Chapter 119 Knowing the Truth
"Why?" Leo asked, looking a bit puzzled.
Luca felt helpless. If that woman found out, she'd probably take off with the kid again.
Thinking of this, he smiled and said, "Of course, it's a secret between men."
"Awesome!" Leo jumped up excitedly, grabbing Luca's arm. "I'm gonna go tell my friends right now that I have a super cool uncle!"
With that, he bounced back to the group of kids, chattering away with excitement.
Luca watched his little figure, his eyes welling up.
This was his son, his own flesh and blood.
How could he miss out on his growth?
"Mr. Vettel, shall we continue the tour?" Mrs. Morris asked cautiously.
Luca nodded and stood up, but couldn't help glancing back at Leo.
"About the investment, I'll have my assistant follow up with you. I hope the kindergarten can pay extra attention to Leo. If anything comes up, let me know right away," Luca instructed.
"Absolutely!" Mrs. Morris nodded quickly.
Luca wasn't in the mood to keep touring. After a few words with the principal, he left the kindergarten with his assistant.
Sitting in the car, he stared at the kindergarten gate, his heart full of excitement and guilt.
"Assistant, look into Olivia's life abroad over the past five years, and get Leo's birth certificate. I want every detail," Luca said firmly.
"Yes, sir."
Luca leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and all he could think of was Leo.
That soft, cuddly little boy with eyes like crescent moons when he smiled—he was his son.
He had to confront Olivia soon and reclaim his son.
As for Olivia, he knew she still held a grudge against him.
But he was patient. He'd make up for everything bit by bit, show her he'd changed, and get her to accept him again.
He couldn't miss out on any more.
Meanwhile, Olivia had no idea Luca had already discovered the truth.
She drove back to her studio and had just sat down when Jason's call came through.
"Liv, where are you? I've been trying to reach you," Jason said, sounding a bit anxious.
"I'm at the studio. What's up?" Olivia replied calmly.
"I want to talk about us," Jason said. "I'm downstairs at your studio. Can you come down for a bit?"
Olivia frowned, feeling annoyed, but she agreed. "Fine, I'll be down in a minute."
After hanging up, Olivia stood, determined to make things clear with Jason this time and to put an end to his hopes.
She went downstairs and saw Jason standing by the roadside, holding a bouquet of sunflowers.
"Liv," Jason's eyes lit up when he saw her. He hurried over and offered her the flowers. "These are for you."
Olivia didn't take them. Her tone was serious. "Jason, let's talk."
The smile on Jason's face froze for a moment, but he nodded. "Okay."
They walked over to a park bench nearby and sat down.
"Jason, thank you for taking care of Leo and me over the past five years. I really appreciate it," Olivia started. "But I can't return your feelings. There's no chance for us."
Jason's face turned pale instantly. "Why? Is it because of Luca? Do you still love him?"
"It has nothing to do with him," Olivia shook her head. "I just don't want to get into a relationship. I only want to take good care of Leo and run my studio. Besides, you and I have always been friends. I've never felt anything more than friendship for you."
Jason's eyes reddened, his voice trembling. "I don't believe it! If you don't have feelings for me, why did you accept my help all these years? Why didn't you reject me outright?"
"I always saw you as my best friend. I thought you understood," Olivia said helplessly. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for not being clear and letting you misunderstand."
"I don't believe it!" Jason got emotional and grabbed her hand. "Liv, give me one more chance. I'll treat you and Leo even better. I'll treat Leo like my own son. We can build a good life together, okay?"
Olivia pulled her hand away firmly and stood up. "Jason, I've made myself clear. There's no chance for us. Let's not do this again. We're still friends."
With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.
Jason stared at her retreating figure, his heart full of unwillingness and pain.
He'd cared for Olivia for five years, waited for her for five years, only to end up like this.
He wasn't okay with it. Not at all.
Olivia returned to her studio, her mind a mess.
She knew this was harsh on Jason, but dragging it out would only make it worse.
Right now, she just wanted to deal with Linus's matter quickly and live a peaceful life with Leo.
But she had no idea that Luca was already planning to claim Leo back, and her life was about to be turned upside down.
When Luca returned to his villa from the hospital, he couldn't hide the smile on his face.
He tossed his coat onto the sofa and rushed straight to his study, eagerly opening his laptop.
In the search bar, he typed "parenting tips for 5-year-old boys," his fingers flying over the keyboard. From meal planning to emotional support to safety tips for kids, he saved everything in his notes.
Thinking about Leo curled up in his arms, eating a cookie, Luca felt his heart melt.
For the past five years, his life had been nothing but cold contracts and business battles. He'd never felt anything so alive and warm.
He even pulled up a photo of Leo's kindergarten registration form that he'd secretly saved on his phone. The little guy in the picture had big, round eyes, like a startled little deer. The more Luca looked, the closer he felt.
"Definitely my kid," he muttered to himself, gently rubbing the screen with his fingertip, his eyes full of certainty.
Whether it was the shape of his eyes or that stubborn little expression, it was just like him when he was a kid.
After the excitement faded, he started to worry.
Olivia was so guarded around him. She definitely wouldn't let him near the child easily.
He'd have to use the excuse of work collaboration to create more chances to spend time together and slowly break down her defenses.
The next morning, Luca deliberately picked a light-colored shirt, ditching his usual black suit. It made him look less intimidating and a bit more approachable.
He drove to Olivia's studio, rehearsing in his mind how the meeting would go. He didn't want to seem too obvious and raise suspicion, but he couldn't help wanting to see more of her.
The studio door wasn't locked. When he pushed it open, the wind chimes tinkled softly.
Olivia was hunched over her desk, working on design drafts. The sunlight fell on her hair, outlining her soft features.
Hearing the noise, she looked up. The smile on her face froze instantly, and the pen in her hand dropped onto the desk with a clatter.
"Luca? What are you doing here?" Her voice carried clear wariness, and her body instinctively leaned back.
Luca pretended not to notice her resistance. He walked straight to the guest area, sat down, and slid a file across the table to her.
"There are a few details about the last project that need to be finalized. I'm here to go over them with you."
As he spoke, his gaze casually swept over her desk. He noticed crumbs of a children's cookie and instantly knew—Leo must have been here earlier, clinging to her.