Giselle's smile widened into a squinting grin. "I knew my brother was the best!"

With that, she tilted her head up and pressed a kiss to Luca’s cheek.

For a brief moment, Luca froze. Then, snapping out of it, he quickly snatched the phone from her hand, his tone carrying a hint of reprimand. "How old are you now? You can’t just do that. People might get the wrong idea! You’re not a child anymore."

Giselle pouted, her voice laced with grievance. "But we’ve always been like this since we were kids. Why can’t we now?"

Luca instinctively glanced at Olivia, worried she might be upset. But her face remained unreadable as she replied calmly, "You’re siblings. You grew up together. It’s only natural to be close."

Her detached response unsettled Luca. He felt as though she were speaking in that deliberately ambiguous way again. Not wanting to entertain it any further, he said flatly, "Alright, we’ll talk later. Sober up on your own."

With that, he ended the call.

Olivia stared at the darkened screen, then let out a quiet, self-mocking laugh before setting her phone aside and heading to the bedroom.

She needed time to think about what to do.

Five years of one-sided love. Four more years of chasing after a man who never truly looked at her. She had once believed that if she gave enough, Luca would one day let go of Giselle.

If she had not died in her previous life, perhaps she would have still been naive enough to believe that now.

Olivia never wanted to see Luca again.

At midnight, the soft beep of the fingerprint lock echoed through the apartment. As Luca stepped inside, the first thing he saw was Olivia standing motionless in front of the French window.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a low voice. "Olivia, about today…"

Before he could finish, Olivia turned, her gaze meeting his directly.

Avoiding her eyes, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box. With a guilty air, he handed a ring to her, identical to the one Giselle had flaunted earlier.

"The brand sent this to me a few days ago. I meant to give it to you, but I kept forgetting."

Forgetting. A convenient excuse Luca had always used.

But was his memory really that bad?

Luca began his acting career at the age of seven. He had an exceptional ability to memorize lines that would take others weeks to learn, but he could have them down within a few days. He knew every director and screenwriter’s preferences and he could recall the exact number of times he had shot each scene.

But how was it that he could not remember that Olivia loved that ring?

He knew his words were hollow. Yet, he also knew Olivia loved him deeply. As long as he offered her an out, she would take it, as she always had.

To his surprise, Olivia did not accept the ring. Instead, she spoke in a calm, detached tone. "Luca, you know I’ve always had a soft spot for orphans."

Luca frowned, irritation creeping into his voice. "What are you talking about? It’s not like there’s only one of these rings."

"I know there’s more than one, but I wasn’t the first to receive the ring you gave me."

Without sparing him a glance, Olivia stood up and passed him, her movements deliberate. She made her way to the sofa, her back turned to him as she lit a thin cigarette.

Luca assumed she was simply jealous and that he was at fault. He lowered his head, trying to placate her. "Alright, don't be upset. Giselle isn’t just some other woman. I know you're jealous, but you don’t say anything about it and then expect me to guess. If you keep doing this, I’ll get exhausted. Let’s not make things harder than they need to be, okay?"

He sat beside Olivia, gently taking her hand in his, speaking in a soft, patient tone. "Please, don’t be angry."

But Luca did not notice the coldness in Olivia’s gaze.

Was Giselle really just Luca’s sister?

They were not biological siblings, something everyone knew but few dared to acknowledge.

Olivia did not respond. She simply finished her cigarette in silence.

Luca’s patience snapped. His voice grew cold as he said, "Olivia, what’s your game? You always do this. When you’re upset, I try to calm you, but you stay silent, acting like you’ve lost your voice. Are you pretending to be mute now?"

He stood up abruptly, snatching the cigarette from her fingers with a look of disgust.

"Didn't I tell you to quit smoking? It reeks!"

Olivia was not a heavy smoker; she could not even finish a pack in half a year.

However, Giselle was different. She was far more addicted. Every time Luca saw her smoking, he would gently remind her, "Smoking’s bad for your health. You should take care of yourself, my sister."

Olivia did not react to Luca’s outburst. She simply lit another cigarette, a faint, enigmatic smile curling her lips.

"Luca, what I want is an explanation, an apology and atonement. I don’t want more of your lies."

She stood up, grabbing his chin firmly, forcing him to meet her eyes as she spoke, each word deliberate and piercing. "Luca, do you dare to swear you did not lie to me?"

Luca’s temper flared completely. He pulled away from her grip and raised his voice in frustration.

"I said I didn’t lie! You can believe whatever you want."

Olivia extinguished the cigarette and asked coolly, "What’s the matter? Are you avoiding my gaze because you're afraid to look me in the eye?"

Luca’s expression twisted into one of frustration. "Who’s afraid?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow and smiled softly. "Then leave. I can't stand liars."

Luca stood frozen, his mind momentarily blank. He thought there was something wrong with his ears.

Had she really just told him to leave?

During their worst arguments, no matter how heated things got, Olivia had never pushed him away like this.

A sudden tightness gripped Luca’s chest. "You... you’re really asking me to leave?"

Olivia nodded, her face serious as if there was no room for negotiation.

