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 worry written all over her face, even if she wanted to. Her sister would mock her for being concerned about a pauper. She tried her best to compose herself, but she just couldn't. A part of her wanted to go in there and check on her husband. He was more useful to her alive than dead. If he were killed, her parents would auction her off again, and gullible suitors would start flocking in like water.
"It seems the poor boy is being punished," Daebby said suddenly.
Sara furrowed her brows. She looked away as if she hadn't heard anything. Anyone who took such a significant amount of time would surely be killed and wouldn't return with George. They had seen it happen time and time again, so this wouldn't be the first time.
"He is getting that punishment for being a pauper. It's just very pathetic that he couldn't enjoy his wife the same way he couldn't enjoy his ex," Owen squealed happily.
"Sister, mi dispiace moltissimo. Ti esprimo le mie sincere condoglianze," Alessia said in a low voice, and Sara gulped.
What?!
Did she just offer her condolences in their native Language? Sara stared at Alessia in surprise. Alessia had just expressed her sincere condolences because of her husband. Sara didn't pay her any attention but instead wheeled herself forward to where Luca had gone.
"Where are you going, sister?" Alessia asked.
"Don't bother going in unless you want some pauper's blood spilling across your expensive clothing!" she said mockingly.
"Enough!" Sara shouted angrily. "Don't call my husband a fucking pauper anymore!" she warned.
Alessia laughed. "What is he then? What should he be called? I bet I should start calling the mistake of a son, a fucking church rat!"
"Yes!" Mia suddenly chimed in. "He doesn't even have a house. I mean, he doesn't have clothes or a roof over his head. I'm sure there are even worse words to describe him!"
Alessia's face brimmed with smiles as she looked at her sister with a fake smile and her usual bitchy attitude. "It looks like your poor husband is popular for being poor."
Sara could feel her feet go cold. She found herself biting her lower lip, trying to calm herself while hoping for what she would call a miracle.
She swallowed her saliva as she wondered who the hell Luca was and why he was notably poor.
The door suddenly swung open, and the whole place fell silent. All eyes turned to see who was coming out.
And to their amazement, Luca walked out with George. Both of them were smiling so intensely.
Shockwaves washed over Alessia, Owen, and Mia as they watched George's face beaming with smiles, just like the supposed pauper.
Debby looked at Owen with surprise written all over her face. "What happened? Didn't you say George would kill him and come out alone? Look how smiley they are. I bet he didn't even lay a finger on him."
"His nose wasn't even broken. It's so clear George didn't touch him!" Mia chimed in, equally stunned.
Alessia felt like ripping their tongues apart. She was seething from seeing George and Luca, not to mention them talking behind her back. It was infuriating as she wondered why George didn't kill the pauper.
Sara didn't know why she was smiling so intensely, but she was overjoyed that Luca came out unharmed. That was all she had asked for. She sat in her wheelchair and grinned from ear to ear.
George approached them and cleared his throat. Looking at his face, they all knew he was in a very good mood. But why?
"This is the son of my former schoolmate's brother!" he announced, and gasps rippled through the crowd.
"How on earth are you friends with his brother? He's a fucking pauper! Like a stripper kind of pauper, don't you get it? A dirty, cheap whore with no money!" Alessia couldn't hide her disappointment that Luca wasn't exactly what she had expected.
"Enough, Alessia!" George warned, his voice icy.
Owen didn't say anything but looked over at where Luca was standing. He was surprised by the revelation, but he dared not speak. That might cost him one of his fingers; everyone knew how ruthless George could be.
Sara watched as her sister walked away in disappointment. She usually prayed for moments like this, where Alessia would be embarrassed. She raised her gaze to Luca, who winked at her. When he did that, she couldn't help but chuckle and act as if she hadn't been on the verge of peeing in her panties if Luca didn't come out with George.
"Okay, y'all should go enjoy the party. The auction is about to start," George said before walking away.
"What the fuck did he just say? Luca is going to attend the same party as us?" Debby asked angrily.
But before anyone could reply, Sara quickly intervened. "Little bitch, I would advise you to shut up before I get you thrown out!"
Luca grinned happily. It was only today, and his wife had already defended him three times.
Could it be that... or was he just imagining things?
"I'm sorry, Lady Sara. We should go enjoy the party," Owen said awkwardly, trying to cover up Debby's words. Being on the bad side of one of the ladies of the Edward family meant a deadly self-sabotage to your business.
Luca grinned from ear to ear as he reached for Sara's wheelchair and pushed it into the party.
"Were you worried sick I wouldn't come out?" he asked.
"Not you. I just didn't want to become a widow just twenty-four hours after my marriage," she said boldly.
At the Edward mansion...
The whole place was dimly lit. Luca lay on his wife's bed, still recovering from a long and unsettling nightmare. It was about his past life, but it wasn't all clear. He could vividly see his father teaching him Mafia slangs and self-defense techniques, but the part where his father was killed remained confusing. At least now he knew he was truly the boss of the Viceroy Mafia group.
He turned around, only to find the space beside him empty. He had slept for about ten hours now, something he hadn't done in what felt like an eternity. He had left Sara at the party and returned to contemplate his new life. Luca stood up from the bed and turned on the lights. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was two o'clock in the morning.
His brow furrowed in confusion as he wondered, "Where was his wife at this time of day?”
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
After a few minutes, Luca arrived at Ventral Company. It was primarily a delivery company that partnered with other businesses. As Luca approached, he noticed around ten to fifteen delivery bikes parked outside. This made him wonder why his boss needed him for deliveries when he hadn't even paid him for the last two months.As he entered the premises, Luca's anger began to boil. His anger stems from two things;Firstly, he was supposed to be working with Giovanni and George, but his boss disrupted everything with a phone call. Secondly, his boss owed him two and a half months' worth of salary, and to make matters worse, he had recently cut his bonus after an argument with a customer.Luca's footsteps echoed through the space, interrupting the conversation his colleagues were having. It was evident that there were fewer clients for the day."Where's the boss?" he asked as soon as they noticed his presence.One of his colleagues pointed towards the office, and Luca quickly made his way t
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