Chapter 89 Daddy, Save Me!
Leo reacted quickly, dodging sharply. His little face turned pale with fright. Spotting Luca walking toward them not far away, he had a sudden idea. He ran over, hugged Luca's leg tightly, and cried out with a sob, "Daddy, save me! Someone's trying to grab me!"
Luca was startled by the kid who rushed out of nowhere. Looking down at the trembling boy in his arms and then glancing at the man trying to flee nearby, his expression turned icy in an instant.
Instinctively, he shielded Leo and spoke in a low voice to his assistant behind him, "Stop that guy and hand him over to airport security."
The assistant moved quickly and soon subdued the man.
Luca looked down at the kid in his arms, feeling a vague sense of familiarity, but he didn't think much of it.
"Where's your mom?" he asked, softening his tone a bit.
Leo, still shaken, sniffled and said, "My mom's waiting for me over there by the seats..."
Luca told his assistant to take Leo to the airport staff and added, "Tell his mom to keep an eye on her child. The airport is crowded and chaotic—don't let him wander off alone."
The assistant nodded and led Leo to the staff.
Meanwhile, Olivia reached the restroom entrance and realized Leo was nowhere in sight. Her heart sank, and panic set in.
She rushed into the restroom, but it was empty—no sign of Leo.
"Leo? Leo, where are you?" Her voice trembled as she hurried down the hallway, looking around frantically.
Just as she was on the verge of tears, an airport staff member approached, holding Leo's hand.
"Ms. Ross? This is your child."
Olivia dashed over and hugged Leo tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Leo! Where did you go? Mommy was so scared!"
"I'm sorry, Mommy," Leo clung to her neck, crying as he recounted what had happened. "Luckily, a cool gentleman saved me, or the bad guy would've taken me away."
Olivia's heart pounded with lingering fear, her hands shaking as she held Leo. She thanked the staff member repeatedly, "Thank you, thank you so much."
"No need to thank me," the staff member smiled. "A gentleman stopped the bad guy first and asked us to bring the child to you. He's already left."
Olivia felt a wave of gratitude, wanting to thank the kind stranger in person, but after looking around, she had no idea where he was.
She could only keep this kindness in her heart, holding Leo as they returned to their seats. She didn't dare let him out of her sight again.
After the plane took off, Leo leaned against her and soon fell asleep. Olivia stared out at the clouds, her heart filled with both anticipation and a touch of anxiety about the future.
More than ten hours later, the plane finally landed at the domestic airport.
Olivia held Leo's hand, pushing their luggage as they walked out of the arrivals gate. She spotted Emma waving enthusiastically in the crowd.
"Liv! Leo! Over here!" Emma shouted excitedly, rushing over.
She hugged Olivia tightly, then crouched down to hug Leo, planting a kiss on his cheek. "My little sweetie, I finally get to meet you! Let your godmother take a good look—wow, you've grown taller!"
Leo shyly hid behind Olivia, sneaking glances at Emma.
"You must be exhausted from the trip," Emma said, taking the luggage from Olivia. "The car's just outside. I'll take you to the villa."
In the car, Leo gazed curiously at the scenery outside, chattering nonstop. "Godmother, is this where Mommy used to live? It's so lively!"
"Yes, it is," Emma replied with a smile. "From now on, we'll see each other all the time. I'll take you to eat yummy food and play at the park!"
After over an hour of driving, the car finally stopped in front of a villa.
Olivia opened the door and looked at the familiar house, a flood of emotions washing over her.
This was the house her mother had left her, a place where she once sought shelter from life's storms. She never thought she'd return after so many years.
"Come on, let's go inside," Emma said, pulling her hand. "I've been cleaning it every month. The furniture is well-maintained—you can move right in."
Stepping inside, the decor was just as it had been when she left. Every corner reminded her of her mom. Olivia's eyes welled up.
Leo ran into the living room, looking at the spacious house with excitement. "Mommy, this place is huge! Are we really going to live here?"
"Yes, we are," Olivia said, walking over and ruffling his hair. "This is our home now."
Soon after, Emma helped them unpack and get household supplies, tidying everything up neatly.
That evening, Emma suggested they go to a classic American diner for some comfort food. The three of them walked into a nicely decorated restaurant.
Just as they sat down, they overheard people at the next table gossiping.
"Have you heard? Luca, the CEO of Vettel Group, is so good to Windy. I heard she wanted a limited-edition necklace recently, and Luca spent millions to buy it for her without a second thought."
"No kidding. Luca's usually so tough and cold to everyone, but with Windy, he's totally different. Looks like he really likes her."
"I heard Windy used to be just a small-time secretary. She got to where she is now all because of Luca's support. Talk about luck."
Olivia's grip on her water glass tightened, her knuckles turning white.
Luca and Windy...
Those two names pierced her heart like needles, bringing back a rush of bad memories.
Emma overheard too, her expression darkening. She quickly patted Olivia's hand, coughed loudly toward the next table, and said, "Liv, the food here looks pretty good. Let's order some grilled ribs—Leo will probably like them."
As she spoke, she gave Olivia a subtle look, signaling her not to take it to heart.
Olivia took a deep breath, pushing down the turmoil inside, and smiled at Leo. "Sounds good. Let's also get some grilled salmon to help Leo grow strong."
Emma added, "Don't listen to their nonsense. Whatever kind of people they are, it's got nothing to do with us. We just need to live our own lives well."
Olivia nodded, picking up a spoon to serve Leo some soup. "Drink up before it gets cold."
But deep down, she couldn't calm herself.
The gossip at the next table didn't stop. A woman in an apricot-colored dress suddenly clapped her hands.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot—today's Windy's birthday!"
Her words sparked agreement from the others.
"No wonder. I was thinking, there's no way Luca would ignore her. No matter how big the business deal, he'd come back for the birthday girl."
"Exactly. Every year on Windy's birthday, Luca goes all out. Last year, he booked an entire hot spring resort and invited half the social circle. Everyone was so jealous."
"I heard this year's even crazier. Windy wanted a luxury riverside apartment in the city center, and Luca had someone handle the paperwork without even blinking."
Another woman wearing a pearl necklace smirked, her tone dripping with envy. "What a charmed life. Back then, she was just a secretary. Now, because she supposedly saved Luca once, she's practically untouchable."
"Saved Luca? Is that true?" someone asked curiously.