Chapter 141 Doubt
Olivia got home quickly. She tiptoed into the bedroom and stared at her son's sleeping little face in the moonlight coming through the window.
The little guy had his brows slightly furrowed, and his small mouth moved now and then, like he was still thinking about something fun in his dream.
Suddenly, a mumbled but clear bit of sleep-talk hit her ears: "Uncle LO... Daddy... Daddy takes me on the carousel..."
Olivia's heart clenched tight. Her back slammed against the cold wall, and she felt awful inside.
The kid was dreaming about LO being his dad. That kind of dependence washed over her like a wave, drowning her in sour and panicked feelings.
She was scared—scared that Leo would depend on LO more and get hurt deeper. Even more scared that this mysterious LO had bad intentions.
Guilt surged up right after. Tears dropped onto her hand without warning, and she let out a sigh.
All these years, she thought giving Leo the best stuff was enough.
But she forgot—other kids get picked up by their dads after school, play ball with dads on weekends, get gifts from dads on holidays.
Leo only had her, a mom who was always busy and always rushing.
She thought she was strong enough to be his whole world. Now she saw the hole left by a father's love couldn't be filled, no matter how hard she tried.
But LO had way too many suspicious points!
She sat on the bed edge, her mind replaying the last two days. The more she thought, the more something felt off.
First, LO suddenly invited Leo out alone, and right then, Luca threw an urgent project at her, trapping her in the studio. The timing was perfect, like he knew she'd say yes to Leo's request.
Then the dessert LO brought was exactly what she liked...
All these "coincidences" added up—they weren't coincidences!
Olivia jumped to her feet, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.
Who else knew her tastes and could control her schedule so precisely besides Luca?
Once that thought hit, she couldn't hold it back.
She stumbled out of the bedroom and collapsed on the living room sofa. Her hands shook as she grabbed her phone.
She first checked Leo's live stream backend. That LO account with the black letters and blank info was still in first place on the donor list, with the latest gift from that afternoon.
Then she pulled up her contacts, typed Luca's phone number into the live stream app's search bar.
When she hit confirm, her eyes were glued to the screen. She even forgot to breathe.
The page loaded, and there it was—that familiar LO account, linked to the exact same phone number!
Olivia stared at the screen. Then she let out a low laugh, hoarse and bitter, full of sarcasm and sadness.
LO—Luca Olivia. The initials were so obvious, and she'd been clueless this whole time!
This man used such a clumsy trick, sneaking around like a thief to get close to her son and trick a kid's feelings!
Memories from back then flooded in without control. Her chest felt crushed by a huge rock, making it hard to breathe.
When did this man find out Leo was his son?
Did he check after she came back to the country, or did he know all along and wait for the right moment?
Did he invest in her studio just to keep her stuck, so she couldn't leave easily?
Was he getting close to Leo to make up for lost fatherly love, or using the kid as leverage to force her back?
Questions crashed around in her head. Olivia gripped her phone harder and harder, knuckles turning white, the case bending out of shape.
Suddenly, she felt terrified. If she hadn't pieced together these coincidences, if she hadn't found out who LO really was—what if in a bit more time, Leo couldn't live without this "daddy"?
If Luca suddenly came clean, would Leo choose to go with him because he couldn't bear to leave?
No, absolutely not!
Leo was the child she fought for her life to give birth to and raised alone. No one could take him from her—not even his real dad!
Olivia stood up fast, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains. The cold moonlight hit her face, clearing her foggy head a bit.
It was just getting light out when Olivia got up. She made Leo's favorite runny eggs, toasted soft bread, and warmed a cup of milk.
Leo rubbed his eyes as he came out of the bedroom. His eyes lit up at the breakfast, and he ran over to hug her waist: "Mom, breakfast smells so good today!"
"Eat up quick. Mom will drop you off at kindergarten after." Olivia patted his head, keeping her voice soft.
Watching her son eat big bites, her heart softened and hurt at the same time. Words reached her lips but she swallowed them.
On the way to kindergarten, the car was quiet. Leo played with his little toy, then suddenly said, "Mom, Uncle LO said next time he'll take Dylan and me for steak again."
Olivia's hands tightened on the wheel. She followed his lead: "You really like Uncle LO, right?"
"Yeah!" Leo nodded hard, eyes shining. "Uncle LO is super nice to me. He cuts my steak and rides bumper cars with me. He plays with me more than Uncle Jason."
Olivia's heart sank. She asked softly: "Do you... really want Uncle LO to be your daddy?"
Leo paused, looked up at her side face. The excitement faded from his little face.
He looked down, gripped his toy tight, and said quietly: "Mom, do you not like Uncle LO?"
Olivia's heart twisted. She pulled over, got out, squatted down, and looked into her son's eyes.
"It's not that Mom doesn't like him, it's just..." She paused, not sure how to explain grown-up stuff to a kid. "Daddy is a big deal. You can't just call anyone that, okay?"
"But other kids have daddies." Leo's eyes turned red, his voice full of hurt. "I want a daddy who plays with me and protects me, too."
"Mommy can protect you!" Olivia pulled her son into a hug, her voice choking. "Mommy will always be with you, always protect you."
"I know Mommy protects me, but..." Leo buried his face in her arms, sobbing quietly. "Mommy has to work and can't play with me. Uncle LO plays with me and tells me stories."
Olivia's heart hurt as if pricked by needles. Guilt washed over her again.
She patted his back and said softly, "Baby, sorry. Mommy ignored you. From now on, Mommy will make more time to be with you, okay?"
Leo nodded, wiped his tears, and looked up at her: "So Mommy doesn't hate Uncle LO anymore?"
"Mommy doesn't hate him." Olivia hesitated, then decided to be a little honest with her son. "But baby, next time you go out with Uncle LO, you have to tell Mommy first, okay? Mommy wants to thank him in person and know where you're going, so Mommy can feel safe."
"Okay!" Leo nodded right away, smiling. "I'll tell Mommy for sure! And I'll keep it secret so Uncle LO doesn't know Mommy told me to!"
Olivia patted his head, her heart full of mixed feelings.