Chapter 62 True Feelings Revealed
Melo's smile widened instantly. He reached across the table and gently touched the back of Olivia's hand. "That's great! I knew you'd agree."
His fingertips were warm, and his gesture stayed polite, keeping a respectful distance without crossing any lines. This made Olivia's tense nerves relax a little.
"Tomorrow, I'll have my assistant bring over the contract. If you have any requests, just let me know. Salary, benefits, team structure, whatever you need can be tailored to you," Melo said, his tone filled with barely hidden excitement. "With you on board, our projects will go to the next level."
Olivia gave a faint smile. For the first time in a while, she genuinely felt at ease. There was no Luca's coldness or Windy's scheming—just pure recognition and respect.
"Thank you, Melo," she said softly. "I don't have any special demands. I just want a simple team atmosphere where I can focus on my work."
"Don't worry!" Melo patted his chest in assurance. "There's none of that messy drama or backstabbing in my company. Everyone gets ahead based on their skills. If anyone tries to trip you up, I'll be the first to step in."
Olivia let out a laugh. "In that case, here's to a great partnership."
Meanwhile, on the other side, Luca was frantically calling Olivia. But every time he dialed, no one picked up.
"Damn it!" Luca cursed, slamming his phone onto the passenger seat.
His chest felt like it was burning with frustration. He wanted nothing more than to find Olivia right now.
Luca yanked off his tie, tossed it into the backseat, and quickly started the engine. His sports car roared like a wild beast. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the car surged forward. The city streets were calm, the usual rush hour chaos gone, and Luca raced through the empty roads.
As the scenery blurred past, the irritation in Luca's eyes grew deeper. He couldn't understand why Olivia always had to be so stubborn. This time, she even quit!
Was it because of Windy?
He had always thought their marriage was just a business arrangement, that he only felt a sense of duty toward Olivia, and that divorce would be a relief.
But now that she was really about to leave him, without even giving him a chance to explain, a deep emptiness opened up in the part of his heart he'd tried so hard to ignore.
The sports car drifted sharply around a turn, the tires screeching and leaving a burnt smell in the air.
Luca gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white.
He thought of Olivia's pale face when she was in pain, her weak state when she fainted from low blood sugar, and how she forced herself to act harmonious in front of his grandfather despite being wronged.
All those things he took for granted were actually Olivia's compromises and patience.
He always assumed she couldn't leave this marriage, couldn't let go of being Mrs. Vettel, but he forgot how capable she was on her own.
She could manage the project department flawlessly and win partners' trust, so even without him, she could live a successful and vibrant life.
He was the one who'd been blinded by Windy's so-called life-saving kindness, the one who kept taking Windy's side and hurting Olivia again and again—until he drove away the woman who used to see no one but him.
"Damn it!" Luca growled, slamming on the brakes. The car skidded to a stop by the roadside, leaving long tire marks. He slumped over the steering wheel, his chest heaving.
Just then, his phone buzzed on the passenger seat. The screen lit up with Windy's name.
Luca glanced at it, and the frustration in his eyes quickly turned to annoyance.
In the past, whenever Windy called, he would answer right away. But now, he just felt irritated.
He pressed the reject button and flipped the phone face down on the seat.
He didn't want to be tied down by so-called debts of gratitude anymore. He didn't want to keep ignoring the person he truly cared about because of another woman.
Luca started the car again. The speed was slower this time, but he still headed toward the villa.
Back at the empty villa, there was no trace of Olivia's presence. Even the air felt unusually cold.
He went straight to the wine cellar, grabbed a case of whiskey, and didn't even bother with a glass, drinking straight from the bottle. The harsh liquid burned his throat, giving him a brief numbing sensation.
He leaned back on the couch, drinking bottle after bottle. The alcohol hit him fast, and his vision started to blur.
In his daze, he seemed to see Olivia walking over with a bowl of hot soup, frowning as she said, "Drinking ike this is gonna mess up your stomach."
He also seemed to see her sitting at the dining table, quietly eating, with sunlight falling on her face, making her look incredibly soft.
These everyday moments he once ignored were now the scenes he longed for the most.
"Olivia..." he muttered, reaching out to touch her, but his fingers only passed through empty air.
The phone rang again. It was still Windy.
Even though Olivia had resigned on her own, Windy still felt uneasy and wanted to talk to Luca. But after two unanswered calls, she started to feel scared. She tried a third time, and this time, he finally picked up.
"Luca..." Windy's voice trembled, but before she could say more, Luca cut her off with an icy tone. "What is it?"
Windy froze, biting her lip as she said, "Luca, my wound hurts so much. Can you come keep me company?" Her voice carried a familiar pitiful tone.
Previously, Luca would have softened immediately. But now, it just grated on his nerves.
"I'm busy right now," Luca interrupted. "If your wound hurts, go see a doctor."
Windy was stunned on the other end, unable to believe what she heard. "Luca, what's wrong with you? You weren't like this before..."
Luca paused for a moment. Maybe the alcohol had completely numbed him, because he just said flatly, "People change. Windy, you need to learn to rely on yourself."
Hadn't Olivia been doing that all along?
Luca took a deep breath and hung up before Windy could respond.
He tossed the phone far away and kept drinking.
He curled up on the couch, his consciousness fading.
In his dream, he saw Olivia standing at a distance, smiling and waving at him. But when he reached out to grab her, she turned and disappeared into a thick fog.
"Olivia!" He jolted awake, his shirt soaked with cold sweat.
Outside, the sky was turning pale with the first light of dawn. Sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the empty whiskey bottles scattered on the floor.
Luca sat up, his head pounding from the hangover, making him wince.
He stumbled to the window, staring at the empty driveway. The sense of loss in his heart grew stronger.
He had to find Olivia!
At that moment, Olivia had just woken up. She was getting ready to look up some information and learn more about Melo's company.
But just then, Linus called.
Olivia guessed that Linus must have heard about her resignation. As soon as she answered, she heard the old man's weary voice through the receiver. "Olivia, I know you've been wronged."
Her grip on the phone tightened.
"Grandpa..." she called softly, her voice choking up a little.