Chapter 6. He is him.

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?”