Chapter 91 Good Medicine
As the car drove halfway, Luca's phone suddenly rang, with Windy's name flashing on the screen.
He frowned and pressed the answer button.
"Luca, when are you coming back?" Windy's voice was sweet and a bit whiny. "It's my birthday today, and everyone's waiting for you."
"I've got something important here and can't make it back for now," Luca replied in a tone as cold as ice, his fingers gripping the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Windy's playful tone vanished instantly, replaced by a pitiful whimper. "Something important? More important than my birthday? Luca, you've never let me spend my birthday alone before."
"It's about Olivia," Luca cut to the chase without wasting words, his mind consumed with urgency to find her, completely unaware of how harsh he sounded.
"Olivia?" Windy's voice shot up before she quickly lowered it, her tone laced with barely hidden jealousy. "How... how does she suddenly have news? There's been nothing for years. Could it be fake?"
"I'll only know if it's real after checking," Luca said, staring out the window at the trees rushing by, his thoughts entirely on finding Olivia. "I've been looking for her for so long. I can't ignore any lead."
Windy bit her lip, her nails digging into her palm, cursing Olivia a thousand times in her mind. But her voice softened into a gentle, almost submissive tone. "Oh, I see. Then you really should go check."
"I'm sorry, Luca. I shouldn't have acted childishly just now. Don't take it to heart," she apologized softly, her voice full of warmth. "You've been searching for her for so long, and now there's finally some news. Anyone would be anxious. How could I blame you?"
"It's just that my mom is still waiting for you. She keeps saying she wants to thank you properly for your care all these years. She even made your favorite meatloaf and mashed potatoes," Windy added deliberately, knowing this was her trump card to tug at Luca's emotions. It had never failed her over the years.
Luca's brow furrowed, an unexplained irritation rising in him, but he still responded flatly, "Once I'm done here, I'll make up for your birthday with a gift."
"No, no, don't worry about it!" Windy quickly refused, her voice overly sweet. "Finding Olivia safely would be the best gift."
"Just be careful on the road, okay? Let me know if anything happens," she rambled on with words of concern, every sentence dripping with an air of being "understanding," while jealousy burned inside her.
Olivia, that wretched woman! If she left the country, she should just stay gone forever. How dare she ruin her birthday!
Luca, preoccupied with thoughts of Olivia, interrupted, "That's it for now. I'm almost there."
Without waiting for Windy's reply, he hung up and tossed the phone onto the seat beside him.
Right after ending the call, a familiar throbbing pain spread from his temple. His old migraine was acting up again.
Luca leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead, his face growing paler by the second.
"Sir, do you want some painkillers?" The assistant in the front seat noticed his discomfort and turned around, already holding a bottle of pills they kept on hand.
Luca waved him off, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "No, they don't work."
He'd tried all kinds of meds, but they only dulled the pain temporarily. When it hit hard, it was still torture.
The assistant hesitated but still handed over the pill bottle and a bottle of warm water to the back seat. "Sir, taking something is better than just enduring it. If you need to meet someone later and the pain gets worse, it'll be a problem."
Luca didn't take it. His fingers tapped unconsciously on his leg as an image of Leo during a livestream popped into his mind.
In the video, the little boy was scribbling with crayons, softly saying hello to everyone, his eyes shining like stars.
Instinctively, Luca reached for his phone to check if he'd missed a livestream, but halfway there, he remembered the boy's mom had said they'd return to the country and settle down before streaming again.
A strange emptiness settled in his chest, disappointment washing over him.
They're coming back to the country... Could they have been on the same flight as me?
"Sir," the assistant noticed Luca's movement and spoke up, uncertain, "Speaking of that little boy Leo from the livestream, I just remembered something."
Luca opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"At the airport, the little boy who hugged your leg and called you 'Daddy'—he looked a bit like Leo," the assistant recalled carefully. "It was so chaotic then, I didn't think much of it. But now that I think about it, even their hairstyles were similar."
Luca's heart skipped a beat. The image of the boy from the airport flashed vividly in his mind.
At the time, he'd been focused on catching the person trying to snatch the kid and was preoccupied with news of Olivia. He hadn't paid much attention to the boy's face, only remembering those bright eyes.
Could it... really be the same person?
The thought sent a wave of emotions through him, and oddly, the migraine pain seemed to ease a little.
Seeing Luca stay silent, the assistant added, "Sir, ever since you started watching Leo's livestreams, your migraines haven't flared up as often. And when they do, watching the streams seems to make it less unbearable."
Luca didn't respond, but deep down, he couldn't deny the truth in the assistant's words.
In the past, when a migraine hit, he had to rely on pills and ice packs to cope.
But ever since he stumbled upon Leo's livestreams, just watching the little boy smile and hearing his sweet, childish voice somehow softened the sharp pain. Sometimes, it even faded away completely.
That's why he'd been quietly following the livestream account. It was the only thing that could ease his migraines without medication.
"Speed up. Get to the destination as soon as possible," Luca said, a hint of urgency in his voice. He wanted to confirm the news about Olivia and figure out if that little boy was really Leo.
The car raced along, and two hours later, they finally arrived at the address from the tip—a residential building in a remote small town.
Luca got out and followed the assistant into a dark, damp hallway, the air thick with a moldy smell.
They found the apartment by its door number. Taking a deep breath, Luca raised his hand and knocked.
The door opened, and a woman peeked out.
Luca's gaze landed on her face, and his heart sank.
The woman did bear some resemblance to Olivia—long hair, delicate features—but a closer look revealed completely different facial contours. It was just the build and hairstyle that were similar.
"Who are you looking for?" The woman eyed them suspiciously, instinctively stepping back behind the door.
Luca's expression darkened, his voice icy. "Do you know Olivia?"
"Olivia? No, I don't," the woman answered firmly, shaking her head. "Did you get the wrong person? I've lived in this town my whole life and never heard that name."
The assistant quickly pulled up an old photo of Olivia from his phone. "Take another look. Is this her?"