"This is my home. Why shouldn’t I ask you to leave?"

Without warning, Luca’s anger surged. He stormed forward, grabbed her and lifted her off the ground.

"Ah!"

Olivia did not expect Luca to take action all of a sudden and she was completely shocked.

With fiery anger, Luca carried her toward the bedroom.

He growled, his voice thick with fury, "How dare you ask me to leave?"

Luca threw Olivia onto the bed and pinned her down with a force that felt almost cruel.

Olivia’s stomach churned and she screamed, "Don’t touch me!"

"We’ve been together for more than four years, haven’t I touched you enough?" he snapped, irritation boiling over. He hadn’t expected Olivia to react this way.

Without another word, he lowered his head and kissed her fiercely.

The kiss was harsh, even a little bitter.

His lips were pressed against hers with an intensity that felt like punishment.

For some reason, the memory of Luca and Giselle hidden away on the boat, sharing a kiss on their 23rd birthday, flooded her mind.

Olivia's stomach turned as the nausea intensified. Driven by a surge of frustration, Olivia bit down hard on his lip, his lips parting as he hissed in surprise.

His eyes filled with a crimson rage.

"Olivia, how dare you… you weren’t like this before."

Their sharps gazes met, but before anything more could be said, a rapid ringing of a phone shattered the silence.

Luca glanced at his phone. The caller ID read Giselle.

Her voice crackled through the speaker, thick with panic and tears. "Luca, Buffy has been vomiting. I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do, please come back."

Instantly, Luca’s demeanor shifted, his concern overtaking his anger. "Don’t worry, Giselle, I’ll be there in a minute."

Without sparing another glance at Olivia, he stormed out of the room, his steps echoing as he rushed toward the door.

Buffy was the kitten Giselle raised. Once upon a time, Olivia’s biggest wish was to raise a cat with Luca, but that dream had never come true since Luca was allergic to cat fur.

He had always claimed he did not like small animals, yet he adored Giselle’s kitten.

Just like tonight. If Buffy was truly sick, wouldn’t a vet be the best solution? Why did Giselle need him instead?

This was not the first time they had fought over this. But each time, the argument ended with Olivia swallowing her pride, apologizing and admitting she had been unreasonable.

But tonight, the nausea still had not faded and she did not have the energy to care about these petty matters anymore.

She rushed into the bathroom, rinsing her mouth over and over before she could breathe properly again.

When she finally looked up, she stared blankly at her own reflection in the mirror.

Years in the industry had taken their toll. To maintain her on-screen image, she had lost so much weight that doctors warned it was dangerous.

If not for her love for Luca, she would have pursued her management degree, graduated and returned home to take over her parents' company.

Her phone vibrated. It was a message from her agent, Yeva.

[The new drama starts filming next month. How’s your preparation going? I know you've been working hard for this role. Feeling confident it'll be a hit?]

If her past life was any indication, within the next two days, Luca would ask her to give up this role.

Olivia hesitated for a moment before typing a response.

[Yeva, if I suddenly disappear one day, would it cause a lot of trouble?]

Almost instantly, Yeva sent a string of voice messages.

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about, silly girl? If you disappear, what do you think will happen to me?"

"Have you been under too much stress lately? Don’t let it eat away at you."

"You're still so young. You’ve already done such amazing films, won so many awards. You have a brilliant future ahead. Why would you even think about disappearing?"

Olivia knew the weight of her choices. If she disappeared, a lot of people would be affected. But it was the only way she could think of to free herself from Luca.

She sent a few reassuring messages to Yeva before collapsing onto her bed.

For the first time in a long while, she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

It was not until the smart home system chimed to alert her of food delivery that she finally stirred awake.

She blinked awake, groggy from sleep and shuffled toward the door. The moment she opened it, a delicate little cake greeted her.

Beside it lay a handwritten note.

Luca’s familiar script filled the page. The message was predictable. It must be an apology for leaving in a rush last night and a promise to visit that afternoon to "discuss something important."

Luca knew she had a weakness for sweets. Every time he needed to smooth things over, he sent her a cake.

But this was not just an apology. It was a preemptive strike.

Olivia let out a quiet, bitter laugh. Without hesitation, she picked up the cake and tossed it straight into the trash. The note was torn into irreparable pieces.

She already knew why Luca had come to persuade her to give up the lead role in the new drama.

That afternoon, he arrived right on time, just as she expected. In his hands was a bouquet of deep red roses. Her favorite.

Olivia lay on the sofa, idly flipping through a book. Without looking up, she asked, "What is it?"

Luca set the flowers on the coffee table, flashing a gentle smile.

"What's wrong? Still upset?"

Her voice was steady, indifferent. "No."

Unbothered, he crouched beside her, closing the distance between them. With an easy familiarity, he plucked the book from her hands.

"Olivia, I want to discuss something with you."

Olivia gave a small nod.

Luca continued, "Well, Giselle wants the lead role in your upcoming drama. Can you let her have it?"

As if sensing resistance, he quickly added the real bargaining chip before she could respond.

"Olivia, if you step aside and let Giselle take the role, I’ll seriously consider marrying you."