When they entered the manager's office, it was only Rosa and Luca who went inside. The other men stood by outside the door, ready to intervene if something were to happen to their mistress.Luca couldn't take his eyes off Rosa. His thoughts were racing as he tried to figure out who she might be to help him in such a way. Meanwhile, Quinn and the other bankers couldn't stop talking about the earlier incident."So he knew Miss Rosa," one of them said."I'm shocked! How could he know Miss Rosa? I never expected that. Not in a million years!""What if she just wanted to help him? Maybe for some... extracurricular services. Didn't you hear he's a stripper at the Apple Club?" another person chimed in, and when they asked Quinn, she confirmed it.However, Rosa cleared her throat when she saw the bank manager. "Good afternoon, sir. How are you doing after our successful business transaction the other day?"The old man's lips twitched into a smile immediately. "Oh, Rosa, you're an angel. I can
After about a thirty-minute drive, Larosa pulled up in front of a gate, and the security quickly opened the door and bowed to her. She parked her car in the garage, and they both got out.As they stepped out of the car and onto the driveway, Luca couldn't help but gawk at the grandeur before him. Larosa's house was like a palatial estate. The entrance was flanked by towering stone columns, and the doors were made of solid oak adorned with intricate carvings.Entering the house, he was struck by the opulence that surrounded him. The foyer boasted a sweeping staircase, its banister made of polished marble. The walls were adorned with priceless artwork, including both photos of Larosa and the Mafia logo. Luca couldn't stop gawking at the artwork of himself on the wall—it was actually a piece depicting him and Larosa when they graduated from middle school."You still have this?" he turned to Rosa.She nodded. "Of course, I still have it. I thought I wouldn't see you again, so it was the o
A stab of annoyance knotted Luca's stomach, and his face went white with anger. He felt the woman's words dig into his skin. Life was really funny; most of the time, when he got insulted, it was because his dressing wasn't up to par. And now, what? He was wearing a Louis Vuitton suit, so what now?"Who allowed such a person in here? This place isn't for beggars!" The remark hit Luca like a tidal wave.But then the receptionist turned to him. "Why are you wearing those clothes? Who brought you in here? I mean, who even allowed you in here? Your kind isn't allowed here," the lady said, a bit angry.Luca looked at his clothes and inwardly hissed. That was when he noticed he had left his jacket at Rosa's place, and the white collar of his inner shirt was stained with spilled wine.He sighed. "I'm sorry. I ran into someone, and wine accidentally spilled on me. I just want to buy Billionaire Vodka. I'm not a beggar."The lady looked at him for a while. From her expression, it was clear as d
The nicely dressed lady looked at Luca and hissed, "Please stop the noise. This is not your house."Luca didn't want to say anything to her; he just scowled at her and turned back to the receptionist. "Why would you let her slide in her card for payment first when clearly I was here first? What code of conduct states so?" he sneered.The receptionist looked over at him and sighed. "Look, it's not about who came here first; it's about who can pay for what you just mentioned!"Luca was stunned. He scoffed, "Did I ever say I can't pay for it? Did I?""I didn't say some six thousand five hundred dollars or maybe somewhat kind of six hundred and fifty dollars. I clearly said sixty-five thousand dollars!" the lady frowned, clearly tired of Luca's persistence."And so?" Luca asked, clearly pissed. "I was never deaf, so take my card and do the transaction. I need to go home to my family, and it's late. I need some bed rest for tomorrow's ordeal."The receptionist nodded her head in disappoint
About five minutes later, Luca's phone rang, and he quickly picked it up. "Hello?""He said it's now activated, you can use it now. I am sorry for..." Luca didn't let Rosa finish her words before hanging up. Then he turned back to the receptionist and said, "Try the card again."The lady scoffed. "You must really be delusional to think I would put in an empty card here again. Leave at once before I call security to drag you out!"The lady was clearly angry. After all, due to Luca's slamming of hands on the table, he couldn't pay for what he wanted. Meanwhile, the other nicely dressed lady was just about ten steps away from Luca, answering a call.Upon hearing Luca's voice, she quickly hung up her call and walked back to him. Her brows were furrowed as she tried to grasp what Luca was telling the receptionist."Just try it one more time, and if it doesn't work, I will leave. I have every right to ask you to give it another try," Luca argued."Damn! Some shameless men don't learn," the
When Luca arrived at the Edward family house, it was already 11:56 p.m., and the whole place was dead silent. However, there were still security men on night shift stationed everywhere around the house. As he exited the cab, he walked inside the compound, being scrutinized by the security. They wouldn't have let him in if they didn't know who he was. He didn't blame them either; it was obviously too late.He looked at his hands. In his right hand, he had the Billionaire Vodka, and in his left, the Mugler dress. He kept walking towards the entrance, thinking that he would give Liv the Mugler gown at work tomorrow. That was what she loved wearing, and since she had helped him with a suit that morning, he wanted to repay her for her kindness.He took the easy route, and thankfully, the door was open. He slowly turned the knob so it wouldn't make any noise, walked inside, and closed it.But then, he was taken aback when he saw Rose and her mother sitting in the living room, still watching
