Chapter 23: Crossed the space
The elevator doors slid open, and before Luca could move, Sara pushed him back lightly, stepping out first.
"Ah, I can’t use the front door," she murmured.
"We can," Luca replied firmly, catching her hand again as if refusing to let her slip away.
Sara resisted slightly, tugging against his grip. "I can’t use the front entrance. There are reporters outside, and I—I’m not ready to face them. Not like this—"
Her words died in her throat the moment they stepped into the grand lobby. The reporters were gone and it was quiet outside.
Her wide eyes flicked to him. "How—?"
"I made sure they were removed," Luca said casually, as though sweeping away reporters was as simple as swatting flies.
His thumb brushed the back of her hand before he released it. "All the official statements will be given by me. You don’t need to say a word until you’re ready."
The employees watched them as hushed whispers filled the lobby. Luca didn’t pay heed to them, but Sara caught a few. Before she could speak further, he simply dragged her out with him.
"Get in," he gestured to the waiting car.
Sara slid into the passanger’s seat and watched him moving to the driver’s. She fastened the seatbelt and shortly, drove off to his house.
She had tightened the grip on her phone while thinking where she started making mistakes. But amidst those chaotic thoughts, Luca’s sudden help was puzzling her.
’Why does he want me to love him? I seriously can’t understand him. He is acting differently. This isn’t him.’
"Why are you staring at me?" Luca tilted his head for a brief moment before returning his focus on the road.
Sara didn’t answer him. She gazed straight out of the window, hoping to reach the home soon.
~~~~
Katherine smiled faintly as she watched the news report. Though Falcone Industries had been the blood and sweat of her late husband, she didn’t mind the thought of Luca leading it into the future.
"Honey, why did that happen? Say something," Marcella pressed with worry as she turned to her husband, who sat brooding with a grim expression.
Diego finally spoke. "Sara did it with Luca. She must have been the one to slip that clause into the papers before signing them. The board members are already furious with us, and now every decision in the company rests with Luca. He humiliated us in front of everyone."
Adam rose abruptly, ready to walk away.
"Honey, at least say something more," Marcella urged again, reaching for his arm.
"There’s nothing left to say," Adam muttered. He shifted his gaze toward his mother. "You were with them last night. Did Luca mention anything about this, Mom?"
Katherine shook her head calmly. "I didn’t visit them to discuss business matters. And besides," she reminded him, "you’ve always said I don’t understand business. I went only to see my granddaughter."
"Don’t lie to your son, Mother," Marcella cut in sharply. "We all know how much you adore Sara. But the truth is, she destroyed your son’s hard work."
Katherine’s expression hardened. "It was my late husband’s hard work too," she countered firmly. "And your husband never cared to listen to me after he passed. Do you really think his daughter would? Sara is her own person. She inherited Adam’s willfulness, and that’s why she made this choice. Frankly, I don’t think it was wrong. At least Luca is sharp, and he’ll find whoever truly committed the fraud and pinned it on Sara’s name." She glanced at Diego, who furrowed his brows together.
Adam’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. He turned silently and walked away.
~~~~
At last, Luca and Sara reached home. Neither spoke as they headed straight for their room.
Sara dropped onto the chair near the window, exhaling sharply as she slipped off her heels.
"You fired Julia. Shouldn’t you have kept her in the company?" she asked. "She lied about me in front of everyone. Now that she’s gone, it’ll be harder to find out why she did it."
Luca loosened his tie, tossed his blazer aside, and began rolling up his sleeves. "We can uncover the truth without her sitting in the office," he said. "The technical team will be going through your computer."
Sara’s gaze followed the slow movements of his hands. Something about the casual authority in the way he undressed did something to her, though she tried to maintain her composure.
Then, without warning, Luca crossed the space between them. He leaned down, bracing his hands on the chair’s armrests, trapping her in place.
Sara’s breath caught. "Why... why have you gotten so close?" she whispered, her fingers curling tightly around the chair.
"You can’t cry, Sara," Luca said firmly.
"I didn’t," she whispered.
His gaze narrowed. "You were silently crying. In the elevator." He straightened, his tone shifting back to business. "And listen carefully, don’t contact anyone tied to this matter. It was a well-planned move to throw you out of the company. Not just Diego, the others, too. You should be asking yourself why they all turned against you."
He checked his watch. "We have two hours to rest before we head to the airport."
"I told you, I’m not going," Sara snapped, her hands curling into fists on her lap.
Luca’s lips tugged into the faintest smirk. "I haven’t taken a break in a long time. I think we both deserve some air away from this chaos." His eyes lingered on her a moment longer. "Who knows... Maybe I’ll start liking you after spending time alone with you."
Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked out, leaving her stunned in the quiet room.
Sara touched her flushed cheeks, her heartbeat drumming in her ears. "What was that?" she murmured while blinking rapidly.
Just then, her phone rang. As she checked the name, her eyes frowned. It was from her stepmother, Marcella. She cut it and put the phone on the table. But the phone again rang.
"Don’t call me!" Sara snapped in fury.