Chapter 19 Feeding Her
Olivia lay in bed, unconscious.
Luca realized for the first time that he might have never fulfilled his duties as a husband.
And it seemed like he was really about to lose Olivia.
He sat down, keeping watch by her bedside.
As dawn approached, Olivia finally fluttered her eyelids.
The moment she cracked her eyes open just a sliver, she felt someone staring at her.
The gaze was intense, carrying a familiar sense of pressure.
It was Luca.
Olivia didn't want to face him, so she closed her eyes again, pretending to sleep.
She didn't want to see anyone or talk right now.
"Open your eyes if you're awake," Luca's voice sounded by the bed.
Exhausted to her core, Olivia had no choice but to open her eyes again.
Luca was sitting right by the bed, still in yesterday's suit, with faint dark circles under his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't slept all night.
He stayed here, watching over her? Olivia was a bit surprised.
Luca placed a velvet box in front of her. "I brought this for you."
Olivia froze for a moment.
She reached out, her fingertips trembling, and gently opened the box.
Inside was the brooch her mother had worn many times, exactly as she remembered it.
Her mother...
Olivia felt like crying, but forced herself to hold it back. "I'll take it. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise. I won't report to the board. You can leave now."
Luca didn't expect her to ask him to leave the moment she woke up, without even a hint of emotion.
He felt frustrated. "I'm not here because I'm worried you'll report to the board," Luca said, his tone a bit rough, with a trace of concern even he didn't notice. "I stayed all night because I saw you collapse. Olivia, why has your body gotten so weak all of a sudden?"
Olivia almost laughed out loud.
Was he worried about her, or worried she wouldn't be able to attend next month's family gathering?
Her hand under the blanket rested on her lower abdomen. This baby came at the worst possible time, constantly draining her body. And the weaker she got, the less she could risk surgery.
It's a vicious cycle.
Right now, the most important thing is to stay calm and avoid getting upset or emotional.
"It's none of your business," Olivia said, closing her eyes. "I'm tired. I want to rest. Please leave."
She was pushing him away again.
Luca's face darkened, and a stubborn streak rose in him. "I'm not leaving. Until the divorce papers are finalized, you're still my wife, and I'm responsible for your health."
There was a soft knock on the hospital room door, and a middle-aged man in a white coat pushed in a food cart. "Good morning, sir, madam. This is a special nutritional meal prepared based on madam's condition. Eating it on time will help with recovery."
Luca nodded.
After the man left, Luca stood up, ladled a small bowl of nutritional soup, and brought it to the bedside.
"Eat," Luca said, holding the spoon toward Olivia.
Olivia kept her eyes closed, unmoving and silent, as if he didn't exist.
Luca patiently leaned closer, nudging the spoon forward a bit more. "Olivia, come on. Eat something."
A nurse's voice came from outside the door. "Mr. Vettel, Miss Windy says her wound is hurting really bad, and she's pretty upset. She keeps asking when you'll be there."
Olivia sneered inwardly but also felt a sense of relief.
She just wanted to eat in peace, without Luca around.
Let Luca hurry off to take care of Windy—that would be perfect.
But Luca didn't immediately set the bowl down. He paused for two seconds before saying to the nurse outside, "Tell her to wait half an hour. I'll be there once I'm done here."
He was actually making Windy wait?
Olivia was stunned. She looked up and met Luca's deep blue eyes, his gaze complicated.
"What are you looking at?" Luca felt a bit uneasy, his tone hardening again. "Hurry up and drink the soup. I'll leave once you're done."
Olivia coldly refused, "You should go be with someone who needs you more. Don't waste your time here."
After her sarcastic remark, she turned her head to look out the window.
Luca, annoyed, set the bowl down and grabbed the brooch box beside her.
"What are you doing?" Olivia panicked, reaching out to snatch it back.
Luca held the box up high, out of her reach, his tone harsh. "If you don't eat, don't even think about getting your mother's brooch back! I mean what I say."
"You… you jerk!" Olivia was shocked. This man was even worse than she'd imagined!
"Call me whatever you want." Luca picked up the bowl again, scooped up a spoonful of soup, and held it to her lips. "Eat."
Olivia glared at him, tempted to knock the bowl right into his face, but if she did that, she'd never get her mother's brooch back.
Taking a deep breath, Olivia opened her mouth and drank.
Luca was more patient than ever, watching her eat small bites, and the irritation in his heart faded.
In fact, he even felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
When Olivia finished the last bite, Luca set the bowl down, picked up a tissue, and reached out to wipe the corner of her mouth.
Olivia jerked her head away, her eyes wary. "What are you trying to do now?"
Luca's hand froze mid-air.
Olivia's face was cold, but after drinking the soup, her lips looked full and tempting. He suddenly remembered what it felt like to kiss her. Soft, sweet—unlike anything he'd ever tasted before.
Luca's throat bobbed as he stared at Olivia's lips, his gaze darkening.
Olivia noticed the change in his eyes. Her heart tightened, and she mocked, "Luca, Windy is still waiting for you!"
A flash of embarrassment crossed Luca's face. "Rest well," he muttered, setting the box down and quickly walking out.
Only when his footsteps faded did Olivia let out a sigh of relief.
She picked up the velvet box, holding it close to her heart as if she could feel her mother's warmth.
Then, she grabbed her phone, found a number, and dialed.
The person on the other end was a shareholder in the company, someone connected to her mother's family.
The call was answered quickly.
"Jack, it's me, Olivia. Sorry to bother you, but there's something I think you and the board members need to know." She immediately told him about Luca protecting Windy and refusing to investigate further.
Jack was furious. "Don't worry, Olivia. The board has to know about this! Vettel Group isn't his personal playground. I'll call an emergency board meeting right away!"
"Thank you," Olivia said, hanging up and leaning back against the headboard.
Luca thought he could silence her and control everything with a brooch that already belonged to her.
That was impossible.
She couldn't swallow the injustice and stay quiet.
This was only the beginning.
Olivia focused on resting and recovering her strength so she could plan for the surgery later.
Jack sent her a message saying the emergency board meeting was underway, and Luca was being asked to publicly explain his mishandling of the situation.
Luca admitted the project had been deliberately sabotaged internally but denied covering for Windy.
Olivia could just imagine Luca arguing with the board, trying hard to protect Windy.
Jack kept sending her updates on the meeting's progress.
The meeting dragged on for seven hours without ending.
Olivia started to worry that the board members might not be as firm as Luca.
She was about to call Jack and tell him to avoid clashing head-on with Luca for now when Jack called her first.