Luca cautiously lifted the veil, revealing what appeared to be a human face. No, it was more than that—it was the severed head of a man. The shock of the sight sent a surge of adrenaline through Luca's body, but surprisingly, fear was not his immediate reaction. Instead, curiosity and confusion mingled within him.With a trembling hand, he adjusted the angle to get a better look at the face. And then it hit him like a bolt of lightning—this was Leo!The face was pale, the eyes fixed in a permanent stare, and a faint trace of a wound on the neck revealed the clean cut that had separated the head from the body. It was the unmistakable mark of a guillotine.A whirlwind of questions raced through Luca's mind. Leo had been tailing him on his way to the Santoro Hotel, and hadn't Giovanni and George promised to track down Leo's sender and return his head to them?A sudden realization dawned on Luca, causing his breath to grow shallow and rapid. He hesitated to utter the thought aloud, not wa
CHAPTER 31.Who is she? Who is he?At the Edwards Mansion.7:37am.Sara lay on the bed, her cheeks still stained with wet trails from her tears. She hugged herself, seeking solace in her own embrace. The room was enveloped in heavy silence, broken only by occasional stifled sobs.Ever since she had seen the bottle of Billionaire Vodka the previous night, Sara couldn't stop contemplating whether Luca had discovered the package that had been left for her. Was he the one who had placed it on her bed? The presence of the Mugler gown only added to her uncertainty.After a few minutes, the door swung open abruptly, and Luca rushed in, his heart pounding with fear that the men who had dropped off the package might have also kidnapped Sara. But when he entered the room, he found her lying on the bed. As she looked up at him, she quickly buried her face in the sheets.Luca stood there, taken aback by her appearance. She was wearing a crisp white blouse, likely made of a silky or cotton material,
Luca sat at his table with Blue next to him as she explained the surge in revenue of the hotel and its clubs in the last few months.The soft glow of the hotel's lobby lights cast a warm ambiance as Luca listened intently to Blue's presentation. She clicked a remote, and a graph displaying the hotel's revenue appeared on the screen behind her."As you can see, sir, our revenue has increased by 25% in the last quarter," Blue explained, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And if we break it down further, we can see that the clubs have been a major contributor to this surge. I just know Lord Ercole would be so proud of the tactics you have used in his investments and brought up the revenue."Luca nodded thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the graph. "That's impressive, Blue. I'm glad we could make a change."Blue smiled, confident in her analysis. "Well, I think it's a combination of factors. Our marketing strategy has been on point, and we've seen a significant increase in foot traffic. Ad
Luca sat at his table with Blue next to him as she explained the surge in revenue of the hotel and its clubs in the last few months.The soft glow of the hotel's lobby lights cast a warm ambiance as Luca listened intently to Blue's presentation. She clicked a remote, and a graph displaying the hotel's revenue appeared on the screen behind her."As you can see, sir, our revenue has increased by 25% in the last quarter," Blue explained, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And if we break it down further, we can see that the clubs have been a major contributor to this surge. I just know Lord Ercole would be so proud of the tactics you have used in his investments and brought up the revenue."Luca nodded thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the graph. "That's impressive, Blue. I'm glad we could make a change."Blue smiled, confident in her analysis. "Well, I think it's a combination of factors. Our marketing strategy has been on point, and we've seen a significant increase in foot traffic. Ad
Sara's eyes widened in shock as Madam Ivy's words cut through her like a knife. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Madam Ivy's announcement was a clear attack on her, a way to discredit her and eliminate her from the running for CEO that was clearly her birthright. She had given her all to the company all her life.Sara was taken aback by the sudden attack from her Grandmother. If anything, Madam Ivy's enemy should be Jacob and not her.Her face turned red with rage as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn't believe that Madam Ivy would stoop so low, using her marriage status against her. She felt a surge of anger and humiliation, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone else was reacting to Madam Ivy's cruel words, but everyone seemed fine with what she said.Luca, who was sitting next to her, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked at everyone, and they looked like the
