Chapter 145 Wanting to Leave
The next morning, Olivia dragged herself to the studio with two dark circles under her eyes.
She had just turned on her computer and wasn't even in work mode yet when the studio door swung open.
"Liv! My big designer, you finally opened up!" Emma burst in like a whirlwind, holding a hot coffee. "Here, your life-saver drink. Look at your face—you got haunted last night or what?"
Olivia took the coffee and sipped it. The bitter taste woke her up a bit.
"Worse than being haunted." She sighed, leaning back in her chair, her eyes full of exhaustion.
Seeing that, Emma dropped the jokes, pulled up a chair, and sat across from her. "What's up? Tell me. Did that jerk Luca mess with you again?"
Just hearing Luca's name made Olivia's emotions surge.
"He knows," she said in a low voice, sounding helpless. "He knows Leo is his son."
Emma jumped up, eyes wide. "What? How did he find out? Did you tell him?"
"How could I tell him!" Olivia gave a bitter laugh and explained the whole LO account thing. "I only realized yesterday. LO is him—Luca Olivia. Such an obvious initials combo, and I just now got it."
"That bastard!" Emma cursed. "Sneaking up on Leo with such a sleazy trick. Shameless!"
"He's just using Leo as leverage to force me back!" Olivia clenched her fists, knuckles turning white. "He treated me like crap back then, and now he's pretending to be a loving dad. You think I'll buy it?"
Emma sat down and patted her shoulder. "Don't get mad—it's not worth ruining your health. So what does he want now? Steal the kid straight up?"
"Pretty much." Olivia recounted the restaurant showdown from yesterday. "He said he won't give up, he'll prove he's a good dad with actions, won't force me, but won't let me stop him from being good to Leo either."
"Bullshit!" Emma scoffed. "He talks a good game now. Why didn't he act like a good husband back then?"
"I really don't know what to do now." Olivia rubbed her temples. "Leo seems to like him a lot. They had fun yesterday, and Leo even called him daddy. If I keep them apart, Leo gets upset."
"Kids are young and don't get the grudges between adults. They just think it's great someone plays with them." Emma sighed. "But you can't compromise just for that. We don't know what Luca's really like. He might be nice to you and Leo now, but it could be a phase. Once the novelty wears off, he'll side with Windy like before."
Mentioning Windy made Olivia's face darken again.
"Speaking of Windy, Luca told me yesterday there's nothing between them. He said he was blinded by that so-called life-saving favor before." Her tone was full of scorn. "You think I buy that? Back then, for her sake, he ignored all my pain."
"I don't buy his crap either!" Emma rolled her eyes. "Windy's no innocent. She's probably stirring up trouble behind the scenes."
Olivia went quiet, her mind a mess.
She wasn't without a flicker of doubt. Seeing Luca gentle with Leo, seeing the guilt in his eyes, she sometimes wondered if they could give each other a chance.
But thinking of the past hurts, Windy's taunts, and the struggles of raising Leo alone wiped that out fast.
"I feel like everything he's doing now is fake." Olivia said softly. "He found out about Leo and thinks someone stole his kid, so he wants it back. Not really about making up for anything."
"Real or fake, don't let your guard down." Emma looked serious. "You fought tooth and nail to raise Leo. Don't let Luca take him easily."
"I know." Olivia nodded. "I've even thought about taking Leo and leaving, going back to that country we were in before, so he can never find us."
"Great idea!" Emma's eyes lit up. "With your skills, you can make it anywhere. As long as you're away from Luca and Windy, and Leo grows up safe and sound, that's what matters most."
"But I'm a bit reluctant." Olivia hesitated. "The studio's just picking up, and you're here. I don't want to give it all up."
"Silly girl, jobs can be found again, friends can stay in touch, but you and Leo's safety comes first." Emma patted her hand. "Luca's got so much power. As long as you're in this city, he'll find ways to get to you. More headaches later."
Olivia felt even more torn—one side her hard-won business and friends she hated to leave, the other her son's safety and a peaceful life.
Right then, Emma seemed to remember something. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you something."
"What?" Olivia looked up.
"About those gossips on Windy and Luca, I had a friend dig around." Emma lowered her voice. "All that stuff about Luca spoiling Windy? Windy made it up herself!"
Olivia froze. "Made it up?"
"Yeah!" Emma nodded. "My friend said last year on Windy's birthday, she claimed Luca booked a whole hot spring resort. Total lie—she paid people to fake the crowd. Luca was abroad on business that day, and didn't even come back. And that riverside penthouse, limited-edition necklace? All Windy bragging to make it look like Luca can't live without her, so people envy her."
Olivia was stunned. She never imagined that those things that bugged her for years were fake.
"So... does Luca know?" she asked on impulse.
"Who knows? Maybe, maybe not." Emma shrugged. "But one thing's sure—Luca's not as into Windy as she claims. Otherwise, why no real commitment after all these years?"
Olivia's heart was a mix of feelings, hard to pin down.
So the "deep love" she thought they had was all Windy's show.
"Even if it's fake, it doesn't change how he hurt me back then." Olivia said quietly. "He really took Windy's side, ignored how I felt. That's not fake."
"I know." Emma sighed. "I just wanted you to know Luca might not be that into Windy, so you don't have to stew over them anymore. As for giving Luca a chance, that's up to you. But I think keep your eyes open—don't trust him too quick."
Olivia nodded, but her mind was more jumbled.
"I'll think about it," she said softly. "Right now, I'm most worried about Leo. I fear Luca might sneak him away, with all his power."