Finally, at half past twelve, they pulled into the parking lot. Angelo parked the car and turned the engine off, finally relaxing completely.

Livia had managed to catch a quick nap in the car, so she was still quite alert.

Once home, she took a shower. When Angelo tried to join her, she locked him out.

After her shower, she found Angelo on the phone in the living room.

Getting a call at this hour meant either an emergency or the caller was insensitive.

"I'll be there right away,” Angelo said, ready to leave after hanging up.

A sense of dread filled Livia as she asked, "What's the meaning of bringing me home late at night just to leave again?"

Angelo turned back to look at her, draped in a spaghetti strap gown, her exquisite curves flawless, her beautiful body semi-concealed and enticing, exuding a seductive sweetness like a ripe peach.

"You're the one who wouldn't let me come in."

Livia frowned slightly and, barefoot, strode toward him to stand right in front of him, her eyes brimming with allure. “You're really leaving?”

No matter who was calling him, if she let him walk away tonight, she’d have lost.

Angelo inhaled her intoxicating scent, which flirted with his senses, stirring desire. Traveling nearly five hours round-trip so late at night just to pick her up was surely not just because he didn't want her to stay out overnight – he missed her.

Other women couldn't get him excited, but with her, he became a wound-up machine, ready to exhaust himself for her pleasure.

The phone buzzed again.

As Angelo reached for it, Livia wrapped her arms around his neck and climbed onto his feet, pressing her lips against his in a bold kiss.

The phone kept ringing, vibrating incessantly.

Livia applied all the kissing techniques Angelo had taught her over the years with skill, passion, and seduction, having learned well.

Angelo tossed his phone onto the couch, picked up Livia, and carried her to the bedroom bed, roughly pulling away her sheer gown.

Livia got her wish, and Angelo stayed. She just didn't want him to leave because of a call this late. No matter who it was, she didn’t want to let him go.

Exhausted, Angelo fell into a deep sleep after their third round.

Livia, however, was wide awake. She glanced at Angelo, propped herself up to grab his phone, and simply lit up the screen to see who the caller was. After placing the phone back, she stared at Angelo's familiar, handsome face, feeling a sudden surge of determination.

The next morning, Livia was awakened by Angelo.

Just as they were about to reconnect, the phone vibrated again.

Livia rolled over on top of Angelo, cupping his face and preventing him from answering the call.

Angelo turned his head to glance at the phone and saw the caller – this time, it wasn't Valentia.

He stopped Livia and took the call. “Hello?”

“Valentia was in an accident last night looking for you. She's in the ICU now.”

Angelo frowned. “Which hospital?”

“Saint Mary.”

After hanging up, all of Angelo's excitement vanished.

He pushed Livia aside and got out of bed naked to look for clothes.

Livia had heard the call clearly – Valentia had been in an accident.

"I'll come with you to see her," Livia said, discomfort edging her voice as she watched the urgency in his movements to get dressed.

She had managed to keep him last night, but it was apparent he was still deeply concerned about Valentia.

Without turning his head, Angelo muttered, "No."

So Livia fell silent.

After Angelo had left, Livia bowed her head, her hands buried into her hair, rubbing it in mild confusion. Eventually, she looked up, her eyes slightly red-rimmed.

She got up to freshen up, had breakfast, then slipped into a white blouse and a denim skirt, her hair restrained by a headband, her innocence tinged with a touch of coquettish charm.

She specifically picked out a bouquet of sunflowers from the florist outside Saint Mary Hospital before entering the building.

A parent of one of her students, who happened to be the head nurse at Saint Mary Hospital, gave her the location of Valentia's room.

It was a VIP room, personally attended to by the head nurse.

Livia knocked, and the door was opened by Angelo.

Their eyes met, and Angelo’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly not expecting her to show up.

"Angelo, who is it?" A woman's voice came from the room, surprisingly strong for someone involved in a car accident.

Livia flashed Angelo a smile, pushed gently against his chest to move past him, and entered with a radiant smile. "I heard about your accident from Angelo and just had to come to see you."

Valentia was dressed in a hospital gown, a bandage around her forehead, and scrapes on her face, but her limbs looked unharmed.

She seemed to be in good spirits – far from what you'd expect of someone seriously injured.

Upon seeing Livia, Valentia’s face tightened. But, being an actress, she managed her expression well and offered a faint smile. “Thank you.”

"You okay?" Livia placed the bouquet aside and asked kindly.

Valentia touched the bandage on her forehead and said, “It’s not too bad. Donovan tends to overreact. He insisted on calling Angelo to come check on me.”

Livia caught the subtext instantly. Valentia wanted to show that she had a close connection with Angelo's friends and that Angelo had come at a simple call.

Suddenly, Livia turned to the expressionless Angelo. "You ignored so many of her calls last night, and thankfully, she's fine. Otherwise, we'd both be drowning in guilt."