Back at the Edward family house, it was exactly 6:56 pm when Luca joined the ongoing dinner table in the dining room. Everyone was present, with Jacob and his mother inclusive. It was just one person missing that everyone was waiting for.A couple of minutes later, the door swung open and about three maids helped Madam Ivy to the dining table. One of the maids wrapped her hands around Madam Ivy's waist, and the other one had her hands over her shoulders as a wedge. They pulled the chair out and helped her to settle down into it. Meanwhile, as they helped her slowly to the chair, Luca, who had seen her current condition, couldn't help but stifle his laughter, but then it was too late, and his smirk caught everyone's attention except Grandpa, who had his head downwards.Once Sara noticed the smirk on his face, it flashed back into her memory... he has another family! Her face paled up immediately, and she clenched her hands, crumpling her dress under the table. She couldn't believe he h
Sara's eyes widened in shock as Madam Ivy's words cut through her like a knife. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Madam Ivy's announcement was a clear attack on her, a way to discredit her and eliminate her from the running for CEO that was clearly her birthright. She had given her all to the company all her life.Sara was taken aback by the sudden attack from her Grandmother. If anything, Madam Ivy's enemy should be Jacob and not her.Her face turned red with rage as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn't believe that Madam Ivy would stoop so low, using her marriage status against her. She felt a surge of anger and humiliation, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone else was reacting to Madam Ivy's cruel words, but everyone seemed fine with what she said.Luca, who was sitting next to her, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked at everyone, and they looked like the
Sara's eyes widened in shock as Madam Ivy's words cut through her like a knife. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Madam Ivy's announcement was a clear attack on her, a way to discredit her and eliminate her from the running for CEO that was clearly her birthright. She had given her all to the company all her life.Sara was taken aback by the sudden attack from her Grandmother. If anything, Madam Ivy's enemy should be Jacob and not her.Her face turned red with rage as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn't believe that Madam Ivy would stoop so low, using her marriage status against her. She felt a surge of anger and humiliation, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone else was reacting to Madam Ivy's cruel words, but everyone seemed fine with what she said.Luca, who was sitting next to her, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked at everyone, and they looked like the
Sara's eyes widened in shock as Madam Ivy's words cut through her like a knife. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Madam Ivy's announcement was a clear attack on her, a way to discredit her and eliminate her from the running for CEO that was clearly her birthright. She had given her all to the company all her life.Sara was taken aback by the sudden attack from her Grandmother. If anything, Madam Ivy's enemy should be Jacob and not her.Her face turned red with rage as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn't believe that Madam Ivy would stoop so low, using her marriage status against her. She felt a surge of anger and humiliation, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone else was reacting to Madam Ivy's cruel words, but everyone seemed fine with what she said.Luca, who was sitting next to her, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked at everyone, and they looked like the
At the Edward family mansion..Back at the Edward family house, it was exactly 6:56 pm when Luca joined the ongoing dinner table in the dining room. Everyone was present, with Jacob and his mother inclusive. It was just one person missing that everyone was waiting for.A couple of minutes later, the door swung open and about three maids helped Madam Ivy to the dining table. One of the maids wrapped her hands around Madam Ivy's waist, and the other one had her hands over her shoulders as a wedge. They pulled the chair out and helped her to settle down into it. Meanwhile, as they helped her slowly to the chair, Luca, who had seen her current condition, couldn't help but stifle his laughter, but then it was too late, and his smirk caught everyone's attention except Grandpa, who had his head downwards.Once Sara noticed the smirk on his face, it flashed back into her memory... he has another family! Her face paled up immediately, and she clenched her hands, crumpling her dress under the t
At the Edward family mansion..Back at the Edward family house, it was exactly 6:56 pm when Luca joined the ongoing dinner table in the dining room. Everyone was present, with Jacob and his mother inclusive. It was just one person missing that everyone was waiting for.A couple of minutes later, the door swung open and about three maids helped Madam Ivy to the dining table. One of the maids wrapped her hands around Madam Ivy's waist, and the other one had her hands over her shoulders as a wedge. They pulled the chair out and helped her to settle down into it. Meanwhile, as they helped her slowly to the chair, Luca, who had seen her current condition, couldn't help but stifle his laughter, but then it was too late, and his smirk caught everyone's attention except Grandpa, who had his head downwards.Once Sara noticed the smirk on his face, it flashed back into her memory... he has another family! Her face paled up immediately, and she clenched her hands, crumpling her dress under the t