Pain.
They understood.
I had never opened their gifts.
Levi’s mouth parted slightly. “You never opened them?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
I shook my head. “No… I was too overwhelmed. And then everything that happened with my father…” I trailed off.
Lennox stepped closer, his jaw tight. There was something in his eyes.
He looked as if he wanted to.say something. Desperately.
But he didn’t.
He held himself back.
I tilted my head, with a confused look.
The way all three of them tensed-like someone had struck a chord too deep-told me something was important in those boxes which I never opened because why did all three of them go missing suddenly.
“You mean the boxes were stolen?” Lennox asked, not able to hide his emotion any longer.
I nodded slowly. “I think so. When I remember about the gifts and went to check on them, they were just gone.”
Levi stepped closer, looking serious. “Do you remember what color they were wrapped in?”
That caught me off guard. But I nodded.
“Yes… one was dark blue with silver ribbons. Another was red velvet with a gold ribbon. And the last one was light purple with a white bow.”
All three of them froze.
Louis’s hands tightened. Lennox looked like he’d just been hit. Levi’s mouth opened slightly, shocked.
“That’s… exactly right,” Levi said softly.
They knew I was telling the truth.
Lennox’s jaw was tight. “Did you ever find out who took them?”
I shook my head. “No. I thought maybe a maid moved them. But everything was a mess after my father death… after that day.”
It was quiet again.
Then Louis asked carefully, “Did you ever tell Gabriel?”
He didn’t mean Gabriel.
He meant them.
I looked down, acting sad. “No… I didn’t tell anyone. I was too sad about my father. I didn’t talk to anyone for days… not even Gabriel.”
Their faces changed. They looked hurt.
Levi stepped closer, like he wanted to say something.
But suddenly, I pressed my hand to my head. “My head…” I whispered. “It really hurts…”
If I stayed a second longer, I might crack. So I did the only thing I could-lie.
“Olivia?” Lennox asked quickly, worried.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry… I just need to lie down.”
I turned away from them and curled up under the blanket. I didn’t have to look at them-I could feel their eyes on me.
I kept my eyes closed, pretending to rest. But my thoughts wouldn’t stop.
Those boxes… they weren’t just ordinary birthday presents.
Perhaps expensive gifts were inside. Gifts that meant a lot to them. The painful and confused look in their eyes when they realized I didn’t open it told me that boxes weren’t just carrying ordinary birthday presents.
And I wished-God, I wished I could just turn around and ask them. What was in those boxes? Why did they mean so much to you? Why did they go missing… all three of them… at the same time?
But I couldn’t ask.
Not yet.
If I did, they would know.
They’d know I was lying-about Gabriel, about everything. And I wasn’t ready for that.
They’d start putting the pieces together. I needed more time.
But nevertheless, I won’t stay in the dark. In one way or another, I will find out what was in those boxes.
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Lennox’s POVO
Seeing that Olivia was having a headache, from our barrage of questions, we decided to let her be. So we left her room and walked into the study. I went straight to the bar, grabbed a bottle of dry gin, and poured myself a drink.
Did she never open them?
My heart raced-confused and heavy.
But… that couldn’t be right.
“I… I got a response from her,” I said quietly, my voice rough with uncertainty.
Levi turned to me, his eyes wide. “Me too,” he said. “In fact, I got a response from her just two hours after we gave her the gifts.”
Louis nodded slowly. “Same here. And her response made it clear she saw my gift.” 4
We all went quiet again.
That didn’t make sense.
If she never opened the gifts… how did she respond to us?
Louis rubbed his forehead. “Maybe her memory really is messed up,” he muttered. “We should remember, she’s not the same. Her memory isn’t stable anymore.”
But I shook my head firmly. “No. That’s not it.”
Levi spoke too, sounding just as sure. “She remembered the wrapping. The exact colors. Down to the ribbons.”
“She didn’t guess,” I added, thinking aloud.
Louis sighed. “She remembered it clearly. But… she said it was from
Gabriel.”
There was a long silence.
“She must’ve confused him with us,” Levi said. “Maybe that’s how her mind filled in the blank. We gave her those gifts. Not him.”
I nodded slowly. That felt more real.
Louis still looked torn. “But… she said she lost her father that day,” he said.
“That’s not true. He didn’t die; he was arrested.”
My stomach twisted.
“Yeah. She might be wrong about that, but remember-he could have been hanged that day if Father hadn’t intervened. Maybe her memory clung to that,” Levi said.
Louis didn’t respond.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.