Chapter 90 Past Events
"Of course it's true. Back then, Luca almost drowned in the lake, and Windy risked her life to save him. If it weren't for her, there wouldn't be a President Vettel today."
The woman in the apricot-colored dress lowered her voice. "But I heard from my husband that Luca's been negotiating a deal with a European multinational company recently. It's worth billions, and he's been abroad the whole time, hasn't come back yet."
"So, can he make it back today? It's Windy's birthday, after all."
"He definitely will!" The woman wearing a pearl necklace said with certainty. "Luca cares so much about Windy. Even if he has to fly back just to have a slice of cake and then fly out again, he'd do it."
Right after she said that, a short-haired woman who had been quiet until now suddenly spoke up. "Have you forgotten Luca has an ex-wife? That Olivia." She scoffed. "She was married to Luca for three years, didn't even get a proper birthday celebration, and in the end, she was kicked out to make room for Windy."
"Hey, how can you compare the two?" The woman in the apricot dress waved her hand dismissively. "Olivia was just a tool for a business marriage. Luca never had her in his heart. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spoiled Windy like this right after the divorce."
"To be honest, Olivia's kind of pitiful. She had so much going for her, yet ended up like that," the short-haired woman sighed.
"Pitiful? If she couldn't keep her man, whose fault is that?" The woman with the pearl necklace said with disdain. "Windy's different. She knows how to win Luca over. That's a skill."
These words pierced Olivia's ears like needles, every single one hitting hard.
Her hand holding the spoon trembled slightly, and a few drops of soup spilled from the bowl.
All the grievances and bitterness from back then came rushing back in an instant.
She took a deep breath, telling herself not to care, but the heavy feeling in her chest wouldn't go away.
Emma couldn't stand listening anymore and was about to snap back when she suddenly thought of something. She pulled out her phone and quickly tapped a few times.
After scrolling for a few minutes, her expression turned odd. She leaned over to Olivia and whispered, "Liv, I just had a friend check Luca's flight."
Olivia's heart skipped a beat. "What is it?"
"He's really coming back today, and... he was on the same flight as you!" Emma's voice was full of surprise. "You didn't run into him on the plane?"
Olivia froze, nearly dropping the spoon in her hand.
The same flight?
She thought back to the entire trip, from boarding to landing. She'd been in economy class, taking care of Leo the whole time, and hadn't seen Luca at all.
He must have been in first class. With his status, he wouldn't be squeezing in with regular passengers.
"Didn't see him," Olivia shook her head, feeling an odd mix of relief and something she couldn't quite name.
He was on the same flight as her, and it just happened to be Windy's birthday.
Looks like the people at the next table were right. He really did come back to celebrate Windy's birthday.
"Good thing you didn't run into him. Saves the hassle," Emma sighed in relief, though she still found it strange. "But he's overseas handling such a big deal, and he actually rushed back. He's way too devoted to Windy."
Olivia didn't respond, just picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth.
Right now, she just wanted to finish eating quickly and get Leo out of this uncomfortable place.
"Mom, I'm full. Can I go play in the kids' area over there for a bit?" Leo tugged at her sleeve, pointing to a small play area in the corner of the restaurant.
"Go ahead, but don't wander too far. Mom's watching you from here," Olivia said, patting his head.
Leo cheered and bounced off toward the play area.
Watching her son's back, the heaviness in Olivia's heart eased a little.
As long as Leo was okay, nothing else mattered.
"By the way, Liv," Emma suddenly spoke, her tone turning serious, "when are you planning to tell Leo about his dad?"
Olivia's hand froze on her water glass, her expression complicated.
She'd been thinking about this question for years.
Leo was five now and had started asking where his dad was. Every time, she could only give vague answers to brush it off.
"When he's a bit older," Olivia said softly. "He's still young. I don't want him getting dragged into this mess."
She paused, then added, "Besides, Luca has Windy now. They're doing fine. I don't want to interfere."
"You're too soft-hearted!" Emma disagreed. "That's his child. He has a right to know and a responsibility to help raise him. Back when you left, he didn't even know you were pregnant. Maybe things would be different if he knew?"
Olivia shook her head, a self-mocking look in her eyes. "Different? Back then, Windy was all he cared about. Even if he knew I was pregnant, what would that change?"
She knew Windy's personality too well. Windy would never accept this child. And Luca would most likely side with Windy.
That's why she chose to leave quietly back then, giving birth to Leo and raising him on her own.
"But you can't keep him in the dark forever!" Emma said urgently. "What if he finds out on his own later? He might blame you."
"I'll tell him that his dad works far away. When he's older and can make his own decisions, he can choose whether or not to meet Luca," Olivia said with a hint of resolve in her voice.
Emma wanted to say more, but seeing the look in Olivia's eyes, she swallowed her words.
"Fine, it's up to you," she sighed, muttering under her breath, "But Luca, that jerk, treated you so badly back then, and now he's so good to Windy. He's blind. And Windy, acting all sweet and innocent while she's full of schemes. It's disgusting."
"Godmother, what are you talking about?" Emma had just finished speaking when Leo came running back, looking at them curiously.
Emma's eyes lit up, ready to vent more, but Olivia stopped her with a glance.
"Nothing," Olivia said, patting Leo's head. "Godmother was just saying the food here is really good. We'll bring Leo back again."
Leo nodded, half-understanding, and tugged at Olivia's hand. "Mom, when are we going home? I want to play with my new building blocks."
"We'll leave after we finish this dish," Olivia said with a smile.
Emma watched the scene and sighed inwardly, dropping the topic.
She knew Olivia had her own way of handling things and didn't want Leo to hear any of this negativity.
After dinner, Emma drove them back to the villa and played with Leo for a while before leaving.
Before she left, she patted Olivia on the shoulder. "Call me if anything comes up. Don't carry it all on your own."
Olivia nodded. "Thanks, Emma."
After seeing Emma off, Olivia bathed Leo, tucked him into bed, and then went back to her own room.
She sat by the window, looking at the night view outside, her heart unable to settle.
The names Luca and Windy were like a thorn in her heart, stuck there for years, impossible to pull out.
Luca didn't board the plane that day. Instead, he turned around and left the airport with his assistant.
On the way, his face was dark. Just ten minutes ago, he had received a message about Olivia.
For all these years, he had never stopped looking for her, but there had been no news.
Now, suddenly getting information about her, he couldn't stay calm.