Chapter 83 The Gift on the Olive Tree
I returned to my villa, flopped onto the sofa, and kicked off my slippers, feeling dejected.
"What's wrong? Did Lucas bully you?" Brian had been watching me since I walked in. He came over nervously and asked.
I shook my head.
Gale and Lucas were having a private conversation, and they'd sent me back!
I kept guessing what they might be talking about while thinking about what really happened with Santos's death.
The body had been cut in two, with parts sent to both my territory and Lucas's. Clearly, this was the killer threatening and intimidating both Lucas and me!
Wasn't Santos supposed to be investigating Amelia?
Something this brutal probably had nothing to do with Amelia.
So who exactly hired the assassin to kill me? What made them so confident that they could boldly warn us like this?
"Bella?" Brian's worried voice brought me back from my thoughts. I jumped up, carelessly slipped on my slippers, and ran upstairs, rushed into my bedroom, and waited by the window for a moment before seeing Lucas and Gale walk out from next door.
They walked to my front door. Lucas looked up at me, and Gale followed his gaze. I instinctively ducked down and hid.
Three minutes later, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Gale's voice came from outside, "Stop hiding, he's gone."
I sheepishly touched my nose and responded awkwardly.
Gale's footsteps faded away. I stood up, only to see the black sedan that had driven off actually come back.
Lucas placed something on the olive tree, waved his phone at me in the window, then turned and got in the car. This time, he really left.
I took out my phone, hesitated for a moment, then removed Lucas from my blacklist. Immediately, a flood of message notifications started ringing, taking several minutes to quiet down.
I opened the latest message.
Lucas: [Christmas present is on the tree, remember to come down and get it.]
Over the past three years, I had carefully prepared gifts for Lucas for every holiday, big or small. Lucas, depending on his mood, would occasionally send me something.
Even if it was a gift from a business partner that he casually regifted to me, I'd be happy for days.
Thinking about it now, I was really so foolish.
This belated Christmas gift was probably the first time Lucas had seriously given me something.
With mixed feelings, I had Adrian go get the gift.
It was a very cute gingerbread man necklace wearing a Santa hat.
I stood upstairs looking at my brothers in the living room, repeatedly reminding myself not to fall for Lucas again.
Lucas sent a message asking: [Do you like it?]
I didn't open that message, and naturally didn't reply to him.
On the 31st, just as it was getting dark, the villa was decorated with lights.
The chefs and I were busy preparing dinner. The air was filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and cinnamon.
At midnight, the New Year's bells rang. The TV was playing cheerful programs, and countless fireworks bloomed in Starstream City's night sky.
My brothers and I had a great time playing late into the night. We didn't stay up all night only because we had plans the next day.
Before bed, Adrian brought a rectangular gift box, saying it was hung on the olive tree at the door by a Caporegime from the Northern District following Lucas's orders.
I sat on the bed and unwrapped the gift. Inside was actually a pair of gloves.
Light gray-pink, very soft leather, with a circle of snow-white fur trim at the cuffs, very cute.
The gloves were bulging, stuffed with something. I picked them up and shook them, and a bunch of chocolates and fruit candies fell out from inside the gloves, rolling around in the gift box.
The gloves fit my hands perfectly.
I ate a chocolate ball. The outer layer was bitter and hard, but inside was sweet, soft marshmallow.
On the morning of January 1st, I called the Caldwell family and chatted for a while.
At noon, my three brothers and I set off for Dawnharbor.
In the evening, we drove quietly to the outskirts of Dawnharbor. There were many visitors in the cemetery. My brothers and I walked among them, not attracting attention.
In the world of mob families, returning home to pay respects is never simple mourning—there's always potential risk. Gale had made thorough arrangements all along the way.
On the sunny northern slope, a large area of graves belonged to the Sorelli family.
But to keep them from being disturbed in death, all the surnames had been deliberately removed from the tombstones.
We walked to our parents' tombstone with flowers.
Gale arranged the flowers neatly, his movements steady and solemn. After greeting them, he seriously and formally reported our achievements over the year, finally bowing his head to kiss Dad's and Mom's tombstones.
"Dad, Mom, we came to see you." Brian's voice was low, his eyes showing deep sadness.
Gale patted Brian's shoulder. Brian smiled at him, and the two made up.
I crouched down, reached out to touch the cold tombstone, as if gently caressing their cold bodies. My eyes grew slightly warm.
I still remembered the grand cemetery visits when my parents were alive—hundreds of people traveling together in a mighty procession, then returning to the estate together to eat, drink, sing, and dance. The joy of the gathering would wash away the sadness of remembering the departed. But now, standing here were only us siblings, just four lonely people.
After I kissed Dad's and Mom's tombstones, Marcus crouched in front of the tombstone and talked for a long time. When we left the cemetery, the night sky was already full of stars.
We didn't go into the city, but stayed at a hot spring resort in the suburbs.
The next day, after lunch, I went back to my room for a nap. When I got up, Adrian said there was a visitor.
I asked him who it was. Adrian shrugged helplessly, "That gentleman asked me to keep it secret, said it was a surprise for you."
I couldn't think of who I might meet here. Lucas's name popped into my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.
Walking outside, a man in a beige trench coat had his back to me.
"Jonas?" I opened my mouth hesitantly.
"It's me!" Jonas turned around cheerfully, holding a bouquet of lavender.
"Happy New Year." Jonas gave me the flowers. "Surprised? I came to Dawnharbor for business and happened to be staying here. This morning I saw Adrian and guessed you were here too. This is our coincidence!"
"Happy New Year." I smiled. "Thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful."
Jonas looked at me intently. "Seeing it's me and not Lucas, you're not disappointed, are you?"
"What are you saying? Seeing you, I'm very happy." I gave him a hug and quickly let go.
"I heard you were ambushed before? Are you okay?" Jonas asked with concern.
The news about Lucas and me being ambushed had been kept quiet, but after some time had passed, it wasn't strange that Jonas had heard about it.
"Not worth mentioning, I'm fine." The one who wasn't so fine was Lucas, I silently added in my mind.
"That's great. By the way, are you free today?" Jonas performed a medieval noble courtesy to me, extending his hand palm up. "Isabella, there's a New Year's parade in the city today. May I invite you to go see it together?"