Chapter 68 Stressing Grandpa
The man on the other end of the phone sounded a bit impatient. "Miss, last time there were people around her, and she got lucky. This time, I'll make sure she doesn't see it coming. I promise, she's going to be gone for good."
Windy calmed down a little. "You'd better make it happen. If you mess up again, don't expect to get the rest of the money!"
After hanging up, she clenched her fists. No. She couldn't just be fired like this. She had to go plead with Linus.
She changed into plain clothes, deliberately left the bandage on her forehead untouched, and put on a pitiful look before taking a taxi to the Vettel estate.
When she arrived at the gate, the butler's face darkened the moment he saw her. "Miss Windy, why are you here?"
"Sam," Windy forced out a few tears, her voice choking. "I know I messed up before. I just want to see Linus and apologize. I hope he can give me another chance."
The butler felt nothing but disgust. Linus had specifically instructed that Windy wasn't allowed near the mansion.
"Linus isn't feeling well and needs rest. He's not seeing visitors," the butler rejected her outright.
"I'll wait here," Windy stubbornly stood at the gate. "No matter how long it takes, I'll wait until he's willing to see me."
She had a plan in her mind. As long as she could see Linus, with her acting skills, she was sure she could soften his heart.
The butler frowned. The old man was indeed upset, but having Windy stand at the gate like this wasn't a solution either. He could only say, "Wait here. I'll go ask his opinions."
Not long after, the butler returned, his tone still cold. "Linus said he won't see you. He wants you to leave now."
Windy's heart sank. She didn't expect Linus to be so unyielding. But since she was already here, there was no way she'd give up easily.
"That's fine, I can wait," she said, straightening her back. "I'll stay here until Grandpa is willing to see me."
The butler had no choice but to let her stand there, instructing the staff to ignore her.
The sun climbed higher, scorching the ground. Windy stood under the blazing heat, the wound on her forehead starting to ache, and her face turned pale.
But she didn't dare move. This was her last chance. If she couldn't even win over Linus, she'd have no one left to turn to.
In the afternoon, after work, Olivia took a taxi back home. As soon as she reached the gate, she spotted Windy standing in the shade of a tree.
She froze for a moment, her brows furrowing in confusion. Why was Windy here? And looking so pathetic?
She had no intention of dealing with her and walked straight toward the gate.
"Olivia!" Windy saw her and immediately approached, tears in her eyes. "You're back from work?"
Olivia stopped, her tone cold. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see Grandpa," Windy lowered her head, looking wronged. "But he won't see me. So I'm just waiting here." She looked up, her eyes pleading. "Olivia, can you do me a favor? Talk to Grandpa?"
Olivia felt a wave of nausea at her fake act. "Grandpa just had a check-up. He can't handle any stress. If you keep pestering him like this and make his condition worse, can you handle the consequences?"
Windy didn't expect Olivia to be so harsh. Her eyes reddened, tears streaming down as her voice trembled with grievance. "I genuinely just want to see Grandpa. I don't mean anything else. Why won't you believe me?" She deliberately raised her voice, subtly implying that Olivia was petty and held grudges. "Are you still mad at me because of what happened last time?"
Olivia almost laughed at her shamelessness, letting out a cold smirk. "Grandpa doesn't want to see you. Standing here won't change anything."
Just then, Luca's car pulled up steadily at the gate. He stepped out, and when he saw the tense situation at the entrance—especially Windy—his brows knitted tightly, his tone full of surprise. "Why are you here?"
He had always kept Windy away from the mansion to avoid upsetting Grandpa, but she had shown up anyway.
Windy acted as if she'd found a lifeline, speaking in a pitiful tone, "Luca, I heard Grandpa's doing better. I know he might still be upset with me, so I didn't want to bother him. I just wanted to see him from the gate. That's all, I promise. But Olivia got the wrong idea." As she spoke, she quickly wiped away her tears, looking completely heartbroken.
Luca frowned and glanced at Olivia, as if to confirm the situation.
"Grandpa clearly said he won't see her. She's the one insisting on blocking the gate," Olivia said flatly, not bothering to argue with Windy.
Luca looked back at Windy, his tone growing sterner. "Grandpa's health really can't handle more stress. I appreciate your concern, but don't come here again. It might upset him. I'll arrange your work, so don't worry about that."
Windy's heart skipped a beat. She didn't care about work; she just wanted to stay close to Luca. But she still put on an obedient and sensible act. "I understand. I didn't think this through. I shouldn't have come to bother Grandpa. Luca, I'm really sorry for causing you trouble. I won't do it again."
She lowered her head, tears clinging to her long lashes, looking both wronged and understanding. But right after she finished speaking, her body suddenly swayed, her face turned deathly pale, and her eyes closed as she collapsed to the side.
"Windy!" Luca instinctively reached out to catch her, his fingers brushing against her cold skin. His frown deepened. He checked her pulse; there didn't seem to be anything serious. She had probably just fainted from standing in the heat too long.
"I'll take her to the hospital to get checked," Luca said, looking up at Olivia, his tone a bit helpless. "Tell Grandpa I have something to handle and will be back later."
Olivia felt a surge of mockery, her tone carrying a hint of sarcasm. "She sure knows the perfect time to faint. Always manages to keep you worried about her."
Luca knew she was still upset about past events. He opened his mouth to explain, but looking at the unconscious Windy in his arms, he ultimately said nothing except, "I'll be back soon."
With that, he lifted Windy in his arms, quickly walked to his car, and drove off to the hospital.
In the hospital room, Windy slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Luca sitting by the bed, she immediately put on a startled, uneasy expression. "Luca, what's wrong with me? Did I cause you trouble again?"
"It's just heatstroke. Rest a bit, and you'll be fine," Luca said calmly. "I've already spoken to the branch office. You'll work there in administration. It's an easy job, so you won't be too tired."
Windy was reluctant, knowing that if she went to the branch, she'd barely get to see Luca. But she still acted flattered. "Thank you, Luca. You always look out for me. Honestly, I don't need anything special. As long as I can be near you, even if I'm just a regular employee, I'd be happy." She gazed at Luca with hopeful eyes, trying to win his sympathy.
Luca avoided her gaze, his tone growing more distant. "The branch office is a better fit for you right now. Get some rest. You'll start the day after tomorrow."
Seeing his firm attitude, Windy knew pushing further wouldn't help. She could only nod obediently. "Okay, I'll do as you say. I'll work hard and try not to disappoint you."
But in her mind, she was already scheming. Even if she went to the branch, she'd find a way to get back to Luca's side. Olivia wanted to get rid of her? Not so easy.
Luca didn't say more. He gave a few instructions to the nurse and got up to leave.