Chapter 449: Don’t Forget to Pick Them Up
As soon as Olivia walked into the entrance of the research institute, she saw Gabriel standing there.
The man seemed lost in thought and didn’t even notice her entering, leaning against the wall with a blank expression.
Curious, Olivia called out to him, “Dr. Sutcliffe, what are you thinking about?”
At the sound of her voice, Gabriel visibly startled, his brow furrowing before he snapped back to reality and straightened up to look at her. “You finished your conversation so quickly?”
Olivia nodded with a smile. “Mr. Ramos also plans to participate in the Hargraves family’s free clinic in a couple of days. We had a brief chat and agreed to go together.”
Upon hearing this, a trace of melancholy flashed in Gabriel’s eyes.
Because he had seen Olivia standing with Harold at noon, Gabriel had lost his appetite during lunch. He ate only a few bites before driving back and waiting for Olivia at the entrance.
While waiting, he couldn’t help but think about the gap between himself and Olivia.
Now hearing that Olivia would be attending the free clinic with Harold made him feel even more distant from her.
Suppressing his feelings of inadequacy, Gabriel forced a smile at Olivia. “It’s good that you two are going together, you can keep each other company.”Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
Olivia didn’t think much of it, assuming he was just disappointed about not being able to attend the Hargraves family’s free clinic. She patted his arm reassuringly. “Don’t overthink it. You’re excellent too. It’s just that the Hargraves family has limited spots. Otherwise, we could have gone together.”
Gabriel managed a faint smile. “It’s okay. We’re all part of the research institute. Whether you go or I go, it’s the same.”
After saying this, he quickly bid her farewell and returned to his office before Olivia could respond.
Watching Gabriel’s slightly hurried figure, Olivia felt puzzled but didn’t dwell on it. She picked up her bag and went back to her office.
In the afternoon, when they met in the lab area, Gabriel was noticeably quieter than before and seemed somewhat distracted during their experiments.
Olivia didn’t push him and quietly took over his tasks.
By the time work ended in the afternoon, Gabriel had regained his composure. Reflecting on his behavior earlier, he apologized to Olivia. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t myself this afternoon. Give me one night, and I’ll be back to normal.”
Olivia smiled understandingly. “It’s okay. Everyone has things on their mind sometimes. If you need to talk, I’m always available.”
Gabriel was silent for a few seconds before giving a faint, ambiguous smile. “Got it. If I need to, I’ll come to you.”
As they talked, they left the research institute together.
Olivia glanced at the time, the kindergarten hadn’t let out yet.
If she hurried, she could still make it in time to pick up the two little boys.
Moreover, she really wanted to see Sophia and check if her mood had improved recently.
But then she remembered the upcoming free clinic and didn’t dare take any risks.
After some thought, Olivia decided to call Emily.
Emily was just about to head out to pick up Sebastian and Ethan when she received Olivia’s call and was a bit puzzled. “Olivia, what’s up? Are you planning to pick up Sebastian and Ethan yourself?”
At this time of day, she couldn’t think of anything else.
Olivia paused for a moment. “No, I just wanted to remind you not to forget to pick them up.”
Emily laughed and teased her. “I’ve been picking them up for days now, how could I forget something so important?”
Olivia found herself laughing too, wondering why she had felt the need to call Emily specifically for that.