We reached his home, and fortunately, the house was still theirs.
“Thanks for the ride, Millie. Come in. I’ll prepare some food.”
“Oh, no need-”
“Come on, Millie. We don’t get to see each other often, and you’re refusing me now. I’ll consider it a way of thanking you for helping me earlier. Your ride might seem like a small gesture, but I genuinely appreciate it.”
I bid farewell to the guards. They didn’t accompany us inside but remained outside the house. I was already here, so I decided to pay a visit to Aunt Matilda. She was still sleeping when I arrived, but I was glad to know that she was feeling better.
Marion and I headed to the living room, where some food was prepared for us.
“It’s a relief that a few loyal household staff members have stayed with us, despite our current situation,” Marion remarked.
I sipped on my juice, sympathizing with Marion. “Do you still not know why this happened to you?”
Marion let out a sigh. “I can’t figure it out. The company was stable just a few days before… some investors suddenly pulled out their investments. After that, others followed suit. I don’t understand. It’s still a mystery to me what happened.”
I couldn’t help but compare our situation to what it might have been if I hadn’t married Gio. It might have been just as bad for us, only worse because my father would have blamed me for all the failures, even though it was his investments that went south.”
“I might be able to help you, Marion. If you’re looking for a job, I could try to get you into our company.”
If my father were still the CEO, it might have been difficult to help him get in, but Gio was in charge now. Maybe I could persuade him.
“Really, Millie?” His face lit up, and I nodded with a smile.
“You’ve also helped us a lot. Our parents are close friends, so I’m sure if I talk to my dad and Gio, they’ll agree to give you a job.”
His smile slowly faded. I must have said something that he didn’t like. “Gio? Gio Locatelli. Your husband? Why do you need to talk to him?” he asked, clearly puzzled.
“He’s the CEO of our company now. Don’t worry; he’ll surely help you. I’ll talk to him tonight. Your educational background is solid, and you have experience!” I beamed at Marion. I was happy to assist them.
He only gave me a reserved smile and nodded. My phone rang, so I quickly picked it up. I saw Gio’s name. I excused myself to speak with him, leaving the room and stepping away from Marion.
“Gio-”
“Where are you?” Gio’s cold tone greeted me.
“I’m just at a friend’s house.” I hesitated for a moment about whether to reveal who the friend was.
“Who?”
I took a deep breath. Based on his tone, I could tell he was in a foul mood.
“At Marion’s,” I answered. I just thought I’d get into more trouble if I didn’t tell the truth.
“Marion? Who’s that?”
I glanced back at where Marion was sitting. He was still waiting for me, and he smiled when he saw me looking. “Marion Huff.”
“Your ex-fiance. What are you doing there, Amelie?”
Oh no! He’s angry. I wasn’t even facing Gio, but I could feel the anger in his voice.
“I just bumped into him earlier and offered him some help. I also visited his mom.”
“Go home.” Gio’s tone made it sound as though I had no right to object.
“But, Gio-”
“Don’t make me repeat myself, Millie. Home. Now!” He hung up the call.
I lowered my phone and stared at it, frowning. I pretended as if it was Gio on the line. He could be so cold sometimes. I returned to the living room and quickly said goodbye to Marion.
“I need to go home, Marion.”
Marion stood up when he heard what I said. It was evident he didn’t expect my departure. Nevertheless, he didn’t say anything and just nodded at me.
“I’ll walk you out.”
Both of us walked out of the house. When our staff saw me, they immediately prepared the car.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I talk to my husband. But don’t worry, I will help you no matter what.”
“Thank you, Millie. Take care on your way back.”
I nodded at him before deciding to walk towards our car. The door was quickly closed after I got inside. We drove off, and it seemed like they already knew that Gio was looking for me.
I checked the time, closed my eyes, and sighed. I hadn’t even noticed it was already afternoon, and Gio was probably back home and worried about my absence.
When we arrived home, I found Gio waiting outside the front door. I assumed that he must have been informed by the guard that I was on my way.
I stepped out of the car with a smile, hoping to win him over with my cheerful demeanor. But no, because despite all the sweetness in my smile, he would only respond with a cold expression.
“Hi!” I tried to be cheerful, but the ice surrounding Gio remained unbroken.
“Why are you in that man’s house?”
I opened my mouth, not expecting that to be the first word that would come out of his lips. “I just saw him earlier, and I helped him-”
“He’s a grown-up man, Millie. He doesn’t need your help.”
I shrugged and my smile vanished from my lips. I realized that I couldn’t bring Gio around with affection now. He was clearly angry.
“He needs help, Gio. What’s wrong with that? We know his family. If you saw him, you might feel some sympathy.”
“Why would I sympathize with him?” Gio raised an eyebrow at me, taking me by surprise. There it was, his indifferent attitude.
“He’s a friend, Gio. It’s only natural to help a friend-”
“The last time I checked, he’s not your friend; he’s your ex-fiance, Amelie!” Gio raised his voice. The staff who heard this gasped and seemed uncomfortable.
I fell silent. I felt like a child being scolded in front of friends. That’s how it felt. I bowed my head and bit my lip.
Gio took a deep breath before turning away. “We’re not finished talking. Let’s go inside; it’s getting cold. You might catch a cold.”
I followed him into the house. I quickly noticed Gio heading towards the study room. I hesitated about whether to follow him or not. I knew he’d just scold me if we talked now.
“Gio is just worried about you, Ma’am,” Alicia said.
I looked at Alicia, raising an eyebrow to understand what she meant.
“He came home early today with medicine and food. He said he hurried home because of your condition. But when he found out you weren’t here, he got worried. He was trying to contact you, but it took a while.”
Alicia pointed at some bags from their pharmaceutical company, which seemed to contain medicine. I also noticed the food.
I felt like I was suffocating, realizing that his anger was probably due to concern for me. He knew I was in pain, and I didn’t even think to inform him earlier. It probably didn’t help that he found out I was at Marion’s house.