Chapter 44: Already lost their jobs
Luca eased the car to a stop outside the café and glanced at Sara, who was already unfastening her seatbelt.
"Don’t come inside. I want to talk to her alone," she reminded him firmly.
"Sure," Luca replied, watching her step out gracefully and walk toward the café entrance. Once she was out of sight, he relaxed against the seat, unclipping his own seatbelt.
As he scrolled through his phone, a message from Fabio caught his attention. Just then, he spotted Fabio approaching. He stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind him.
"Sir!" Fabio called out, hurrying over and waving. "I made sure the travel ban on Julia has been implemented."
He held up a file and passed it to Luca. "And this contains all the information on Ryan."
Luca took the file, his eyes scanning the documents, already plotting his next steps.
"Is Madam inside?" Fabio asked, glancing around.
"Yes," Luca replied. "She’s talking with Julia."
"Did you two fight on your trip?" Fabio asked, curiosity tinged with amusement.
"No, we didn’t," Luca said, raising an eyebrow. "But why the sudden interest?"
Fabio shrugged lightly. "Sir, I’m merely curious. No one can change your decisions. I was just hoping Madam Sara might have softened your resolve and brought you back earlier than expected."
Luca frowned, a hint of exasperation crossing his features. "And you seem to enjoy imagining that quite a lot," he muttered, turning to open the car door and carefully placing the file inside.
"Not at all," Fabio replied quickly, a faint smile on his lips. "I was genuinely happy that you finally took a leave from work after two years though you couldn’t enjoy it well."
"I ran into Claudia this morning. Because of her, I’m here," Luca murmured. "Sara got upset... for some reason."
Fabio raised an eyebrow. "Maybe Madam was jealous of your friendship with Claudia. Oh, and I almost forgot, your... fiancée, sorry, ex-fiancée, came to see me. She was asking about you. Thankfully, I didn’t let her pass security."
"She was never my fiancée," Luca said sharply, his eyes narrowing. "In my parents’ eyes, perhaps, but not mine. Be careful with your words, Fabio. If Sara hears that, she might misunderstand."
Fabio smiled a little. "Why were you so rude to Madam then when she came for your help?"
"Why do you want to know? You’re prying a lot into my life," Luca glared at him.
Fabio pursed his lips together, silently apologizing.
Luca shifted his gaze toward the cafe’s entrance, telling his secretary, "You should leave. I’ll see you tomorrow."
~~~~~
"Sara, you took your time getting here," Julia began, her tone tight with restrained frustration. "I know you’ll probably blame me for ruining our friendship, but the truth doesn’t stay hidden for long. I saw those emails myself... and verified them. You sent them."
Sara slid the chair out and finally sat down, her expression a mix of disbelief and hurt.
"You actually think I would do something like this to my father’s company?" she asked with shock. "Julia... you’ve known me for so long. How could you even think that?"
Julia’s eyes darkened with disappointment. "I felt the same shock when I investigated it myself. And then... you sold it to Luca. I used to think nothing was going on between you two, but I was wrong. You made a fool of me in everything," she said, her gaze piercing Sara’s.
"You were dating Asher, and the very next day, boom! The news outlets reported that you were married to Luca. And the worst part? You didn’t discuss signing that deal with any of us. You cheated all of us... and of course, me, your best friend," Julia accused, feeling hurt.
Sara shook her head, exasperated. "Where were you when I was dialing your number repeatedly for two days? Even my secretary was gone. I had no idea where she actually was. Julia, I had no other choice. You didn’t see me for a month. I tried every possible way to reach out to every help I could. And I couldn’t let Falcone’s name disappear forever, which is why I signed the deal with Luca. I had a plan. I was going to take it back from him, no matter what."
Julia’s brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I can’t tell you that right now," Sara said firmly. "But why did you speak against me? Those so-called ’evidence’... I never intended to sell Falcone Industries. You could’ve at least asked me once before assuming the worst."
"That’s what the committee found in their investigation. I reported nothing wrong. Honestly, there’s no point in arguing further," Julia said, grabbing the latte straw and taking a long sip to soothe her dry throat. "I’m leaving tonight for the States. Don’t contact me ever again."
"Julia, seriously?" Sara raised an eyebrow with disbelief.
Just then, Julia’s phone rang. She answered quickly, and her eyes widened in shock as she listened. Hanging up, she turned sharply to glare at Sara. "Did you ask Luca to do this?"
"For what?" Sara asked, confused.
"To ban me from traveling!" Julia snapped, her voice rising. "You know, you’re acting like a total bitch now!" She paused for emphasis, glaring around to make sure others were paying attention.
"What?" Sara exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.
"I—"
"Shut up, Sara!" Julia cut her off sharply, her voice trembling with anger. "You’re a liar. First, you made sure Falcone Industries would suffer so you could sell it to Luca. Then you married him, making sure he wouldn’t allow any inquiry against you. I never thought you’d be this kind of woman. Because of you, so many people have already lost their jobs. I’m one of them! And now... I can’t even travel anywhere because of you."
Julia’s voice rose with accusation and outrage.
Sara’s eyes flicked around, and she could hear the murmurs of people nearby, whispering against her.
"Tell me the rumors about you sleeping with Luca were true, right? You cheated on your boyfriend, didn’t you?" Julia sneered at her.