IGNAZIO WOKE UP disoriented with the sense of time. For a moment, he suspected that he might be in a dream. How could he be in the room he had left years ago? But then he remembered that last night, without coercion and with a clear mind, he volunteered to escort Olivia and Gianna back to their parents' residence.Ignazio groaned. Why did he take such an impulsive action? Why didn't he think about the consequences of what he was doing? What should he do now? For the past five years, he had been running away. Instead of returning to apologize to his parents, he chose to hide. And now, for some unclear impulse, whether it was because of Gianna or Olivia, he found himself back at his parents' home. What should he do if he met his parents later? What explanation could he give them? What should he say to them? Could he face his parents without feeling ashamed or guilty after all the pain and disappointment he had caused?Gianna might be able to accept him and forgive him easily, but what a
The sound of footsteps behind him made Ignazio turn around. Olivia appeared in different attire than when she brought the clothes to Ignazio's room. If she was wearing pajamas before, now she looked very neat. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt covered with a soft pale yellow blazer that made her already fair skin appear even more radiant. She also had long blue jeans that made her look taller, paired with high-heeled shoes. Her long and beautiful hair cascaded down, and she seemed to have applied light makeup. As she passed Ignazio to sit on Gianna's right side, Ignazio could catch a gentle scent of Granny from her.Ignazio couldn't say anything. He couldn't deny that he was captivated by Olivia's elegant appearance in his eyes, but he wouldn't admit it easily.Olivia turned her plate over, took fried rice from the rice bowl, and placed grilled sausages on top. After taking a bite, she looked at Ignazio with a slightly furrowed brow."Don't you like your breakfast, Sir?" She asked w
Olivia almost arrived late to Kralligimiz. Somehow, during her journey, the car she was riding in suddenly got a flat tire in the middle of the road, forcing her to reluctantly order an online taxi to get to the office. Simon apologized multiple times and felt guilty about the situation, but what can you say—it's just bad luck.Upon reaching Lorraine's desk, Olivia was once again surprised when her boss suddenly introduced her to a tall, well-built, and attractive girl—quite sexy in Olivia's eyes—as her potential replacement. "Sabrina, this is Olivia. She'll be working with us here too," said Lorraine when introducing Olivia to her potential replacement.Olivia didn't want to admit it, but honestly, she felt uncomfortable with the judgmental look Sabrina was giving her. Was it just her imagination, or did her new colleague not like Olivia's presence there?Olivia also noticed the evaluating gaze Lorraine directed at Sabrina. From her observations, it seemed her boss wasn't entirely wi
"Just come in first," he gently ordered. Olivia reluctantly stood up from her seat and walked into the room ahead of Rayyan, letting him close the door behind them.For some reason, Olivia felt like she was entering a den of thieves.Meizar, Claire's youngest son, was seated in his large chair. Behind him, leaning against the wall where a large window was located, Luca—Gian and Joanna's youngest son—had both hands folded in front of his chest, his gaze directed at Olivia.Then Zello—Letizia and Fabian Giuliano's eldest son—sat on a single sofa right in front of Meizar's desk, facing the door.And Geremia, the first son of Altezza and Adaline, who was also Rayyan's brother, sat on a long sofa on the left side where Zello was sitting.Olivia couldn't describe their visual presence in detail, but she felt like a servant entering the royal prince's chamber."What's going on?" Olivia asked nervously because somehow, everyone's gaze seemed to be directed at her. Moreover, Rayyan behind her
A FEW DAYS after the office conversation, Meizar, Luca, and Rayyan intentionally visited the penthouse. The three men purposefully pressed the doorbell as a notification instead of entering directly using the passwords they had. Feeling nervous, they exchanged glances in front of the door until it was finally opened, and Ignazio emerged from inside with a confused look directed at his brother and two cousins. Seeing Ignazio in person for the first time—since they had only seen him in photos until now—left the three men stunned. The current Ignazio was clearly larger than five years ago, and his disheveled appearance with long, tousled hair prompted all three to exclaim, "Wow..." loudly. Rayyan stepped into the penthouse, shaking his head. "Your style is truly eccentric," he commented while patting Ignazio's bicep and squeezing it gently. "Muscular too," he added with wide-eyed amazement. "After disappearing for so long, he reappears as the city's Tarzan," Luca chuckled, following R
"Why are you sulking? That's the reality." Rayyan said, moving away and hiding behind Zello. "You drive away guys trying to get close to Lorraine, but you yourself won't step up. What's that? Not very gentlemanly. "Where's Lorraine's awareness that you like her while you're not making any progress? "All she sees is you running away because you're bored and tired of dealing with your girls who, once upset, act like demon genies." He said mockingly. "Genies can't be demonized; they're demons," Luca interjected, making Rayyan grumble. "That's just a metaphor," Rayyan replied. "Anyway, Bro needs to return to Kralligimiz soon. If he really cares about her. Poor Lorraine, if she keeps working there, she'll be forever single because she won't realize it." "What do you mean?" Meizar asked, confused. Rayyan shrugged. "He'll be back soon," Geremia spoke with his usual flat tone. Five heads turned towards Geremia, who was standing at the doorway of Ignazio's room. Unbeknownst to them, Ge
AT THE OFFICE, Olivia noticed her colleagues appearing enthusiastic with their phones. It wasn't unusual, considering that in today's era, all information could be obtained through phones. Thus, Olivia understood why they were so focused on those flat devices. However, what intrigued her was when they whispered and mentioned the name Kralligimiz. What was happening? Was Kralligimiz in trouble?Olivia exited the elevator and walked towards Lorraine's desk. Unlike the lobby and her journey to the lift, the floor where the company executives were located was much quieter. People weren't playing with their phones, but still, they were whispering to each other, though not as casually as she had seen earlier."Do you know what's going on?" Sabrina suddenly asked as Olivia arrived. Olivia glanced at Lorraine, her boss shaking her head slightly."What information?" Olivia inquired."Sir Antony's eldest son, Sir Meizar's older brother, has returned," Sabrina said with enthusiasm. She touched h
Lorraine looked at Olivia with furrowed brows. But she didn't give any answer. "For now, I can endure it. After all, working at Askim Elbise is just a stepping stone until I get a new job," she replied, trying to appear indifferent.Olivia smiled. She stopped talking because she didn't want to hurt Lorraine's feelings. Olivia knew, from her observations during the few days she worked at Kralligimiz, that Meizar paid attention to Lorraine, even if he might do it unconsciously.Olivia had lived long enough with the Quirino family. Five years were certainly not a short time to learn about their characters. Although not close, Olivia often observed them all.The Quirino men could be considered love-stricken. Somehow, starting from the oldest to the youngest—Rayyan for now, as the others hadn't shown signs of falling in love—appeared deeply infatuated with their partners.Grandpa Altezza for Granny Adaline. Grandpa Antony for Granny Claire. Grandpa Gian for Granny Joanna. And it continued