CHAPTER 3
WHEN LIFE THROWS LEMONS AT YOU…..
It took what felt like forever for Luca to open his eyes after being intoxicated for over six hours. He slowly blinked his hazel eyes open and let out a loud yawn. He was finally feeling comfortable.
He turned around on the large bed, and his hands touched bare skin, causing his brows to furrow in confusion.
Where was he?
He looked around, and his heart nearly plummeted into his chest. The room was well-furnished with beautiful chandeliers and painted purple walls. From the shoes and bags hanging over the closet, he could tell it was a feminine room.
But how did he get here?
"Who are you?!" came the question, snapping Luca out of his daze. He looked over to see who was lying next to him.
The voice was cold, devoid of any surprise, which surprised Luca even more. He couldn't understand how he ended up in such a lavish room, and little did he know, he was completely naked!
"How did I get here?" he asked the beautiful lady lying on the bed, seemingly unfazed.
"Who are you?"
He quickly pulled the sheets off his body and prepared to rush out, only to realize, oops! He was naked!
Luca stood there, half-naked and dumbfounded, watching the unfolding drama. He couldn't understand what was really happening.
Sara pleaded quickly, "Grandpa, please let him go. He has..."
Her voice wasn't as authoritative as it had been in the club just a few hours ago, nor as cold as it was when she spoke to Luca a few minutes ago. It now had a slightly childish tone, filled with pity.
Luca turned quickly and snapped, "What are you saying? How did I get here?"
"Man up and help your wife up, and stop being a weakling!" Bruce commanded with a smirk on his face.
Help his wife up? Luca was shocked to the core! What did they mean by wife? And what the fuck did they mean by "help her up"? Doesn't she have legs?
He felt like he was daydreaming. The last thing he remembered was getting beaten up by Owen's men and going to his former workplace to drink himself into a stupor, rather than going to the club to strip as usual. So how did he end up here? That was a question he was willing to break a neck to get the answer to.
Sara looked up at her grandpa with feigned surprise. "Grandpa, what do you mean?”
"Dress up and take your husband to do a court marriage with you. He can't be using you and expect another man to come and marry you. No one plays with anyone from the Edward family. Crippled or not!" Bruce shouted.
Luca's face turned grim when he heard the word "crippled!"
Was Sara really crippled?
Luca looked up at the man. He had rugged features, and from his appearance, Luca could tell he was extremely wealthy. The Edward family was known as one of the wealthiest families in the state. Everyone knew they were rich, but there was one thing missing.
There was no heir.
They had five beautiful princesses, and every eligible suitor desired to marry into the family due to the advantages it would bring. But for Luca, it was different. He didn't even know who she was, despite being one of her staff members at the club. All he knew was that he worked and got paid. He had never even seen Sara around the club.
"Mum, this can't happen! He's just a stripper I paid to satisfy me. I cannot marry this pauper!" Sara pleaded in a croaked voice.
Avery laughed. "Well, what's the difference, honey? Marry him so he can keep satisfying you all the days of your life."
She turned to leave but then stopped and looked at her daughter. "Come to think of it, who would marry a crippled woman? Well, a lot of men would marry you, but you've declined all potential suitors. So, Sara dear, you'll have to marry your human dildo."
Luca raised an eyebrow at the woman. He didn't like the way she addressed her daughter. Of course, it wasn't her fault that she was crippled, and all men wanted,was to marry her for their own gain, given her influential family. But was he any different?
Sara watched her parents and bodyguards leave, slamming the door behind them. To them, they were punishing her by making her marry a mere stripper, since she had been refusing suitors who were all vying for the position of heir to the Edward empire. But life was filled with ironic twists.
Sara's lips curved into a satisfied smirk. She had played her game well, and now she had chosen a pauper who would bow to her every word at the snap of her fingers, while securing her rightful position as the heir.
Luca regarded Sara for a brief moment. It felt as if a lump had formed in his throat, and he struggled to find coherent words to say to her. He had so much to ask: how he got there, who she was, and why she wanted to marry him. He could easily read people, and he sensed that she was pretending. But why?
Sara looked at Luca. "That's the bathroom over there. You can go ahead and freshen up while they get you new clothes."
Luca scoffed slightly. "New clothes? What about my old clothes?"
