Chapter 32: Longing for a Woman

Angelo stood on the balcony, smoking a cigarette, eyes tracing the winding river below. His mind replayed that moment of panic and evasion in Livia's eyes when she had seen him.

When it came to being cold-hearted, she had always been his equal. She resorted to shutting him out on social media and treating his calls as if he were a stranger to her.

His three years of affections went down the drain.

‘Women are truly enigmas,’ he mused. Even after laying it all out, she still wanted to part ways—a move that defied logic.

Did she expect him to be on his knees begging? That was never going to happen. He had extended the olive branch—it was her decision to turn her back.

After finishing his cigarette, Angelo went straight back to his room.

Lying in bed, sleep eluded him. With eyes closed, Livia's bewitching face came to mind, and even the memories of their passionate encounters.

It's in a man's nature to harbor some primal instincts laced with desire, and he wasn't an outlier.

Longing for the warmth of a woman's touch was, after all, a natural urge.

Restlessly, he tossed and turned. A peaceful slumber was out of the question, so he headed to the bathroom for a cold shower in hopes of dousing the flames within. But the cooler the water, the hotter the fire within seemed to burn.

Ever since Livia came into his life, he hadn't resorted to self-pleasure.

Scratching an itch just wasn't the same when done alone—it never quite hit the spot, as well as when someone else did the scratching, leaving you fully satisfied.

Angelo had spent over thirty minutes in the bathroom before he came out, got dressed, grabbed his car keys, and headed out the door.

It was past midnight. he drove with the windows down, letting the wind rush into the car and tousle his hair.

Eventually, the car stopped at the dock. He stood by the river's edge and smoked another two cigarettes, the restlessness inside him finally quieting down.

Around two in the morning, Angelo found himself at the entrance of Livia's neighborhood. He hadn't planned on coming here but realized he had driven there almost on autopilot.

He looked up at the floor where Livia lived, shrouded in darkness. At this hour, she must be deep in sleep.

With a push on the gas pedal, Angelo sped off down the open road. Like the city itself, shiny and glossy on the surface, he too was enveloped in the vast night, feeling a touch of loneliness.

In the final days leading up to the end-of-term exams, both students and teachers were equally caught up in the mounting tension.

During the two days of tests, even the least motivated students buckled down.

The school was deathly quiet during the exams, with Livia standing at the front proctoring and another teacher keeping watch at the back of the classroom.

When the exams ended, everyone first checked their answers with friends.

Livia stepped out of the classroom with a bundle of tests just in time to see Luke approaching.

"How did you do?" Livia asked.

Luke was brimming with confidence. "I'm already thinking about what favor I'm going to ask from you."

Livia smiled and nodded. "That’s good."

The two days of final exams were over, and the students had already gone home for the holidays.

The teachers were left behind to grade the papers, feeling anxious.

When the results came out, Livia and the other instructors were stunned.

Luke, who had never passed an exam before, had actually ranked third in his grade.

Livia was completely shocked when she saw his score.

The other teachers double-checked his test to make sure nothing was missed, exchanging puzzled glances.

After all the scores were tallied, many congratulated Livia.

As expected, her class had come in first place in the grade.

Thanks to Luke's unexpected third place, the class's overall score far surpassed the second place by a wide margin.

Following the announcement of the scores, Luke wasn't surprised at all.

Angelo looked at Luke's report card, frowning with skepticism.

"Did you cheat?”

"You're underestimating me," Luke scoffed. "I earned those scores fair and square."

Angelo put down the report card. "Tell your mom about it."

"I've got something to tell you." Luke leaned in closer. "I made a bet with Miss Ashcroft. If I make it to the top five, she owes me a favor."

Angelo frowned at him.

Luke smirked, stepping closer. "Clever, huh?"

"What do you want her to do?" Angelo asked.

"Become my uncle's wife."

Angelo's expression shifted instantly. "Luke, are you out of your mind?"

Unperturbed, Luke replied, "Don't forget I have another uncle. Setting Miss Ashcroft up with him seems like a good idea to me."

If it weren't for Luke being his own nephew, Angelo would have gladly thrown the boy into the river to feed the fish.

"What do you think?" Luke persisted.

Angelo feigned composure as he glared at Luke, stood up, and pointed at him. "Pack your things. You're going back to your mother's tomorrow."

Luke shrugged nonchalantly, "Fine by me. I've asked Miss Ashcroft to join me since it's the semester break, and I invited her to our house. Two months should be enough time to foster some affection."

Angelo was speechless.

Seeing Angelo visibly upset only seemed to boost Luke's mood.

"I'm off to find Miss Ashcroft and discuss my plan. I'm sure she'll agree," Luke boasted, spinning around in front of Angelo before darting off.

Livia was taken aback. Luke's request was simply to take her on an international trip.

"You promised no backsies," Luke preempted.

"Thank you for the invite, but I really can't. My parents are elderly and not in the best health. I can't go too far. Maybe you'd like to suggest an alternative?" Livia replied, clearly in a bind.

"Why don't you make amends with Angelo?" Luke swiftly changed his request.

Livia's expression turned awkward.

She felt it was necessary to clarify the nature of her relationship with Angelo to Luke. "The world of adults isn't as simple as one might think. Angelo and I are not a good match. Love isn't something you can force. In fact, after our split, I've seen clearly that we're from different worlds. Aside from our incompatible views on love, there were other disagreements."

It was the first time Livia had ever discussed matters of the heart so earnestly with a teenager, and she believed Luke understood.

"He’s still into you," Luke added with certainty. "I can feel it. He still has feelings for you."

Livia's heart skipped a beat.

Gazing at the water in her cup, the previously calm surface began to ripple slightly.

She pursed her lips and offered a faint smile. "That's just your feeling. You're not him. How can you know his true thoughts? Luke, adult relationships aren't just about liking or leaving. It's more complicated than that. Even if Angelo and I tried again, we'd end up just where we are now."

"Because he doesn't want to get married, right?" Luke hit the nail on the head.

That question had always troubled Livia.

She didn't understand why Angelo was so averse to marriage.

While marriage isn't the only outcome of love, it is often a natural progression of a relationship.

Seeing her reaction, Luke snapped his fingers. "I knew it. It has to be that. I know why he doesn't want to get married."