Chapter 18

• 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 leave it all to Him," she wisely stated. Olivia responded with a relieved nod.
• "As for time, I understand. Everything in this world requires a process. So I won't ask for instant results from you."
• "But Granny, I don't know what to do or where to start," Olivia continued softly.
• Granny Claire smiled again. "The first thing you need to do is go back to your old room upstairs," she said, raising her index finger when Olivia attempted to interject. "You can't refuse. I'm doing this as a precaution in case Ignazio returns home. You need close proximity to communicate effectively," Granny Claire explained.
• With a defeated expression, Olivia nodded weakly. "I'm asking you to quit the restaurant because once Granny hears Ignazio's decision— if he chooses to return to work—the first place he'll visit is Kralligimiz. That's where his life was before all this tragedy happened. That's where Ignazio grew up and made a name for himself."
• Olivia knew what Kralligimiz was. Kralligimiz was a company in the entertainment industry. It was founded by Antony—Ignazio's father, Mrs. Claire's husband, and Flavia's biological mother—when he was young. However, due to Antony's relationship ending with Flavia's mother and his lack of interest in the business, the company ended up being managed by Ignazio's grandmother, the late Mrs. Brianna Quirini.
• Eventually, when Mrs. Brianna decided to retire, the company was taken over by Mrs. Claire. As Mrs. Claire grew tired of running the business, leadership was passed on to Mrs. Claire's niece—Abigail, an international model who had decided to take a hiatus. And when Abigail chose to retire, Ignazio, who was still in college at the time, assumed leadership of the company.
• Ignazio had a passion for music, that's what Olivia had heard. Perhaps because of this, since Ignazio took charge, Kralligimiz had flourished. Within seven years, Kralligimiz became a sought-after company for aspiring actresses, singers, and other entertainment enthusiasts.
• Unfortunately, ever since Ignazio's late wife, Gretta, fell ill, Ignazio had stepped back from the company. He chose to focus on healing his wife and entrusted the leadership to his two younger siblings, Francisca and Meizar. Now, with Ignazio's return to America, there was optimism that he would resume his role at Kralligimiz.
• "I will place you in Kralligimiz," Granny Claire stated again. "You will work under Lorraine's guidance until Ignazio returns. She will teach you all the information about Kralligimiz. When Ignazio takes over his position again, you will be his assistant," Granny Claire repeated.
• "But Granny, that position is quite challenging. It took Lorraine years to fill that role," Olivia expressed her concern.
• Granny Claire smiled and nodded. "If you follow the right path, indeed, it will take time for you to reach Lorraine's position. But, Olivia, this is a special case. You're not just working; you're not just becoming Ignazio's assistant. There's a mission you have to fulfill. That's why I'm placing you in the position closest to Ignazio." Olivia could only nod, trying to understand Granny Claire's strategy.
• "One more thing, Olivia," Granny Claire said, causing Olivia to panic once again. "I apologize in advance; I don't mean to belittle you. But even though you'll be working as Ignazio's personal assistant, I hope you will still manage his penthouse," Granny Claire added.
• Olivia didn't actually mind it. She was just puzzled by Granny Claire's decision.
• "You don't need to do physical work," Granny Claire said quickly. "You just need to act like Lorraine, supervising the person who will eventually replace you."
• "Granny has to admit, she can't trust outsiders to handle personal matters, especially when it comes to Ignazio. There's something you need to know about him, but we'll discuss it later," Granny Claire added. "And thank you, Olivia, for accepting Granny's offer." She said with a smile on her face.
• Olivia shook her head, dismissing Granny Claire's politeness. "It's me who should be thankful to Granny for trusting me," Olivia replied sincerely.
• Olivia respected Granny Claire just like she respected her middle-aged sister-in-law, Granny Gisna. Granny Gisna, who was not only her foster brother's mother-in-law but also Olivia's own adoptive parent.
• Granny Claire's kindness towards her was clearly disproportionate to the help she asked from Olivia. And Olivia genuinely wanted to assist her, not because of how much the woman could pay her, but because she cared deeply for Gianna and knew that what Gianna needed all this time was a father figure.
• "After breakfast, tidy up your things and go back upstairs," Granny Claire said again. Olivia simply nodded in agreement.
• After breakfast and after dropping Gianna off at the car that would take her to school, Olivia returned to her room at the back of the main house. There wasn't much to pack. She didn't have many clothes or accessories. One closet was enough to hold all her belongings, including her textbooks. So, she didn't need anyone else's help to move everything.
• Just packing them into her suitcase, and in two trips, Olivia had emptied her room. Olivia was on her way back to her old room upstairs when she saw Granny Claire again.
• "Granny just spoke to Grandpa. He said the sooner you know, the better," the woman said ambiguously.
• Olivia furrowed her brow, but when Granny Claire signaled for her to follow, Olivia placed her old suitcase next to the stairs and followed Granny Claire to the door that Olivia knew led to the study.