Before more accusations could come from Ignazio's mouth, Olivia quickly covered his mouth with both of her hands. "Not like that," she said, half whining.
Ignazio still looked at her with merged eyebrows, making Olivia feel afraid. The demanding gaze of the man made Olivia's heart pound rapidly due to panic, while her mind was working hard to find the right words to say to Ignazio without offending or angering him.
Olivia couldn't afford to lie to him because if she uttered one lie, she would have to weave more lies.
"So, what is it? Explain," said Ignazio coldly, demanding after Olivia released her hands from his mouth.
"I..." she began, confused. "I'm not ready to have a child," Olivia answered honestly.
"Why?" Ignazio demanded, not satisfied.
"Zio, I'm still too young to have a child," she continued nervously.
Ignazio sighed. "And I'm
"WHAT SHOULD I do now?" Olivia asked desperately to her sister, Rianna, as she dropped off Gianna, who wanted to visit her cousin after school.Olivia finally told Rianna about Ignazio, who asked her to return to work at Kralligimiz as his personal assistant, which Olivia refused, citing that there was no one to take care of Gianna if she spent her time working.Olivia was truly confused. She thought that when the issue of the Mama's call was settled, her matters with Ignazio were also settled. But Olivia was wrong.When Gianna enthusiastically talked about having a new mom to her friends and teachers at school, Ignazio behaved coldly toward her. Two nights had passed since their return from Kralligimiz. In front of Gianna, Ignazio acted as if their relationship—Olivia and Ignazio—was fine. He smiled warmly and even chatted with Gianna whenever they were in the same room. However, when they were alone, Ignazi
"OLIVIA IS SOUND ASLEEP on Ignazio's chest, her naked body covered only by a thin blanket on the top of the sofa. Ignazio smiles, lowers his head, and gazes at his young wife's face, gently brushing aside the strands of hair covering her face. He tenderly kisses Olivia's forehead, causing the young woman to snuggle even closer, seeking a comfortable position in the not-so-spacious place.Ignazio and his desire. Days without touching Olivia have evidently tormented him. Olivia's body has become his addiction; Ignazio can't imagine anything else when he looks at his wife, except for touching her. Keeping a distance from Olivia these past few nights has been truly agonizing for him, even more so than before they were married.Ignazio spends his nights restless. He chose to separate himself from Olivia, but he is the one suffering. Countless times every night, he leaves his workspace and intentionally goes upstairs just to see Olivia peacefully asleep. Ignazio wants to touch her, unveil t
"MARRY ME." A tall, broad-shouldered young man bent down on one knee, offering a velvet box containing a diamond ring before lifting his gaze to meet the eyes of a beautiful fair-skinned girl with long black hair. She looked back at him, surprised, emotional, yet happy."Zio, you're attracting a lot of attention," the girl's descendant said, blushing, her eyes scanning the surroundings.The man still on one knee glanced around as well, but instead of feeling embarrassed, he shrugged nonchalantly, refocusing his attention on the girl, his eyes filled with hope."I love you deeply, Gretta. Will you marry me? Spend the rest of your life with me?"The girl bit her lower lip, her eyes teary. With unwavering conviction, she nodded her head."Yes. Yes, Zio!" she exclaimed loudly, causing everyone witnessing the scene to cheer along.Ignazio smiled widely. He rose from his position and stood before his beloved. Happiness radiated from his face as his fingers took the diamond-studded ring from
**THE HOSPITAL CORRIDOR** appeared deserted. Some corridors only had dim lights as the patients were already lost in their own slumber. Meanwhile, in other corridors, the lights were still shining brightly, and a few people were gathered, feeling anxious and afraid. Ignazio, a thirty-one-year-old man, paced back and forth outside the operating room where his wife was undergoing childbirth. Occasionally, he wiped his face and roughly ran his fingers through his hair out of frustration. The doctor had forbidden him from entering and accompanying his wife during the operation at her request, which made Ignazio incredibly emotional. He wanted to curse. He wanted to damn someone. But he knew that all of that would be utterly useless. Even his parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who tried to console him were ignored. Ignazio didn't care whether the baby would come out safely or not. No! He didn't care about that. What he cared about was whether his wife would survive or not. He didn't wan
"It's just a lump of flesh, not yet alive. It doesn't matter if we terminate it. It won't be a sin either because it's clearly related to your health," Ignazio persisted. But Ignazio's stubbornness seemed to meet its match, as Gretta stood firm in her decision. "I will undergo all tests and treatments after this baby is strong enough. At least when I enter the second trimester or at most after I give birth," Gretta tried to convince her husband. "That's just wasting time. We might be too late to treat your cancer," Ignazio complained in frustration. "If so, that's my fate. The fate that God has given me. My life, for my baby," Gretta replied coldly. Ignazio shook his head, rejecting what Gretta was telling him. He moved quickly toward his wife, who sat at the edge of the bed. He knelt on both knees, reaching for his wife's hands that had become thinner over time. "Don't talk like that," Ignazio pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes. "Don't talk about lives. You know that you are v
"Gretta has passed away." Those soft words made Olivia raise her head. Gretta. She knew that name. Gretta was the wife of Geremia's cousin, Ignazio, Rianna's husband, and Olivia's foster sister. Instantly, everyone offered their condolences. "How is Zio?" Rianna asked, her eyes filled with sorrow. "He must be devastated. There's nothing in this world he loves more than Gretta," Geremia replied softly. Everyone knew Geremia as a cold and expressionless person, but this time, Olivia could see the sadness in his eyes and the tears he tried to hide. Geremia and Ignazio grew up together, their bond of brotherhood much stronger than mere cousins. They were best friends who had experienced joys and sorrows together. So it was understandable that Geremia felt deep sadness for Ignazio, his friend and cousin. "I will go to the hospital and check on him. You both go straight to Uncle Antony's house," he said, receiving nods from Rianna and Olivia. After kissing his wife's forehead, Geremia
"Zio!" Mrs. Claire's shout halted Ignazio in his tracks. Ignazio stood still for a moment, clutching the straps of his backpack tightly. He seemed unwilling to turn around at all, choosing to harden his heart and deafen his ears even though he knew his mother was grieving over the choice he had made. "Where are you going?" his mother asked, her voice choked. Ignazio still didn't answer her. "Don't you have any pity for Gianna? She's still a baby, Zio. She just lost her mother; how can she lose her father too?" Mrs. Claire lamented sadly. "I'm sorry, Mom," he said softly, but his words were still audible to the people behind him. "But I can't take care of that child. My heart hurts, and I don't want to resent her and blame her for Gretta's departure. "If Mommy truly loves me, let me go. I believe that you can take care of her. I'm sure that with you all, she will be happier. Just pretend I don't exist. Take care of her because she's what Gretta wanted in her remaining life, not me,"
Thinking of giving it another try, Olivia reached for the baby bottle and carefully placed it in Gianna's mouth. Strangely, Gianna accepted it readily, sucking the milk inside hungrily. This sudden development left Mrs. Claire and the nurse exchanging puzzled glances."It seems, Miss Gianna likes Miss Olivia's scent," the nurse suddenly remarked.Olivia raised her head, her forehead creased in confusion. The woman smiled."It's hard to explain logically or medically. But many babies choose scents. They find comfort in the 'smell' of certain people. Most children cling to their mother's 'scent,' and sometimes their father's. And some find comfort in the 'smell' of specific individuals."You know, Miss, babies who resist being with anyone but their own mother. So they cling to their mother's embrace constantly and refuse to be apart. If they are even slightly detached, the baby will cry and squirm, wanting to return to their mother's arms, making it impossible for the mother to do anyth