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 over again. And he didn't remember anything either; it seemed like he had lost all of his memory.
"Where have you been all this time?" George rose from the floor, his face filled with smiles.
"For the past twenty years, we have been looking for you. We have raided everywhere in search of you, Lord Ercole! I never would have dreamt that I would meet you today. Finally, I have found the successor of Ercole!" George grabbed one of Luca's arms possessively before asking, "You must be the former Ercole's son. Did your father tell you about us?"
Luca raised his skeptical eyebrows, wondering who the "us" George was referring to. He gulped and asked with a confused stare, "Did you just say I have a father?"
"Of course you do. Your father was our master, Lord Ercole of the Viceroys mafia group," George explained, deepening Luca's confusion.
Luca furrowed his brows, trying to make sense of the jumbled thoughts in his mind. He scratched his head perplexedly, and George quickly noticed. He stood up and walked over to one of the cupboards while Luca sat there, watching him search for God knows what.
After a few moments, George emerged with an old album of photos. He looked at Luca and instructed, "Son, come forward. So, no one told you about your roots or who your father was?"
Luca nodded dismissively.
"Your father, Rio, is the leader of the Viceroy mafia group. It was founded by myself, your father Rio, and Angelo, along with one of the biggest business empires named Marco Empire. It was named after your father because he was the backbone, and he lifted us all up from the hood. Spanning over four decades, Marco has soared to stardom! We have been waiting for you to come and take over it." George flipped the album cover and cleared his throat.
"That's Rio Marco!" He pointed at one photo. Luca looked at the picture for a few moments. The man was indeed his father. He was wearing the exact same necklace and pendant that Luca was now wearing. He looked so much like him, with the dark hazel eyes, straight hairline, and a visibly toned physique.
George's expression turned grim. "There is a spy inside the Viceroy mafia group, and I'm sorry it took your father's life. It was all my fault," he blamed himself as he wiped away his tears. "If only that bitch didn't try to cut off my dick, Lord Ercole wouldn't have come out of the house!"
Luca didn't understand what he was saying. Instead, he immersed himself in the album. From all the pictures, he could easily recognize George. He hadn't changed much since then, but one thing was missing in all of these... his mother!
"Where's my mother?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, curious about George's answer.
George drew nearer to him, and his voice lowered. "I'm sorry, but your mother died trying to save you after the attack on your dad. She sacrificed her life for you.”
Luca gnashed his teeth angrily upon hearing that his mother had died trying to save him. Now he couldn't remember anything. Was it the shock? Or perhaps he wasn't the person George thought he was?
"Where have you been all these years?" George asked coldly.
"I was told that I was dumped in an orphanage inside a bag that they had to burn to open, and that they knew nothing about my roots. I had to work my way to feed myself after I left there," Luca answered, pain evident in his eyes.
"That's over now. I'll have to inform Edmund about this. Everyone would be very excited to have you back!" George rose and made his way to get his phone, but Luca interrupted quickly. "Who is Edmund?"
"Yes, Edmund is the eldest son of Angelo, who also died a few years after your dad died. Edmund took over when we couldn't find you, but now that you're here, he will step down so you can take your rightful position as the boss of the Viceroy mafia group and heir to the Marco Empire!" George explained with a faint smile.
Luca's mind was filled with thoughts. Didn't George just say there was a spy who had snitched and killed his father? And for over a decade now, they still hadn't been able to catch the spy, which simply implies that the spy could be anybody and would be ready to kill him. Of course, he was the offspring of his former target.
"I don't want to see Edmund," Luca said plainly, making George flash him a surprised look.
"Why?"
"The spy is still lurking around, and he will surely strike once I ascend as Lord Ercole. Keep my identity a secret until the spy is fished out," he explained.
"Good idea!" George supported happily. "That sounds less risky since Edmund is also being watched 24/7. If you see him, you'll be implicated."
Luca heaved a deep sigh, as if a heavy burden had just been lifted off his chest. He needed time to think it all over. From being a mafia lord to also being an heir to the richest empire with the most successful conglomerates in the world. He stared blankly at the table for a few moments before turning to George.
"What if Edmund is the spy?" His words struck George with surprise, and his facial expression said it all. He didn't expect such words from Ercole.
He quickly cautioned, "No, Ercole, Edmund can't be. He has been holding it down and risking his life for you for over ten years now!"
Luca wasn't pleased. From the name alone, he just didn't like whoever it would be, and most of his nightmares were about brothers snitching on each other. Maybe his mind was getting clouded with it. Luca's whole body vibrated with anger as he thought about who could have aided in his parents' death.
George stood up and moved to his locker room. A few moments later, he returned and placed a plain paper in front of Luca. This made Luca furrow his brows and raise them curiously. "What is this?”
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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
CHAPTER 12. AXE THROWING GAME. George glanced up at Luca, determination in his eyes. "You shouldn't go through with this," Giovanni chuckled mockingly. "What's the matter, George? Afraid Luca isn't good enough and will lose to me?" "If he can't prove himself, how can I respect someone who's weakling?" Frustrated, George rolled his eyes. "Giovanni, this isn't the appropriate time for all of this. We just located Lord Ercole, and there are many people searching for him. Can't you see the person who was just trailing him some moments ago?" Giovanni hissed, dismissing George's words. All that mattered to him was giving Luca a chance to prove himself. It was the best way to determine if Luca could defend himself. Giovanni whined, "That's even more reason for him to demonstrate his worth. A lord's life should never be in danger! Did you not see how he reacted at the sight of the guillotine? He shivered!" George quickly glanced at Luca. Well, Luca hadn't exactly shivered at the sight
CHAPTER 13. GETTING ALONG. The entire atmosphere fell into a hushed silence as Luca prepared to throw his axe. Mirroring Giovanni's grip, Luca held the axe with both hands, almost as if he were mimicking Giovanni's technique. George's eyes widened slightly as he wondered if Luca was just learning it on the spot. Gio glanced at Luca, noticing his grip and hesitation. "Throw that shit, boy!" he shouted. Luca slowly released one hand from the axe, surprising Giovanni. "What the hell is he trying to do?" George muttered skeptically. Even George couldn't hide his astonishment as he rose from his chair. Did Luca truly believe this was some kind of ball throwing game? If Luca didn't throw the axe with enough force, it would hit the board and simply bounce off, resulting in a score of zero. "You must think this is some ball throwing game, man!" Giovanni laughed, still caught up in his amusement. While Giovanni was still engulfed in laughter, Luca let go of the axe, and everyone's e
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