Twenty minutes later, Ignazio again set foot in front of the thirty-story building.Five years have passed. Ignazio was curious if the apartment was not rented to someone else. Before marriage, he asked his youngest brother, Meizar, to manage all his property.If the apartment is occupied, inevitably, Ignazio will have to look for another place to live temporarily before he is truly ready to face his parents.The smile of the apartment security guard looked friendly."Mr. Ignazio?" he greeted in disbelief. Of course, the man would be surprised to see Ignazio's current appearance. Because Ignazio, six years ago, when he was still single, looked very neat and took care of himself. Meanwhile, the current Ignazio?Ignazio now has a bigger physique. His hair, which used to be dark brown, tending to black, has now turned lighter due to frequent exposure to the sun, as has his skin. His hair was long, and he deliberately tied it carelessly. And his face, Ignazio didn't even take the time to
ALARM BLARED. With sleepy eyes, Olivia fumbled under her pillow, searching for her phone to turn off the alarm. She lay still for a few moments, trying to shake off the drowsiness, stretching her muscles before sitting up on the bed.It was five in the morning, and outside her bedroom window, people were already bustling, starting their day. Olivia got out of her bed and made her way to the bathroom inside her room.Her residence could be described as a studio apartment, measuring four by six meters, with a bathroom and a small kitchen area of two and a half by one and a half meters. But she wasn't in an apartment building or a boarding house; instead, she was in a housing complex for employees built at the back of the Quirino family's house. A family of Italian-American descent. It was where Olivia worked.Olivia had been working for the Antony-Claire family for five years. Her position? Well, Olivia herself couldn't accurately classify what her role in the house was. All she knew wa
FLASHBACK"Why?" Mrs. Claire asked when Olivia stated her intention to move out of the Antony-Claire residence and quit her job as Gianna's nanny."Gianna can do everything on her own now, Granny. She's very independent. So I feel like I'm not really working here, just collecting a paycheck," Olivia answered honestly."It's not like that, Olivia. Gianna still needs you," Mrs. Claire pleaded. "It's okay if you want to go to college. I'm even willing to pay for your education, but don't leave this house, Oliv."What kind of classes do you want to take? Regular? Evening classes? Or perhaps online courses? Where do you want to study? What major are you interested in? I'll fund it all."Olivia couldn't answer because she hadn't looked for the college she wanted to attend yet."If you feel the need to be active, you can work in an office, a hotel, or even a restaurant. You just have to choose where you want to work, and I will hire you there."But don't truly leave this place, Oliv. Because
With some effort, Olivia pressed the code next to the door and proceeded towards the elevator. Olivia didn't particularly like being in small, enclosed spaces. People referred to it as claustrophobia. Fortunately, Olivia's claustrophobia wasn't too severe. As long as she didn't spend too much time in the elevator, she believed she would be fine. She couldn't imagine having severe claustrophobia, as it would mean having to climb the emergency stairs all thirty floors every time she visited the place.Olivia stepped out of the elevator, walked towards the door on the right, and entered the opening code. And there it was—a penthouse dominated by glass walls, offering breathtaking views of the city.Olivia had been going back and forth to the penthouse for two years. But every time she entered, she felt amazed. Looking out the window, it was like observing a beautiful metropolis painting.She placed her bag on the bar table, walked towards the island set, and started organizing the items
Honestly, throughout her life, she had seen shirtless men not just once or twice. Even since she moved in with the Quirino family, the sight of broad chests and six-pack abs seemed like a normal occurrence to Olivia.However, seeing the Quirino sons never tempted Olivia, let alone elicited the intense thudding in her chest like it did now. With messy long hair and a bathrobe revealing a small part of his broad chest, for some reason, Olivia suddenly felt uncomfortable. Her hands seemed itchy, wanting to reach out and touch the tanned skin.And again, seeing stubbles and mustaches had become a daily occurrence for her since she started working for the Quirino family. But seeing the tanned stubbles and mustaches on the man earlier made Olivia...She shook her head vigorously and quickly walked towards the kitchen.Olivia took out the beef she had just put in the freezer. She thinly sliced the steak meat she had bought from the supermarket. Then, she took out some button mushrooms from t
Olivia continued her work, leaving her guest to eat alone. As she lifted her cloth to wipe off dirt, her eyes widened in shock. A memory flashed into her mind. She turned back towards the dining table to make sure what she had seen was real. Earlier, she noticed a resemblance between the guest and her other employer. However, at that time, Olivia dismissed it, thinking they might be from the same country, and that's why their facial features looked similar. But now, after giving it some thought, what Olivia initially considered common was not ordinary at all. It was familiar. His face, although not identical to the photos in the Antony-Claire family's residence, was strikingly similar. The man currently having breakfast looked quite messy. His long hair was haphazardly tied at the back of his head, with strands almost covering two-thirds of his face. This appearance was vastly different from the person Olivia often saw in the family photos, the ones she had no idea when they were t
Wasn't their love story incredibly tragic and sad? When compared to his parents. His uncles. His siblings. It seemed there was no story sadder than his.Ignazio still stood there with all the sorrow he thought he could dispel but ultimately made him tear up again and cry silently. He tried to wipe away his tears roughly, although it didn't reduce the pain that stabbed his heart again and constricted his chest.Ignazio realized, the girl had sung a different song. The lyrics and melody of the girl's song had changed again. Ignazio didn't know why the girl was singing so loudly. As if she was mocking him.Did the girl know who he was? It was possible. If the girl indeed worked with her family, she must have seen his face in some photos that her parents probably displayed on the walls of their house.Although he had left America for five years, not much had changed about him.Except for his hair, which he now let grow longer than when he married Gianna. The beard and stubble he left unke
Olivia stepped out of the taxi right in front of the Antony-Claire family residence. She greeted the security guard who opened the door for her and walked through the side area of the main house towards her own living quarters. Just before she could open the door, she heard one of the house assistants calling her."Granny asked me to call you into the main house when you got back," said the woman in her forties who had been working in the Quirino family for quite some time."Why? What's going on?" Olivia asked, feeling anxious.The woman shook her head. "Granny has been asking repeatedly whether you've returned or not," she replied. Without waiting for further explanation, Olivia walked towards the main house through the kitchen.Olivia searched for the middle-aged woman who was said to be looking for her. But before she could find the lady of the house, she was instead greeted with a hug from a small hand that she recognized instantly.She turned around and saw Gianna grinning at her