Chapter 61 Resignation
Olivia stared at Luca as he accused her without even getting the facts straight, her heart completely turning cold.
"Too much?" She let out a bitter laugh, her tone full of mockery. "Luca, did you actually see me talking trash about her to Linus? What makes you so sure I'm the one who got her fired? Just because she cried and played the victim, you're going to believe whatever story she tells you?"
Luca was momentarily stunned by her question, his frown deepening. "Whether you said it or not, Linus's decision to fire Windy was too hasty."
Windy, hiding behind Luca, secretly flashed a smug smile, though her voice sounded even more pitiful. "Luca, I really love this job, and I've been working so hard. Can you help me, please? I know Olivia doesn't like me, and I'm willing to apologize to her. I'll do anything if I can just keep my job."
The murmurs around them grew louder, with people saying Olivia was making a big deal out of nothing and bullying an injured colleague just because she had Linus backing her up.
Olivia took a deep breath, suppressing the anger and disappointment in her heart. She looked at Luca, her gaze eerily calm. "So, what do you want me to do?"
Luca thought she was giving in, and his tone softened a bit. "Go talk to Grandpa and ask him to take back the decision to fire Windy. Just do it because she's hurt. Besides, she did save my life once."
That reason again.
In Luca's mind, Windy's act of saving him seemed to erase all her wrongdoings.
Olivia's heart sank completely. She slowly took out her phone and, in front of everyone, dialed the estate's number.
The call was quickly answered, and Linus's voice came through. "Olivia, is everything sorted out?"
"Grandpa," Olivia's voice was soft but carried a hint of seriousness, "you don't have to worry about Windy's dismissal anymore. I've just handed in my resignation. Starting today, I'm no longer with Vettel Group."
Everyone was stunned, including Luca. He couldn't believe his ears. "Olivia, what did you say? You're resigning?"
Olivia ignored him and continued speaking into the phone. "Grandpa, thank you for always taking care of me, but Luca and I will handle our own matters."
After hanging up, Olivia looked at Luca, her eyes showing no trace of attachment. "Are you satisfied now? I'm leaving, and she stays. Now no one will bully her anymore."
Windy hadn't expected things to turn out like this—Olivia actually resigned. She was overjoyed inside, but her face showed shock and concern. "Olivia, how could you resign? It's all my fault. I shouldn't have put Luca in a difficult position. If you don't want to see me, I'll leave. Please don't act impulsively."
Luca, seeing Olivia's resolute expression, felt an inexplicable panic. "Even if you're upset, there's no need to resign."
"Upset?" Olivia shook her head. "I'm not upset. I'm serious. This place, this position, and you—all of it makes me feel tired. I don't want to stay here anymore."
She turned to her colleagues around her, giving them a faint smile. "Thank you all for your support during this time. I wish you all the best in the future."
With that, she picked up the bag she had already packed on her desk and walked toward the door without hesitation.
Luca wanted to stop her, but his feet wouldn't move. As he watched Olivia's figure disappear through the door, his heart felt empty, like something important was missing.
Windy, seeing that Olivia had actually left, was beyond thrilled. She moved closer to Luca, her voice soft and sweet. "Luca, thank you for helping me. I'll work even harder from now on and won't let you down."
Luca didn't respond, his expression stormy and tense.
All he could think about was the look in Olivia's eyes just moments ago—a look that made his chest tighten over and over.
He waved his hand dismissively, his tone icy. "Go back to work and keep a low profile in the company from now on."
With that, he turned and strode away, leaving Windy standing there, her smile frozen on her face.
As Luca left the project department, he immediately took out his phone to call Olivia, but it went straight to voicemail.
He tugged at his tie in frustration, a strong sense of unease growing inside him. Olivia wasn't even answering his calls!
Just as he reached the elevator, his phone rang. It was the estate's butler.
"Mr. Vettel, your grandfather wants you to return to the estate immediately. He's very angry."
Luca's heart sank. He knew Grandpa must be furious about Olivia's resignation. Without delay, he drove straight to the estate.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw Linus sitting on the sofa, his face ashen with anger.
"Grandpa," Luca called out quietly.
"Tell me, what did you do to Olivia?" Linus slammed the table hard. "Why would she suddenly quit? Did you stick up for that Windy girl again and make Olivia feel like she wasn't valued?"
Luca lowered his eyes, not daring to argue.
"I've told you before, Olivia is a good girl, and you should treat her well. But what did you do?" Linus grew angrier as he spoke. "Windy's trouble, but you keep defending her. Now Olivia's gone. Does that make you happy? Do you even care about Olivia? Did you ever really take her seriously?"
"Yes, I do!" Luca quickly looked up. "I just…"
Just what?
He wanted to say it was just a business marriage, but the words wouldn't come out.
Over these past days, memories of his time with Olivia flashed through his mind.
Unknowingly, this woman, who was once just part of a marriage agreement, had carved out a place in his heart.
Linus sighed as he saw Luca at a loss for words. "Think carefully about what you really want. I genuinely care for Olivia. If you don't know how to cherish her, you'll regret it sooner or later."
Luca stayed silent, his mind a mess. All he wanted now was to find Olivia, apologize, and ask her not to leave.
Just then, his phone rang. It was his assistant.
"Mr. Vettel, Olivia's resignation is finalized. HR finished all the paperwork. Also, we saw her leave the office earlier—she left with Mr. Gerald."
Luca's heart clenched. Gerald? "Where did they go?"
"It looks like they went to a restaurant in the city center, but I don't know the exact location."
Luca hung up, unable to sit still any longer. He immediately stood up and rushed toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Linus called after him.
"Find Olivia!"
Meanwhile, at a restaurant in the city center, Olivia sat across from Gerald.
"You really decided to resign?" Gerald looked at her, his eyes full of surprise.
Olivia nodded and took a sip of water. "Yeah. I've wanted to leave for a while now, and this just gave me the push. Vettel Group is great, but there are too many people and things there that make me unhappy. It's better to leave."
Gerald smiled. "Honestly, I've been wanting to recruit you for a long time. You're so capable, and staying at Vettel Group is a waste of your talent. I need a project manager at my company. The pay and benefits are better than what you had at Vettel. What do you say? Come work for me. I promise nobody will mess with you or treat you unfairly."
Olivia looked up, meeting Gerald's sincere gaze, and felt a bit touched.
She did need a job and a new environment to start over right now.
She made her decision on the spot.
"Alright, I'm in."