The Red Roses Before the Grave

To Luca’s surprise, Olivia agreed almost instantly. "All right."

His heart skipped a beat.

He had been prepared for a drawn-out argument, but he had not expected her to yield so easily.

"You…" Luca hesitated, his brows furrowing. "Isn’t this drama really important to you? Haven’t you been preparing for it for a long time?"

Olivia scoffed inwardly.

So he knew. He knew she had poured years of effort into this drama. And yet, he still had the audacity to ask her to give it up for Giselle.

Love? Hate? What was the difference?

Even though he had gotten the answer he wanted, a sense of unease crept into Luca’s heart.

Olivia had been acting strange lately and so unlike herself. It was as if she had become an entirely different person.

Seeing the doubt flickering in his eyes, she smiled and lied effortlessly. "No matter how important this drama is, isn’t our wedding more important?"

Luca’s tense expression softened.

Yes, that made sense. Olivia had always dreamed of marrying him since they got together, hadn’t she?

"I knew you were the best."

Luca raised her hand and touched Olivia's cheek, but Olivia instinctively flinched away.

Luca did not seem to mind. Instead, changed the subject. "Did you like the cake?"

If he had been just a bit more observant, he would have noticed it sitting in the trash.

Olivia smiled again, her lips as smooth as silk. "I ate it. It was delicious."

Luca nodded approvingly, his voice gentle. "Good. Then you should start setting aside time to pick out a wedding dress."

Olivia narrowed her eyes and abruptly changed the subject. "When do you plan to make our relationship public?"

After four years together, this question remained the biggest landmine between them. One question that always led to an argument.

Luca averted his gaze, but his response was the same well-rehearsed excuse. "My career is on the rise right now. If we go public, it could affect me."

He had no idea that soon, Olivia would leave the entertainment industry entirely and was never to be a burden to him again.

She said nothing more, simply pushing Luca aside and murmuring, "I understand. I'm a little tired. You should go."

But Luca did not move. He reached for the hem of her sleeve, his voice soft. "Are you upset? I didn’t mean to leave like that last night. It was an emergency. Giselle loves her cat. I couldn’t just ignore it."

Olivia pulled her sleeve free, indifference flickering in her gaze.

That was when she noticed the red rash on Luca’s neck.

A telltale sign of a cat hair allergy.

Luca was meticulous about his appearance, so he would never allow something like this to happen unless it was unavoidable.

However, Giselle was always an exception.

Olivia let out a cold chuckle. "Angry? Why would I be angry? I wanted you to leave, but you insisted on staying."

Upon hearing these words, Luca’s irritation flared instantly.

"Olivia, how old are you? Stop acting like a little girl throwing a tantrum."

He had known Olivia for years, long enough to believe he understood her. She had always been quick to anger, but as long as he gave her an out, she would eventually back down.

Yet this time, she had been distant for days. If it were not for Giselle, Luca would not have been so careful with her feelings.

But instead of arguing back, Olivia simply sighed, resting her head in her hand as if she were too exhausted to care.

"If that’s what you think, then so be it."

Luca’s frustration only deepened. He stood up abruptly, heading for the door, but not before throwing one last warning over his shoulder. "Olivia, have you thought about what happens if you say things you can’t take back?"