Chapter 4. Turn it to Lemonades.

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 the hell is he?"

She was already angry that Luca was nowhere to be found. She left him at the restaurant nearest to the court where they had signed their marriage vows. She didn't want him to know about her club, so she just instructed him to wait there like a toddler while she came back to pick him up.

But Luca left. He took an Uber and made his way back. He had a lot to think about: was this really his way to stardom or was it going from the frying pan into the fire?

"I couldn't find him, madam," the guy responded in a soft tone, hoping not to further anger her.

Sara sighed deeply before grabbing her bag and getting into her car to go back to the Edward mansion. And just as her instincts told her, she found Luca at the mansion. His face was contorted into a deep frown once she laid her eyes on him.

One of the maids pushed her wheelchair over to where Luca was sitting and screamed at him in anger, "Why didn't you wait where I asked you? Get the fuck into the car. I can't miss this banquet!"

The corners of Luca's mouth dropped into a deep frown, and without a word, he settled into the car. After a fast, desperate drive so they wouldn't miss out, the car pulled to a stop in front of a gigantic building. It was the Gilmore Hall, one of the places where only the rich and wealthy dined together.

Luca had never dreamed he would be entering such a place in his life, especially not with the kind of exotic cars that were parked in the garage.

When Luca pushed his wife's wheelchair into the hall, the first thing he set his eyes on was Owen, Mia, and Debby. Immediately, he began to boil with anger. He would have questioned why they were there, but of course, Owen was a rich brat, so it was expected.

His hand was intertwined with Mia's, with Debby following closely like a bodyguard. But it looked like Owen had seen them first and started to walk towards him.

"Isn't this Luca?" Debby was surprised to see him.

"What do you think you're doing here, Luca?" Mia couldn't help but ask.

"Can't you both see?" Owen whined. "He is now working for the Edward family. He must be hired to be a wheelchair pusher."

Luca didn't need to raise his head to show them how angry he was. From the raised hairs on his body and his curled-up fists, they could tell how aggravated he was. He wasn't just embarrassed; the events of yesterday played directly in his face.

"Good afternoon, Miss Sara. Do you know who you employed?" Owen tried his best to be polite. The Edward family was notoriously rich, and their daughters were ruthless.

"Who?" Sara asked, confusion furrowing her brows. She hadn't been listening during those moments; she had been scanning the whole place in search of her sisters. She wanted to strike a business deal with the celebrant before any of them.

"The man who is pushing your wheelchair," Owen replied, raising a disdainful look at Luca.

"That's my husband!" Sara said confidently, causing Owen to stumble backwards.

He was suddenly afraid. What if Luca told Sara about how he had instructed his men to beat him up? How had Luca suddenly married one of the Edward princesses? His family was nothing compared to the Edward family, so he stylishly faked a smile and said, "Congratulations on your union.”

His voice was low. He was embarrassed that he was congratulating Luca of all people, but he had no choice. He didn't want to get on the bad side of the Edward family... that would mean total bankruptcy for his family!

"Oh, who do we have here?" a feminine voice said as she walked hand in hand with another man. She was what anyone would call an epitome of beauty, with nice curves and a beautiful face. Her beauty was mesmerizing, making all heads turn as she arrived.

She was Alessia Edward, the third daughter of the Edward family!

"Oh, my sister and her stripper pauper husband," Alessia said, suddenly stopping in front of her sister and Luca, who was just shocked by all the happenings. From how Owen was scared of the Edward family to how a beautiful woman's arm was wrapped around the hand of a man who emanated a rather dark and dangerous aura.

"Who is he?" the man asked, confused. He had scanned Luca's clothes and knew for a fact that he was a pauper and shouldn't be at his birthday.

"Oh, George, don't bother about him. He's a son-in-law in the Edward family, but the lowest one at that. None of us are married, but I know for a fact that he would be the lowest of them all. My beautiful sis over here wanted some stripper to satisfy her and ended up marrying him," she laughed in a goofy way. 

"I know it must be heartbreaking not being able to walk to get the best dicks you want, sister," she taunted.

Luca gulped. He looked at Alessia and George, and he didn't need to take a look at his wife to know how she was feeling.

Why would her own sister be this hostile to her?

"Then I'll have no choice but to throw him outside until I'm done with my birthday party. I don't want some pauper lurking around when I have royalty inside," George said with a smug face.

But Sara retorted angrily, "You would do no such thing! He is my husband and he received his own invitation from my Grandpa."

Luca was surprised. For the second time now, Sara was standing up for him. A small smirk curled up his lips and disappeared almost immediately. For someone who doesn't smile most of the time, that was more than enough.

"Hey, Sara, look at his clothes, dear. He obviously can't be here," George's voice went low as he explained.

When Sara looked down at Luca she sighed deeply, he felt a surge of anger. How could he go back and wear his stinking clothes? She started to boil with anger for not checking him out before bringing him here.

Luca raised his eyebrows at him. "What happened to my clothes?”

The whole place fell into dead silence as he asked. Everyone there was wearing nothing less than ten thousand dollars each. George was wearing a HUGO BOSS suit worth about thirty-five thousand dollars!

"What's with the silence?" Alessia asked. "Take this garbage out of here immediately!"

Sara bowed her head in embarrassment. She had never experienced this kind of humiliation in her entire life. She slowly bit her lower lip, trying to suppress her anger as she swore to pay Alessia back in her own way.

At that moment, George suddenly noticed the pendant on Luca's necklace, and his eyes widened in shock as a cold chill ran down his spine upon noticing the inscription on the pendant.

George immediately raised his hand to stop his men from dragging Luca out. Everyone was surprised as to why he had halted his men from removing the riffraff from the venue.

George looked at Luca for a moment. "Follow me!" he instructed, and a broad smirk curled up on Alessia's lips.

George wasn't known for letting people go. He would punish them by cutting off fingers so they would never forget him, or perhaps even kill those who acted stubbornly. He was a mafia member.

When he called Luca inside, Sara's heart began to race. She knew what it could mean, and even if she didn't like Luca, she didn't want him dead.

"Me?" Luca raised his skeptical eyebrows at him.

"Yes, please come with me," George said again, and Luca followed him. With each step, he couldn't help but feel out of place as he continued to follow, and as each room they entered, the door opened and closed itself, making it even more eerie to him.

When they finally reached a dark room, Luca's heart raced as he wondered if George was about to slaughter him.

"Can I see that?" George pointed at the pendant.

Like a snail retreating into its shell when touched, Luca embraced his chest possessively. "No! It's mine! It's not for sale or anything. You'll have to kill me if you want it!"

George's brows furrowed. He stood there, looking at Luca as if he were dumbfounded.

When he found his voice, he said, "I'm just taking a look."

Luca hesitated for a few seconds before he removed the pendant and handed it over to him.

George examined it for a few minutes. He could clearly see the inscription, which was as clear as daylight. "ERCOLE." It was a name in their native Italian language, which means "strength."

His heart rate doubled as he looked back at George. By then, George's eyes were already brimming with tears, and his knees gave way, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Welcome back, Lord Ercole!”