The Red Roses Before the Grave

Luca pulled Giselle along and stormed out without a second glance.

But before the door shut behind him, he threw out one last parting shot.

"Olivia, I’m done talking to you! Even if you come crawling back and beg for forgiveness, I won’t take you back!"

As the door slammed shut, Olivia exhaled slowly and sank into the sofa, exhaustion washing over her.

She kept reminding herself that all of this would be over soon.

True to his word, Luca did not contact her for three whole days.

To spite her, he even appeared as a special guest on a dating show.

In this show, he was surrounded by trending influencers, rising internet celebrities and all sorts of glamorous women.

Luca was certain that a jealous woman like Olivia would not be able to stand it. He expected her to swallow her pride and reach out within twenty-four hours.

But as the second day of filming rolled by, there was no single message from Olivia.

A flicker of unease crept into Luca’s mind. He wanted to walk out of the studio and go straight to her, but the show’s recording was not finished yet, so he had no choice but to stay.

Then came the interactive segment. The host mischievously asked Luca to call a woman he was closest to and pretend to confess to her.

The cameras were rolling. Luca hesitated for a moment before dialing Olivia’s number.

This time, he told himself, just this once, he would take the initiative.

Beep... Beep...

The dial tone rang endlessly, but no one picked up.

A confused frown settled on Luca’s face. He called again and again. Still, no answer.

The host chuckled, teasing, "Come on, Luca, you should call Olivia. You two have known each other for so long, yet she still won’t pick up your call?"

The other guests joined in, laughing.

"Oh my god, is this what they call ‘just friends’? Are you sure?"

"There were always rumors about you two being together. Any truth to them?"

Luca forced a smile, his fingers tightening around the phone as he silently prayed for Olivia to pick up.

But at this moment, the director called for an emergency stop and the live broadcast that was being watched by tens of thousands audience was abruptly cut off.

The entire set fell silent.

Then, Luca’s manager came running at full speed, face pale as a sheet.

"It’s over. It’s all over! Olivia’s reputation just collapsed! And you… you just called her on live TV! We’re screwed!"

Luca’s mind went blank. "What did you say?"

His manager, looking like he was about to faint, shoved his phone into Luca’s hands. "See for yourself!"