"You can wear those rags. You're now a son-in-law of the Edward family!" she responded rudely.
Luca didn't bother to say a word. He was already going through a lot, and arguing with her wasn't the best idea. He started to walk further, but then stopped halfway, dropping the clothes and allowing his dick to dangle freely.
"Aren't you crippled? How will you get down if I leave you for the bathroom?" he asked, concern etched across his face.
Sara rolled her eyes. She forgot that she had to maintain the pretense of being crippled within the Edward family. She pointed at her wheelchair and gestured for him to bring it. Within a few seconds, Luca arranged the wheelchair and helped her comfortably into it before dashing into the bathroom to take his bath.
About thirty minutes had passed, and Luca was now seated on one of the couches inside Sara's room. He couldn't ignore the throbbing pain in his jaw and nose from where Owen's men had punched him.
"Madam, your car is ready," one of the maids opened the door and announced.
She moved towards where Sara was and prepared to push her wheelchair, but Luca interrupted. "Don't worry, I'll push her."
"Playing the good husband won't make me see you as one, so stop the act!" Sara frowned.
Luca felt a sharp, stabbing sensation as if a knife were piercing through him. He had hoped that Sara would be different, but it seemed like she wasn't. He had misjudged everything. He helped her into the car, a Rolls Royce.
"Come in!" she snapped when Luca didn't get in.
"You've already ruined my life. Now you need to own up to it and act smart!" Sara scowled before instructing the driver to move. Luca looked at her with disdain. It was the other way around. She had set him up to be her husband, but for what reason?
CHAPTER 4.TURN IT TO LEMONADES! The wind blew in through the windows, making each breath very refreshing and comfortable.The Edward mansion was quite empty, with only a few maids and guards on standby.The guards on standby were the ones who hadn't escorted any of the princesses of the Edward family to the birthday banquet.Luca sat by the window, staring blankly outside.How he went from being a rejected boyfriend to a son-in-law within twenty-four hours still surprised him.A cold sweat broke out across his forehead, and he wiped it away with his hands while still observing the surroundings. It looked like rain was imminent, as the sky darkened a little.At the Apple Club,Sara stood in her office, her mind distracted by the phone she was using. She was wearing a customized Chanel piece worth about $15,000, complemented by her pink shades, shoes, and Hermes bag.She looked at the time, and it was almost four o'clock.Once she saw her secretary enter the office, she asked, "Where t
CHAPTER 5. LORD ERCOLE IS BACK. Luca narrowed his eyes as he wondered what someone as wealthy as George was doing. The old man wasn't just kneeling; tears of joy were also cascading down his cheeks, leaving wet trails on his face. He blinked his eyes continuously as he tried to figure out what was happening. Why was the man who had just tried to throw him out of his residence now kneeling and calling him lord? Was he psychotic or perhaps suffering from some tumor problem and his medication wasn't close by? "Lord, welcome back home. We have all been waiting for you for over a decade. I am blessed to be in your presence at this moment," George said. Luca's eyes widened at how someone as wealthy as George knew him. He realized that something wasn't right. Something about his past wasn't right. No one was willing to explain his childhood days to him or how he ended up in the orphanage when he was barely twelve years old. Every time he asked, they gave him the same lame answer over and
CHAPTER 6. HE IS HIM. Luca stared at the paper for a moment. Was he dreaming? This doesn't seem real at all. He blinked rapidly as he muttered, "200 million dollars?" George handed him a check for 200 million dollars. "Lord, I think you should hold onto this. By tomorrow, I'll make sure I get your card from Giovanni," he explained. His tone was filled with empathy, as if he were pleading with Luca. But to Luca, he had never seen such an amount of money in his entire life. And did he just say he would get a card? That would mean billions of dollars then. Luca looked at him with surprise. He didn't know if he should kneel and thank him for the kind gesture, but that would be too much. Of course, he was giving him back what exactly belonged to him! Sara glanced in the direction where George and Luca had gone. She could see no traces of any shadow to show that anyone was coming. It had been thirty minutes already. What was he showing him for such a long time? She couldn't hide the
