Chapter 12

• 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 taken.
• In the family pictures, the man—whom she suspected was her guest—had a well-groomed beard and mustache, appearing neat and elegant. This contrasted sharply with the current man, who was eating in front of her.
• Moreover, in terms of physique, the man in the family photo was tall, large-framed, and fair-skinned. Meanwhile, the man near her right now was even more substantial, muscular, and had a tan complexion.
• And his eyes. The man in the family photo had a gentle and laughter-filled gaze. In contrast, this man's eyes appeared melancholic, and there was something about his aura... Olivia couldn't quite put it into words.
• It was true, wasn't it? Her suspicion was correct, wasn't it? The man sitting there, he was Granny Claire's son. He...
• Olivia turned her face again, scrutinizing the man with his back facing her.
• Gianna's father?!
• Immediately, Olivia held her mouth to prevent herself from screaming too loudly.
• Oh God, the man is back?
• Since when?
• What should Olivia do now?
• Should she inform Granny Claire about this?
• Isn't this what they have been waiting for? The return of their son from his self-imposed exile?
• Not 'exile,' Olivia corrected herself. But 'self-imposed isolation.' Yes, that word was more accurate.
• The man had isolated himself for the past five years. Keeping away from his family, distancing himself from his beloved daughter, all in the name of healing his wounded heart.
• So, what should Olivia tell Gianna now?
• The child had asked countless times when her father would come back. And sometimes, the little girl appeared insecure, feeling unloved because her father hadn't returned until now. He had never once communicated. And now, after his return, would the girl's wounds finally heal?
• But then Olivia realized her position. Even though she was Gianna's caregiver, even though she worked for Granny Claire, she didn't have the right to interfere in their internal matters.
• The man sitting there was not her responsibility.
• It's not that Olivia didn't care. It's not that she didn't love Gianna. It's just not her place; she didn't want to get involved any further.
• Ignazio must have a reason for staying in the penthouse and hiding, instead of returning to his parents' home, right?
• Olivia nodded to herself, as if answering the confusing questions in her mind. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her thoughts and chose to focus on her work. It was as if she didn't know the man.
• In truth, she had never known him. They had never exchanged greetings. She only knew about Ignazio from the stories she had heard from his family. Apart from that, she didn't know him at all, and likewise, he didn't know her either.
• A while later, sweaty from the heat, Olivia returned to the penthouse with cleaning supplies in her hands. She closed the glass door leading to the balcony to prevent any fine dust from entering. The first thing she noticed upon entering the room was the dining table Ignazio had used. Both the man and his leftovers were gone without a trace.
• Olivia had briefly suspected that Ignazio and the cooking process she had witnessed earlier were just hallucinations. But when she saw the clean plates on the drying rack, she knew she wasn't dreaming.
• But where had the man gone? She wondered silently. Olivia looked around and tried to listen, but she didn't hear any sound.
• "Maybe he left," she whispered to herself. Olivia shrugged and walked towards the utility room.
• Carrying two bed cover bags in her hands, one in her right and the other in her left, Olivia exited the utility room. She placed one bag in front of the door and entered one of the rooms she knew was usually used by Meizar or Rayyan when they stayed over.
• With the door intentionally left wide open, Olivia began changing the bed cover while humming to herself.
• "God, please help me,
• bring her back into my arms.
• Ignazio knew that excerpt from the song. He also knew who the original singer was. As far as he knew, the following lyrics told his own story.
• Because I can't replace her,
• I admit, honestly, I can't. Truly, I can't.
• Ignazio shuddered instantly. A fragment of his memory returned to his sorrowful past, which unfortunately he still felt. It brought his soul back to five years ago when he lost the woman he deeply loved.
• Ignazio fell silent. Standing with both hands clasped in front of his chest, eyes closed, and ears focused on Olivia's voice. His back leaned against the wall while his head hung silently.
• Olivia's song then changed its tone and lyrics. But still, it felt like a dagger to his heart.
• If sadness exists, if tears exist,
• Why aren't there any tears?
• Because there's nothing left to cry for, Ignazio answered in his silence.
• If the feeling exists, why doesn't it feel like this?
• If love is beautiful, why does it hurt?
• Because I can't have it, he continued.
• If affection exists, why isn't this perfect?
• There's happiness, but not together.
• Because her story has become a part of his unpleasant past. Because God had taken his lover away from him.
• Each question in the lyrics, Ignazio answered with his silence. Without wanting the ghosts of the past to return. He saw the woman smiling at him with her beautiful face. He felt the pain as if the woman he loved had just left him. Yet, five long years had passed.
• In my prayers, I find your gaze again.
• Ignazio winced as he heard it.
• I revive your smile
• Meeting you
• That's what Ignazio did after he lost his beloved wife. The woman he admired so much. The one he loved deeply. He brought his wife back into his dreams. Enjoying the happy moments that could never be repeated."
• "In my prayers, you embrace my body again
• Together, living in this prayer
• This love, wrong but right.
• Then where is the goodness? Besides the brief happiness he felt with Syahinaz. There was no other goodness left. The rest was only the suffering he felt.
• Suffering when he saw his wife in pain. Suffering because he was left behind and knew that the one he loved would never return to his embrace.
• If all of this is suffering, why did God bring us together?
• Yes, why did He bring them together only to take her away from Ignazio?