Chapter 26 Pretend Lovers
Olivia caught the scent of perfume on Luca again, and her face darkened even more.
"What did you say to Grandpa?" Luca's eyes were filled with suppressed anger as he cornered Olivia by the sink. "Did you complain to him about Windy and me being too close?"
He had planned to explain what happened yesterday as soon as he got home, but the moment he walked in, Grandpa chewed him out, and that put him in a foul mood right away.
Hearing his accusation, Olivia felt her heart turn cold.
She had been so sick that she nearly passed out, yet instead of showing concern, his first reaction was to blame her for tattling.
He did something wrong himself, and now he's questioning her? How ridiculous!
Olivia gave a mocking smile. "Feeling guilty, huh? You know exactly whose perfume is on you. Besides, I don't even need to say anything to Linus. Anyone with eyes can see what's going on between you and Windy!"
Her words only confirmed Luca's suspicions. Olivia must have told Linus.
"Olivia!" Luca gritted his teeth and grabbed her wrist. "I'm warning you, watch your mouth in front of Grandpa. We're still married, so I'll pretend to be loving with you. But don't play any tricks or try to use Grandpa to control me!"
Olivia sneered, suppressing the anger in her chest. "Are you done?" She pulled her hand free from his grip. "If you're done, get out. I need to fix my makeup."
Luca felt stung by her coldness, his chest burning with frustration he couldn't release.
He stayed silent for a few seconds, unable to find words, then yanked the door open and stormed out.
Luca irritably tugged at his tie, thinking of how Olivia looked when she was throwing up earlier. Her face was pale and fragile. Was it because she didn't eat well last night, or was she still sick from before?
A strange tightness gripped Luca's heart, mixing with his irritation and an odd sense of concern. He stopped in his tracks and told the butler, "Prepare some chamomile tea for Olivia and make sure she drinks it."
The butler nodded.
Luca adjusted his suit, took a deep breath, put on a composed expression, and headed back to the study.
At lunchtime, Olivia and Luca helped Grandpa out together.
Luca played the role of a caring husband, occasionally passing food to Olivia and treating her with gentle attention.
Olivia couldn't stand his fake behavior but had to go along with it.
Every time Luca got close, that unfamiliar perfume scent wafted over, making her stomach churn with discomfort.
She forced herself to endure it, keeping her head down and taking small bites of her food, careful not to let Linus notice anything was wrong.
Linus could tell Olivia was exhausted and sensed some tension between them. Maybe it had to do with that Windy. But as an elder, he didn't want to keep prying. He just hoped Olivia wouldn't suffer too much.
After the meal, Linus waved his hand. "You don't need to stay with me. Go do your own thing. But Luca, remember, a happy marriage is more important than anything else."
"Yes, Grandpa," Luca replied, lowering his head.
As they left the estate, Olivia immediately put distance between herself and Luca. Her tone was cold. "I have something to do. I'm not going back with you."
Luca hadn't expected her to drop even the pretense and outright refuse to ride with him. Anger flared up again as he stepped in front of her. "What's more important than me driving you home? Get in the car."
"I have my own car," Olivia said. She didn't want to smell that nauseating scent on Luca anymore, nor did she want to be near him.
"I said, get in." Losing patience, Luca grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the Rolls-Royce. The driver had already opened the back door.
Olivia was shoved into the car, unable to resist, so she sat as close to the window as possible to keep her distance from him.
When the door closed, the perfume smell became even stronger.
Olivia felt her chest tighten, her stomach churning violently.
She covered her mouth, her brows furrowed tightly, cold sweat forming on her forehead.
The car hit a bump, and Olivia couldn't hold it in, letting out a muffled gag as she tried to control her breathing.
Seeing her in such distress, Luca finally realized that Olivia seemed to be repulsed by the scent on him.
It dawned on him that this morning, he had asked Ken to get him clothes and perfume. It wasn't his usual scent, and even he didn't like it.
Without a word, Luca lowered the window, letting fresh air in.
He didn't hesitate to take off his suit jacket and throw it out. The perfume smell in the car faded significantly.
Feeling the fresh air, Olivia took a few deep breaths, and the discomfort eased a little.
She glanced at Luca in slight surprise. He had actually noticed that the perfume was making her sick and even threw out his jacket.
Probably just worried she'd throw up in the car, she thought.
Olivia didn't dwell on it and turned to look out the window.
Luca caught her silent, distant expression out of the corner of his eye, feeling a wave of irritation. He loosened his tie and stayed quiet, too.
Just then, Olivia's phone rang.
It was Jason.
Olivia answered immediately, her voice softening without her realizing it. "Jason."
"Olivia, are you free this afternoon? We scheduled your first nebulizer treatment for 3 p.m. Is that okay for you to come by?" Jason's gentle voice came through.
"Of course, I'll head over now," Olivia agreed right away. She just wanted to get away from Luca and focus on her own matters.
"Great, I'll be waiting. Be careful on the way," Jason reminded her.
After hanging up, Olivia told the driver, "Could you take me to the hospital instead?"
"The hospital?" Luca turned to her sharply. "What's wrong with you now? Or are you going to see him?" His tone carried clear hostility.
Olivia couldn't be bothered to explain. "It's none of your business."
Luca let out a cold laugh and ordered the driver, "Don't change the route. Head home first."
"Luca!" Olivia snapped, frustrated. "I said I'm going to the hospital. I'm getting treatment!"
Luca's tone was firm. "Either I go with you, or you're not going at all. I'll get a family doctor for you."
Olivia stared at him in disbelief. "Why would you come with me? Don't you have to go back to the company?"
"My schedule is none of your concern," Luca said, looking straight ahead, his voice icy. "But as my wife, if you're meeting another man alone, I have to be there."
"You're insane, a complete lunatic!" Olivia cursed in anger.
Luca raised an eyebrow, pretending not to hear.
Olivia felt completely at a loss. She had no idea what this man was thinking. They were about to get divorced, yet he still had this need to control her. With all the work piling up at the company, she couldn't believe Luca thought going with her to the hospital was more important than his job!
Fine. It was just a nebulizer treatment. Letting him tag along wouldn't matter. It was better than having him suspect something else.
Olivia felt relieved in her mind that it wasn't a prenatal checkup, or she wouldn't be able to hide anything.
She closed her eyes again, refusing to talk.
Luca stared at Olivia. With her eyes closed, she looked much prettier than she did lately with all her hostility.
For a moment, he felt the urge to reach out and fix her hair.
Wait, what was he doing?
Realizing the thought was odd, Luca quickly pulled his hand back.