Christian thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to venture into the hotel business this time.
And if it was a bad idea? Then so be it. He wasn't going to push for it. It was just a passing thought, really. After all, at the end of the day, he had long since stopped caring about normal currency. That sort of wealth didn't mean much to him anymore.
But, unlike the type of reaction he had imagined he would get, where she would appear thoughtful before giving her opinion, Eva suddenly looked at him strangely. Her expression filled with amusement, and then she softly chuckled and said, "My love, maybe you need to try and read the reports I send you more carefully from now on."
"This hotel is already under your name. So, we can't buy it again, after all."
As it turns out, even yesterday, Eva had been going over reports sent by the hotel's management. She was planning to meet the person in charge sometime later, and she had been trying to familiarize herself with all the current operations and updates.
So, Christian's sudden show of interest? It made her happy.
"I plan to meet the general manager later," Eva said, her voice calm but filled with expectation. "Do you want to go with me?"
Just like how Christian enjoyed showing off their relationship, Eva too took quiet pride in theirs. Especially in public settings . In a meeting where business and personal life subtly mixed, having him at her side would genuinely make her happy… it would give her strength!
Christian was caught off guard by her response. For a moment, he was stumbled for words, before he awkwardly coughed and said, "Why not?"
Olivia, sitting at the side, laughed softly at the exchange. And with the topic of the hotel now opened, the mood that had been slightly strange finally shifted. It became lighter, more comfortable, as their conversation slowly flowed into casual banter and softer topics.
Time passed like that.
In the few days that followed. They simply spent time together, and didn't do anything grand. Eating together, talking more openly, sometimes just sitting quietly on the couch while the TV played something none of them were watching. They strolled once through the hotel garden, and Eva bought Olivia a few things she didn't really need, but accepted with a smile.
They spent these kind of moments, before the day of her departure finally came.
Now, the four stood near the front entrance, seeing Olivia off as she prepared to return to the Academy.
"Mom, don't worry," Olivia said, stepping back after a long hug, "I'll start visiting more frequently now, since I'm not restricted by outing rules anymore."
Putting aside certain activities she was forced to overhear… well, technically she chose to listen, though she wouldn't admit that, Olivia actually felt this visit had been quite fulfilling.
It had been the first time in her life that she had been separated from her mother for an entire year. And she had missed her. More than she had expected, more than she had let herself feel. Seeing her again, seeing her in person, made her heart ache in a way she wasn't used to.
Even if it wasn't in the shape she had imagined… even if it was noisy, messy, and filled with moments she wanted to forget, there was no mistaking it. Her mother had been proud of her. And that was something Olivia had never really felt before.
But then again, how could the Eva from that time, the one who was desperately trying to escape the heavy shackles of the Ashvale family and the grip of Infintel company, be the same as the Eva now?
That version of her mother despite always giving her a smile of warmth and affection, and would even provide everything she wants. She still had the lack of something.
Now? She didn't change. But, her smile become more genuine. And she seemed… more like a mother than she ever had before.
What's the reason she felt like that? Olivia knew, but wouldn't admit it.
Just. She didn't want to be apart from her mother for so long again.
She had endured the time apart for the sake of her ambition, but from now on, she wouldn't let it go that far. Not again.
Eva gave her daughter a warm gaze filled with quiet affection. Even now, with Olivia right in front of her, she already missed her. But in the end, she knew she couldn't hold her back, so she simply offered a few words of encouragement.
Olivia nodded back with a small smile of her own, then turned her gaze slowly to Christian.
And she gave him a resentful look… as if he were the reason she had to endure all those shameless, indecent sounds echoing through the night. Completely forgetting, of course, that she was the one who had pushed her senses to the limit, just to catch every little detail of the heated atmosphere in the room next door.
In the end, she shook her head with exasperation, then begrudgingly moved toward him and gave him a hug.
Christian, naturally taking advantage of the opportunity, slid his hands down and cupped her buttocks with both palms, squeezing her plump flesh slowly, deliberately, as if savoring the warmth and bounce of it.
He didn't stop at a single squeeze either. Instead, he molded her soft curves into different shapes, as if kneading dough, enjoying the slight resistance and pliability of her young body.
Olivia let out a faint huff, neither angry nor surprised. Already too accustomed to his sneaky hands, she didn't bother commenting on the inappropriate touch and simply said, "Take care," before turning around and walking away with Aria.
Their departure was by train, a relatively short ride, given the location of the Academy, so they chose not to rush. The station's platform was busy but not overcrowded, the mechanical hum of approaching trains blending with the occasional chatter of passengers waiting for their departure.