"Physically, yes," said Olivia. Her eyes glanced at the oversized photo on the wall. "He looks very different from the one in that photo," she continued, seemingly making Mrs. Claire feel sad. "He doesn't talk much, not like Rayyan or Meizar. He's more like...""Geremia?" Mrs. Claire inquired. Olivia thought for a moment to make a comparison, but then she shook her head."Doctor Geremia's expression always appears cold, but he doesn't," Olivia countered."Zello?" Mrs. Claire asked again. Once more, Olivia shook her head."Neither," she replied honestly. "He seems calm like Mr. Luca. But still not quite like Mr. Luca.""Then, like whom?" Granny Claire asked impatiently."He's like Grandpa Antony," she answered then.Granny Claire appeared lost in thought. Olivia nodded in agreement with her own thoughts."His way of speaking is very polite and gentle. His gaze is also melancholic, but there's still a mischievous glint in his eyes. His skin isn't as pale as it appears in the photos, and
"We already know that Ignazio has returned," Geremia said when Olivia informed him of the information. Olivia stared at her brother-in-law in surprise, unable to speak."We have many people assigned to monitor him all this time, Olivia," Olivia turned to Luca, who happened to be visiting her brother-in-law's residence. She glanced back at Geremia and saw him nodding."We never let him out of our sight," Geremia replied. "We allowed him to leave, but that doesn't mean we let go of him just like that. Ignazio's situation is different. He didn't leave for a vacation. He left with a deep emotional wound. We don't know what demons might have whispered to him."It's possible he resigned himself to his fate and chose to end his life," Geremia said casually."We gave him time to think and heal his feelings. But we never stopped monitoring him," Luca added. "We know where he is, what he's doing, and everything he's up to, until the moment he booked his ticket to return to America, we received
Olivia remembered the first time she was introduced to the entire Quirino family was after Geremia and Rianna's official wedding. At that time, she had only glimpsed Ignazio, and even then, it was from a distance, much like during Gretta's funeral.Olivia continued to flip through the album. Every time, her eyes were drawn to the image of Ignazio full of laughter. His face was so youthful, although he had already started growing a stubble, beard, and mustache, but they were thin. Not like now, thick and even his hair was very long.She opened another cover, an elegant black leather album with gold letters on the outside that read Ignazio-Gretta, complete with the date and year of their wedding. Judging from the photos, the celebration was undoubtedly as festive as the one Geremia had organized for Rianna a few years ago.Once again, Olivia looked at Ignazio's laughing face, six years younger than the Ignazio she had seen in the penthouse. In the album, she could also see the affection
The next morning, Olivia approached Mrs. Claire just before breakfast, her heart pounding in her chest. Facing the middle-aged woman, Olivia seemed to convey her thoughts through her gestures alone. Mrs. Claire smiled, understanding, and spoke gently, "Have you made a decision?" she inquired.With confidence in her expression, Olivia nodded. "Yes, Granny. But...""But?" Mrs. Claire prompted, never taking her eyes off Olivia."But I can't promise that I can bring them closer together anytime soon," Olivia replied. Granny Claire responded with a smile. Her hand reached out and gently held Olivia's. "Thank you, Olivia. I truly appreciate it," she said with a sincere smile."If I don't succeed, will Granny be upset?" Olivia asked without hesitation. Granny Claire chuckled and shook her head. "I'm asking for your help, but my hopes are entirely entrusted to God. Because He is the One who turns hearts. What's important is that I've made the effort. Whether Ignazio's heart moves or not, we l
Granny Claire opened the door, and Olivia wasn't surprised to see a middle-aged man sitting behind the desk, wearing glasses perched on his nose, his eyes focused intently on the square screen in front of him.She clearly recognized the man. A man who often wore a blank expression but had a heart that was very, very gentle and caring. Who else could it be but Sir Antony Quirino? A man whose age was no longer young but still exuded an aura of leadership."Darling, Olivia has arrived," Granny Claire said softly. The man nodded his head without diverting his attention from the screen. "Please, have a seat," Granny Claire said, while she herself approached her husband and stood behind him to see what had captured his attention. "I told you, don't be too serious," Granny Claire scolded her husband gently."I'm just monitoring the company's stock movements, dear," the man said wearily. "It's not that I don't trust Meizar. It's just that he has been carrying too much workload, and beyond tha
Olivia glanced back at the pages in her hands. The contract Granny Claire had given her was only valid for one year. One year? It wasn't a short amount of time, but when lived through, it would pass by swiftly. Would she be able to bring the father and daughter closer together within that timeframe? And what if she failed? "Do I have to take a leave of absence from college?" she inquired. "The decision is up to you. As long as you can handle the job in Kralligimiz and also deal with Ignazio and Gianna, Granny doesn't think it's necessary," Granny Claire replied. "Granny, what if within that year Olivia's efforts don't bear fruit?" Olivia asked. "We will reconsider, evaluating how much progress you've made by then," this time it was Mr. Antony who answered. "Even if at that time you don't succeed and want to give up, it's fine. At least we have tried. You have tried," Granny Claire replied again. "If within one year you manage to make Ignazio and Gianna close again, like a fath
Olivia turned around and walked back into her room, ignoring a widescreen television that was undoubtedly dazzling to the eyes. She made her way to the bed where she had placed the envelope given to her by Granny Claire.She took the envelope to her study desk, which was adorned with a square screen displaying the bitten apple logo. She wanted to know the secret about Ignazio that Granny Claire had mentioned earlier. As she pulled out the documents, a white flash drive fell out alongside them.Olivia powered up the square screen, placed the documents aside, and chose to inspect the contents of the flash drive first. The drive was divided into several folders. The first folder was labeled "Ignazio-22," the second was titled "Ignazio and Gretta," and the third was named "After Gretta." Her mouse moved and clicked on the "Ignazio-22" folder.Inside the folder, there were a collection of photos and some videos that Olivia sorted through based on the oldest dates. She began her task, exami
Olivia sighed in relief, feeling fortunate that she hadn't rushed into contacting Geremia. She continued reading through the documents, absorbing every piece of information about Ignazio. The papers revealed Ignazio's complete biography: his date of birth, education, and his professional background. If she could whistle, Olivia thought she would have done so right then and there. The man she had encountered in the penthouse was not just a shallow individual; he was an incredibly intelligent and accomplished person.Olivia knew Ignazio was a businessman, but she hadn't realized the extent of his success. The praises Ignazio received about his achievements as the leader of Kralligimiz seemed insufficient compared to the wealth of information she was now reading. Ignazio was not only a producer, composer, talent scout, but had also directed several projects. He was clearly a highly skilled individual. To Olivia's surprise, Ignazio's endeavors extended far beyond Kralligimiz. He had found