Chapter 194 Choosing to Give Up
"Mix-up?" Luca's eyes turned cold. "I think you don't even know what Jason did, and you don't want to know. I'm telling you straight: you can't buy Jason back with money. You have two choices now. Either give up on Jason, and from now on, we stay out of each other's business. Or if you insist on saving him, your whole family will pay for it with your lives."
His tone was ice-cold, carrying a heavy pressure that no one could argue with. Jason's family all went pale.
They knew the Vettel family's power was way beyond what they could handle.
Jason's dad wanted to speak, but Jason's grandpa stopped him.
The old man stayed quiet for a long time, then finally said slowly: "Okay, we give up on Jason."
He turned and walked out. The other family members had no choice but to follow.
Olivia watched their backs as they left, feeling mixed emotions.
She hated Jason, but seeing his own family abandon him still felt kind of sad.
After a bit, she asked: "What about Jason now..."
"Him?" Luca sneered. "He likes locking people up, right? Now he'll be locked up for life. I've got bodyguards holding him in a secret base, watched 24 hours a day. He'll never get out."
Olivia nodded and didn't say anything else.
For a guy like Jason, this was probably the best end.
Two weeks later, Olivia and Luca were fully recovered.
Olivia still hadn't gotten her memory back, but she didn't mind anymore.
She had Luca, Leo who she'd see soon, and her family who cared about her. That was enough.
On the flight home, Olivia leaned on Luca's shoulder, staring at the clouds outside, full of excitement.
"Can't wait to see Leo? You happy?" Luca leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Yeah." Olivia nodded, her eyes smiling. "I'm a little nervous. Wonder if he'll like me now."
"Don't worry, he'll love you." Luca smiled. "He talks about you every day, waiting for you to come home."
The plane landed at the airport back home late at night.
The assistant had a car ready and took them straight to the family home.
As soon as they walked in, Clara and Arthur were sitting in the living room waiting.
"You're back!" Clara jumped up, hurried over, and grabbed Olivia's hand. "Long trip— you okay? Feeling alright?"
"We're fine, thanks, ma'am." Olivia smiled.
"What ma'am? Call me Mom," Clara said with a playful glare. "We're family now. No need to be so polite."
Olivia's face turned a little red. She softly said, "Mom."
"Yes!" Clara beamed, her eyes tearing up. "Perfect. Our family's finally together again."
Arthur walked over and patted Luca's shoulder. "Good to have you back. Get some rest."
"Where's Leo?" Luca asked.
"Already asleep," Clara said with a smile. "He waited for you all day but couldn't stay up. He said he'd be first to see you tomorrow morning."
Olivia felt warm inside and got even more excited for tomorrow.
"You've had a long day, too. Head upstairs and rest. We can talk tomorrow." Clara said.
Luca nodded and took Olivia upstairs.
Right at the stairs, Clara pulled Luca aside and whispered, "What's going on with Olivia? She seems a bit distant with you."
Luca sighed and explained quickly: "Jason hypnotized her. She lost her memory. Now she only remembers her name is Olivia, and she has a son named Leo. Nothing else."
Clara's face fell, full of worry. "That Jason—he went too far! Poor Olivia, she suffered so much."
"Mom, don't worry," Luca said. "She's doing much better. We'll help her get her memory back bit by bit."
"Got it," Clara nodded. "I'll take good care of her from now on. No more letting her get hurt."
Back in the room, Olivia looked around the place. It felt familiar but strange, and she felt a bit emotional.
This must be her and Luca's old room—cozy and comfy.
"Get some sleep. We see Leo tomorrow." Luca came over and fluffed her pillow.
"Yeah." Olivia nodded, lay down, and fell asleep fast.
The next morning, a clear kid's voice woke Olivia up.
"Mommy! Daddy!"
She opened her eyes and saw Leo in his bear pajamas, jumping to the bedside, eyes full of joy.
"Leo!" Olivia's heart warmed. She sat up quick and hugged him.
It felt a little awkward, but she didn't want him to notice, so she put on a big smile.
"Mommy, I missed you so much!" Leo hugged her neck tight and kissed her cheek.
"Mommy missed you, too." Olivia held him close, tears running down.
Luca walked over and ruffled Leo's hair. "Okay, don't make Mommy cry. Time to wash up, eat breakfast, and get you to school."
"Okay!" Leo nodded and grabbed Olivia's hand. "Mommy, come see my drawings. I made tons for you."
After breakfast, Luca and Olivia took Leo to kindergarten themselves.
At the gate, Leo said reluctantly, "Mommy, Daddy, you have to pick me up this afternoon!"
"We will, promise." Olivia smiled and nodded, watching him run inside.
She stood at the gate, staring at the kindergarten door. Suddenly, fuzzy images flashed in her mind—
A little figure running into kindergarten, turning back to wave and yell "Bye, Mommy". Sunlight on her skin as she stood there, watching the kid disappear down the hall, feeling so reluctant to let go. And a man's figure next to her, holding her hand, smiling at her...
The images zipped by too fast to catch.
"What's wrong?" Luca saw her freeze and asked.
"Nothing." Olivia shook her head, looking puzzled. "Some pictures flashed in my head, but they were blurry. Can't figure out what they were."
Luca felt happy inside. "Did you remember something?"
"No, just bits and pieces. Can't hold onto them." Olivia sounded a little down.
"It's okay," Luca took her hand. "We'll take it slow. No rush."
Olivia looked toward the kindergarten and had an idea. "From now on, I want to drop off and pick up Leo every day. Familiar spots might help me remember."
Luca nodded. "Sure, I'm with you."
Olivia smiled, feeling full of hope.
She hadn't remembered anything yet, but she believed that being with Luca and Leo, back in her old surroundings, she'd recall it all one day.
They'd just gotten home after dropping Leo off when the doorbell rang like crazy.
Clara ran to open it, and in rushed a bubbly figure—Olivia's best friend Emma.
"Olivia!" Emma spotted her in the living room right away. Her eyes went red, and she hurried over for a hug. "You're finally back! I was worried sick!"