Chapter 23 The Extra One
Olivia was stunned by the sudden accident, her mind going blank as she froze in the water.
Luca's eyes were intense, lingering on her from head to toe with a hint of possessiveness.
Every part of Olivia's body was flawless.
Damn, she was so tempting.
Luca's breathing grew heavy. He stepped to the edge of the bathtub, leaned down, pulled Olivia close, gripped the back of her head, and kissed her. He couldn't think of a reason to do this; his body just acted on instinct.
Feeling the softness of Olivia's lips, the irritation in Luca's heart finally faded.
Olivia pushed hard against Luca's chest, leaning back, but his hand held her head firmly, not letting her escape. With his other hand, he lifted her out of the water, ignoring how soaked she was, and urgently pulled her into his arms.
"Let go… Luca!"
Olivia shivered in Luca's embrace as the cool air hit her.
Luca's eyes darkened, and he kissed her even harder, dominantly tasting her.
Leaving the warm water, Olivia trembled from the cold. Finally, Luca let her go. He reached for a bathrobe folded on a nearby shelf and handed it to her, his voice rough with desire. "Dry off and come out. We have something to talk about."
Luca walked out of the bathroom.
"Jerk! Luca, you're such a jerk!" Olivia finally caught her breath, grabbed a bottle of body wash nearby, and threw it at the door.
Outside, Luca leaned against the wall waiting. Hearing her curses, he didn't get angry. Instead, a smile crept onto his face, one he didn't even notice himself.
She still had the energy to yell at him, which was better than being emotionless.
It took Olivia a long time to calm down in the bathroom, barely suppressing the humiliation and anger in her heart.
She dried herself off, put on the bathrobe, and opened the door to step out.
Luca was sitting on the bedroom sofa, holding a document. His expression was serious, as if the guy who bullied her in the bathroom wasn't him.
"What is it?" Olivia stood as far away from him as possible, her eyes wary.
Luca put the document down. "It's about Windy. Some board members have big issues with her. They think she lacks experience and skills, and can't handle the secretary role. They believe she'll drag down your project team."
Olivia scoffed to herself. Back when he replaced her without a second thought, did he ever consider any of this? "And?"
Luca softened his tone. "Starting tomorrow, after work, Windy will come here. You're responsible for training her so she can handle the secretary job. Get her up to speed quickly and prove those people wrong."
Olivia found it ridiculous. "No way! I don't have the energy or the mood to teach her."
Luca stood up and walked toward her step by step, his voice carrying a slight pressure. "Olivia, you're the project department manager. It's your responsibility to make sure everyone involved in the projects has basic work skills. This is for the good of the company."
"I said I'm not teaching her." Olivia didn't back down, her eyes full of mockery. "You're so capable—why don't you train her yourself, or hire someone who actually does this for a living?"
Luca leaned closer to Olivia, a smirk on his face and a suggestive threat in his voice. "If you refuse, I'll touch you. Olivia, your body hasn't recovered yet. You don't have much strength. Do you think you can get away from me?"
Luca glanced at Olivia's lips, slightly swollen from his kiss. Then his eyes moved over her bathrobe.
Olivia's eyes widened in disbelief, a wave of nausea hitting her. She was shocked by Luca's shamelessness. He was actually using this to force and humiliate her!
Luca wasn't in a rush. He crossed his arms and stepped back, watching her. "Take your time. Think about whether you can really handle what happens if you say no."
Olivia closed her eyes. She didn't want this man to touch her again. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Fine, I'll teach her."
The smile on Luca's face slowly faded.
He didn't feel much joy in threatening Olivia; instead, he felt disappointed.
Olivia hated Windy so much, yet she'd rather teach her work skills than let him touch her. Was he some kind of filthy trash? Did Olivia despise him that much?
Luca felt a dull ache inside but didn't show it. He returned to his cold demeanor. "Good. It starts tomorrow night." Then he left the bedroom.
Olivia collapsed onto the bed, wrapping the bathrobe tightly around herself. She couldn't stand living like this for even one more day.
The next evening, Olivia waited at the villa.
After resting for a day and eating properly, she regained some energy. Now, she was ready to deal with Windy.
But by 9 p.m., neither Luca nor Windy had shown up.
Olivia didn't mind if they never came. Just as she was about to rest, her phone rang. It was an unknown number.
She answered, and loud, booming music blasted through the speaker.
"Olivia? It's Ken. Luca's drunk at the bar. He keeps calling your name. Can you come pick him up?" Olivia knew Ken; he was Luca's friend. But Luca being drunk had nothing to do with her. She didn't want to go.
Besides, he couldn't possibly be calling her name. He was probably calling for Windy.
Ken might've misheard or was lying.
"I'm not feeling well. I'm already resting. Call a driver to pick him up," Olivia refused coldly.
"No, wait!" Ken's voice grew urgent. "You know how Luca gets when he's drunk. He won't listen to anyone. It's late, Olivia. Just help me out and come over. You guys are married, after all."
Ken's words reminded Olivia.
Their upcoming divorce couldn't go public yet.
If she didn't go pick up Luca, and his friends noticed something was off, rumors of their divorce might spread, causing unnecessary trouble.
Right now, she just wanted things to stay calm until the family gathering. Once that day passed, she'd get the divorce right away.
She couldn't let anything go wrong before then.
Olivia finally gave in. She changed clothes and drove to the bar.
On the way, she felt strangely sleepy and nearly scraped a car next to her.
She reached the bar, parked, and followed the private room number Ken gave her.
The hallway reeked of smoke and alcohol.
Olivia felt sick to her stomach and wanted to throw up.
She covered her mouth and kept moving. Suddenly, a few people stepped out of a room at the end of the hallway.
Leading them was Luca, with Windy supporting him. Behind them were Ken and another of Luca's friends.
Luca looked drunk, his tie messed up. Windy was right next to him, holding his arm while her other hand adjusted his crooked collar.
Windy stood on her tiptoes, tilting her head up. Luca's head was lowered, as if they were about to kiss any second.
Olivia stopped in her tracks. A cold breeze seemed to come from nowhere, chilling her to the bone.
There was always someone by his side to take care of him. She was always the extra one.
Luca wouldn't call her name when drunk. If Ken was telling the truth, Windy wouldn't be here now.
Olivia felt ridiculous. She turned around and left.
Just as she stepped out of the bar, two men blocked her way.
"Hey, babe, come dance with us?"