CHAPTER 7. HE IS A HOOD MATERIAL. The next morning, when Luca woke up again, he looked over and saw Sara lying next to him. He was stunned. When did she come in? It was barely six o'clock in the morning, and just four hours ago, she was nowhere to be found. Luca walked slowly, still trying to shake off his sleepiness from his hazel eyes. He switched on the lights, which caused Sara to jolt awake. "Why did you do that?" she asked frustratedly. "Where did you go last night? You didn't sleep at home," Luca asked in a stern tone. Sara froze for a moment, her body going stiff as she looked at Luca. This was exactly what she had hoped to avoid. She had married a pauper so she could do whatever she pleased, but now Luca was starting to ask questions. "Where I went is none of your business," she responded rudely. She pulled the sheets up and covered her body, pretending to still be sleepy, even though she rarely slept at this hour. She was usually at her club during these sleeping hour
CHAPTER 8. BAR SAGA. When Luca came out of the bathroom, Sara pretended not to have seen any texts. She avoided eye contact with him while her mind pondered and tried to decipher the message. Luca picked up his phone, and when he saw the message, he quickly rolled his eyes at his boss's threat of sacking him from his job, knowing that he could now buy his entire existence. He looked at Sara as if he knew she had seen something, but that wasn't true; he was just checking up on her. His mind swirled with thoughts of who George wanted to introduce him to. Would the person gladly accept him, just as George did? He had a lot of questions, but he followed his instincts and swiped the messages off the screen before throwing the phone back onto the bed. Sara stole glances at Luca as he dressed in one of his clothes; she just couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in disgust. The clothes were obviously torn! After Luca was done, he quickly boarded a bus to a bar. It was around 7 o'clock.
CHAPTER 9. SANTARO HOTEL. Luca swiftly hailed a cab, utilizing the remaining money in his possession, and headed to Santaro Hotel, leaving Aiden at the bar. Aiden sat there, dumbfounded, as he witnessed my departure. A few minutes later, Luca arrived at Santaro Hotel. True to its name, it was an expansive and luxurious establishment, boasting an upscale restaurant within its premises. Santaro Hotel held a prominent position among the top three most expensive hotels in the city, and it didn't fall short of its reputation. People esteemed it highly for its lavish accommodations, bars, clubs, delectable cuisine, inviting pools, and much more. Consequently, it primarily attracted a lot of affluence. Anyone spotted inside Santaro Hotel was immediately deemed filthy rich! . Luca stood outside the hotel, taking in the opulence of the building. Did George truly instruct him to meet here? He gulped, a mischievous smirk playing across his face. He scanned the surroundings, locating the hotel
CHAPTER 10. TRAIL HIM IN SECRET. Luca wasn't moved by her words. What he had said had clearly struck a nerve with Alessia, and he could see it. Indeed, as the saying goes, the truth can be bitter, and it was evident to him that he wasn't there to beg George for money. However, what about Alessia? It pained her deeply to know that she was there to sleep with George! "I knew he was just a pathetic joker!" the woman who had confronted him earlier chimed in, showing her support. "But the joke's on the joker today because I'll make sure you don't get inside this place." Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted from behind. "What's going on here?" Luca turned and saw George. He quietly let out a sigh of relief. He had grown tired of arguing with these slow-witted women outside. As soon as the woman saw George, she quickly bowed. "I'm sorry, sir, but the only problem we have here is this petty thief who is desperately trying to get inside the hotel to pickpocket!" She pointed accusing finger
CHAPTER 11. GUILLOTINE ROOM?! The atmosphere immediately shifted, charged with a different type of energy. George quickly stood up. "What?!" His brows furrowed. "What do you mean someone is trailing my guest?" The man bowed. "Boss, I believe he has been following your guest since the beginning. Based on the security footage, it seems his main objective was to trail him," the man explained slowly. Luca's heart sank as George and Giovanni's eyes turned towards him. They must be wondering who he had offended, or perhaps if anyone knew that he was Lord Ercole and was already attempting to have him killed. Various thoughts raced through Luca's mind. Who could be trailing him? What did they want? Giovanni cleared his throat. "So, what you're saying is that someone managed to sneak in here, and without the cameras, there would have been a different, untold story by now? I expected better from you, George." He mocked. George rolled his eyes, clearly not in the mood for Giovanni's bante
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