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.
When the bus stopped, Luca got off and headed towards the bar, finding a comfortable spot for himself.
He had some money with him, well, not just some—it was about two thousand five hundred dollars. He had initially planned to wrap it in the proposal box for Mia. However, since she rejected him, he was now using it as he pleased.
He gestured to the bartender. "Two cups of coffee, please."
A few minutes later, a tall, muscular man with an apron tied around his neck walked over to Luca's table and placed two cups on it.
Luca smiled, his lips curving into a satisfied smirk.
Of course, now he was Lord Ercole, the boss of the Viceroy mafia group and the heir to the Marco empire consortium. It was only fitting that he behaved as such.
Luca looked around, as if expecting something. When he saw the delivery man stop in front of the bar, he smiled.
The man was about six feet tall, with a face that resembled a squirrel—clearly not the most attractive individual.
As the man approached him with a box, Luca quickly pulled out a three hundred dollar bill.
"Hey, the delivery man is here! Who ordered?" the man yelled as he entered.
But when he saw Luca, he stopped.
He was surprised, dropping the box on the nearest chair and walking over to Luca's table.
"Luc, what are you doing here?" he asked, his tone tinged with disbelief.
"How did you get in here? What..." He trailed off, his eyes scanning the table, only to fix his gaze on the coffee.
"Wait a second," he laughed. "You ordered this?"
For a moment, Luca frowned, but then his face brightened up almost immediately when he recognized who the delivery man was.
It was Aiden, his former colleague. Well, not former yet, until he goes to resign today.
Now that Luca could recognize him, his attitude of asking about the coffee wasn't surprising anymore. Aiden was one of the staff members who taunted him for being a pauper while they worked at the same company.
He wasn't expecting him to deliver his pizza for him.
Aiden looked at Luca with disgust as he said, "Luc, where have you been these past few days? I heard your lovely Mia broke up with your broke ass!" He said mockingly.
"And now you're here trying to get high with coffee? Not even a beer or fucking tequila? Poor brat! I'm sure you couldn't afford that!"
Luca clenched his fists tightly, without uttering a word. His attitude told Aiden all he needed to know.
It was moving away. It wasn't the first time Luca had ended up in a fight, so he knew what would follow next if he didn't stop.
Instead, he walked over to the bartender. "Take this," he handed over a hundred dollar bill. "Give that poor brat over there four shots of tequila."
The bartender nodded and quickly prepared the drinks to be delivered. Meanwhile, Aiden squealed happily as he walked back to where his box of pizza was.
Now that he had gotten what he came for—a delivery—Aiden quickly pulled out his phone and dialed the customer's number.
"Hey, sir, I can't find you at the bar!" he said.
When Luca's phone rang and it was the delivery number, a satisfying smirk curled up his lips, and he answered the call with just two words.
"Turn back!”
Aiden slowly turned back, refusing to believe what he was seeing. His jaw dropped to the floor in shock when he saw Luca!
In his head, he wanted to believe it was Luca who he was supposed to deliver the pizza to, but he waved that thought aside with a sigh and dialed the number again to be sure. He knew Luca wouldn't dare to afford such an expensive pizza. It wasn't just any pizza, but the Portobello mushroom pizza worth about one thousand two hundred dollar bills.
How could he afford to buy such an expensive pizza?
Another ring, and Luca picked up the call, his gaze fixed on Aiden.
"What the actual fuck!" Aiden wished the world would stop, or perhaps he would just disappear into thin air, or who knows? Maybe the rapture should take place immediately!
A confident smile stretched across Luca's face as he watched Aiden freeze in shock.
Aiden couldn't believe it was the same Luca who could barely afford a hundred dollar bill for lunch, now having such an expensive pizza for breakfast.
Aiden immediately regretted everything he had just said. He stammered, stumbling over his own words as he struggled to articulate himself. "I... I'm... I'm sorry, Luc." He let out a nervous giggle, attempting to diffuse the awkwardness of the situation.
Luca stretched his hand and collected the box. That was all that mattered to him.
He pulled out a total of one thousand five hundred dollar bills and handed them over to Aiden.
"Thank you for the delivery. It's one thousand two hundred dollars," Aiden said, dipping his hand into his pocket to get the remaining money.
"You can keep the money!" Luca replied proudly and raised his phone for Aiden to see.
"You can keep the money. It should be enough to feed you until you get a better job!”
Aiden gulped, her eyes grew moist, and her expression turned grim once she saw that Luca had actually left a very bad review of him. That meant a twenty percent cut of his salary. But for her, it was different since she had already received several warnings, and this one could mean she would be relieved of her job.
Luca stared at the pizza, and his mouth began to water. He realized he hadn't eaten pizza in a very long time, especially when he was trying to buy Mia different delicacies while neglecting himself. Now he could eat anything he wanted while keeping a low profile, just as George had warned him.
"Hey, don't just stand there. Come join me and fill your stomach before you go back home and collect your termination letter," Luca teased mockingly, knowing he had struck a nerve in Aiden.
When Aiden didn't say a word but just stood there, looking dumbfounded, Luca's phone rang.
He looked at it, and it was an alarm with the tag: *10:00 AM*.
That was the time he had an appointment with George!
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
ARRESTED.Luca immediately turned his head, locking eyes with two policemen who had entered the room. He couldn't help but laugh. It was amusing to him that Mr. Duke had gone to the extent of calling the police when he was the one who should be considered the victim."That's him! Arrest him!" Duke yelled, pointing at Luca, urging the policemen to take action.The officers approached Luca and sternly said, "Put your hands up, sir."Luca didn't move. He remained silent, displaying a different demeanor. There was something about him that caught Duke off guard. Luca didn't flinch in the presence of the policemen, and this puzzled Duke. He couldn't understand why Luca was acting tough. The old Luca would have pleaded, knowing he wouldn't have enough money for bail. But now, Luca stood his ground and even refused to be handcuffed."May I know the reason for my arrest?" Luca asked, raising skeptical eyebrows."Officers, I told you to arrest him! He nearly strangled me to death because I dedu
THE DINNER."We've been waiting for a straight fifteen minutes, and the person you called isn't here. I'm sorry, but Mister Luca, we will have to lock you up," one of the officers said to Luca."Don't worry, that won't be needed," Giovanni's voice boomed as he walked in.In fact, Giovanni was nearby when Luca called him, and he rushed to the station. It would be a failure on his part if his boss ended up being locked up.Luca's face lit up with a happy smile as he saw Giovanni.Meanwhile, Mister Duke trembled in fear. He had no idea that Luca knew someone as wealthy and ruthless as Giovanni. Everyone in the station knew Giovanni, and as he walked in, most of them bowed and greeted him, including Mister Duke."I'm sorry for not coming earlier," Giovanni apologized to Luca."That's fine!" Luca replied. "I have to leave now. Settle things with them and make sure that man is arrested."Giovanni's gaze fell upon the figure Luca had just pointed at, and he nodded in approval."I can drive y
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