Chapter 193 Abandoned
Olivia let out a sigh of relief, a happy smile spreading across her face.
Seeing her eyes crinkle with joy, Luca felt his heart skip a beat. He couldn't help leaning down and kissing her lips.
The kiss was soft, carrying his unique cedar scent.
Olivia went stiff all over. She instinctively wanted to push him away, but blurry fragments suddenly flashed through her mind.
The fragments zipped by too fast for her to catch, but they made her head throb with pain.
"Um..." She frowned, shoved Luca away hard, and clutched her head. "My head hurts..."
Luca quickly let go. Seeing her in pain filled him with worry. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"
"No," Olivia shook her head, eyes closed. "My head's full of jumbled images. It hurts bad."
"Then don't think about it." Luca hugged her tight and gently patted her back to calm her. "We'll let it come naturally."
Just then, the assistant's voice broke the mood between them. "Boss, Madam, I have something to tell you."
Luca looked up at the assistant, sounding a bit annoyed. "What?"
"Jason hasn't said a word since we caught him, no matter what we ask," the assistant said. "But we found out he still has some hypnosis materials that might help Madam get her memory back."
Luca's eyes darkened. "He won't talk?"
"Yes, he's being really stubborn," the assistant nodded.
Luca looked at Olivia, hesitated, then asked, "Olivia, do you want to see him? Maybe we can force him to hand over the materials and break your hypnosis."
Olivia opened her eyes, still looking tired.
She thought for a moment and shook her head. "No, I don't want to see him. Jason won't give up the materials easily." Her tone was calm. "Even if I go, he'll make all kinds of demands and cause more trouble. I think getting my memory back should happen naturally." She smiled. "I'm already happy like this."
Luca saw the determination in her eyes and nodded. "Okay, we'll do what you say. We won't force it, and we won't give him any chance to hurt us."
The assistant nodded. "Got it. I'll go handle things and keep an eye on Jason. I'll report back with any news."
After the assistant left, the room went quiet again.
Luca held Olivia and gently patted her back. "Tired? Get some more sleep."
Olivia leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, feeling completely safe.
Not even two days later, the assistant reported they'd found Sophia.
Olivia jumped at the news and dragged Luca right over.
They met at a quiet cafe. Sophia sat by the window in a simple T-shirt and jeans, faint bruises on her face, looking worn out.
"Sophia!" Olivia hurried over, her voice full of excitement.
Sophia looked up. Surprise flashed in her eyes, then awkwardness. "Miss Ross, I'm just glad you're okay."
"I'm fine, thanks to you." Olivia sat across from her and gripped her hand tight. "If you hadn't told me the truth and helped me, I never would've escaped. How are you? Did Jason give you trouble?"
At Jason's name, Sophia's eyes dimmed. She shook her head. "I'm okay. I slipped away after he got caught." She paused, sounding lost. "Now that Jason's done for, I don't know where to go or what to do."
Olivia felt bad seeing how helpless she looked.
She pulled a bank card from her bag, set it on the table, and slid it to Sophia. "There's money on this card. Take it, find a place to settle down, maybe start a small business, and begin again."
Sophia pushed it back quick. "No, Miss Ross. I can't take your money. I just did what I had to."
"Take it," Olivia insisted. "This isn't charity. It's my way of thanking you. You helped me so much—I can't repay that—and this is nothing. You need to live. You can't keep wandering forever."
Luca chimed in. "Take it. It's what Olivia wants. It'll make her feel better too."
Sophia looked at their sincere faces, hesitated, then took the card, eyes grateful. "Thank you, Miss Ross. Thank you, Mr. Vettel."
"No need to thank me." Olivia smiled. "If you ever need help, just contact us."
They talked a bit more. Sophia said she wanted to go back to her hometown, then stood to leave.
Watching Sophia walk away, Olivia sighed in relief.
At least she'd helped her and could check that off her list.
"Don't worry. I've got security on her. They'll make sure she gets home safe," Luca said, holding her hand. "If she needs anything later, we'll help."
Olivia nodded, her heart warm. "Thank you."
Back at the hospital a few days later, the assistant brought more news: Jason's family had sent people who wanted to trade half their assets for him.
"They're out of their minds," Luca sneered, full of scorn. "Jason did all that to Olivia, and they think money wipes it clean? Dream on."
"Boss, they're in the visitor room downstairs right now. They want to see you," the assistant said.
"Let them come up," Luca said, eyes darkening. "I want to hear what they have to say."
Soon, Jason's father and some family elders walked in.
Leading them was a gray-haired old man who looked very dignified—probably Jason's grandpa.
"Mr. Vettel, we've heard so much about you," Jason's father said first, sounding helpless. "We're here to talk about Jason. We'll give up half the family assets to get him back. Please show mercy."
Luca leaned against the bedhead, a mocking smile on his lips. "Show mercy? You think money can buy back Jason's crimes? He locked Olivia up, drugged her, hypnotized her, made her lose her memory. Can money fix that kind of harm?"
Jason's father's face changed. He tried to stay calm. "Mr. Vettel, Jason was just confused for a moment. We'll make sure he behaves from now on and stays out of trouble."
"Confused?" Olivia cut in, her tone ice-cold. "He locked me in that villa, watched me like a prisoner, made me forget my husband and son. That's confused? If I hadn't gotten lucky and escaped, I'd be stuck there forever. That's confused too?"
Jason's grandpa frowned and looked at Olivia. "You're Miss Ross, right? A mix-up between young people—no need to take it so seriously."