Chapter 45: A Silent Guardian
Sara finally rose from her seat, and slapped Julia hard that its echo rang through the café.
Julia’s eyes widened in shock as her hand instinctively flew to her stinging cheek. She glared at Sara, and raised her hand to strike back, but Sara caught her wrist midair.
"Don’t even think about it," Sara said coldly with blazing glare. "The reason I came here wasn’t to defend my choices. I wanted to hear the truth from you. I thought maybe someone was threatening you. But I was wrong."
With that, Sara shoved Julia back. She turned and walked to the door.
"You were always selfish, Sara!" Julia’s voice reverberated as she shouted after her. "When things don’t go your way, you betray the people closest to you! You’ll regret all of this one day and soon, will pay for the wrong you committed."
The onlookers in the cafe who had been recording quickly lowered their phones, intimidated by the fury in Julia’s tone.
Sara stepped out of the café, wiping the tears that clung to the corners of her eyes.
Luca was leaning casually against the car, scrolling through his phone. When he lifted his gaze and saw her, his expression turned dark.
"Sara," he murmured, straightening immediately, wondering what made her look so gloomy.
Before he could reach her, Julia stormed out of the café, her heels clattering sharply against the pavement. The hostility in her eyes couldn’t be ignored. Luca’s instincts kicked in, something was wrong, but it was too late.
Julia shoved Sara from behind with a sudden force.
"Ah!" Sara’s startled cry escaped as she stumbled forward, only to fall safely into Luca’s arms. His jaw clenched as he steadied her, anger flashing in his eyes.
Julia tossed her hair to one side, her lips curling into a mocking smile.
"So, you didn’t come alone after all," she sneered. "Brought your husband to defend your lies?"
Luca’s glare could have cut through steel. But before he could speak, Sara tightened her hold on his arm.
"Let’s go home," she said, meeting his eyes.
Then, turning to Julia, she added, "Let’s not make a scene. You’ve already said enough."
Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed Luca’s arm and led him toward the car.
"Sara, what are you afraid of?" Julia’s voice cut through the air again. "Everyone should know the real face you carry. You think that slap of yours will make me shut up?"
"Shut your mouth," Luca snapped, his voice booming with anger.
A few pedestrians stopped in their tracks, glancing at the commotion.
"Don’t," Sara whispered urgently, clutching Luca’s arm before he could take another step. "Please don’t say anything here."
She tried to open the car door, but it wouldn’t budge. Her grip tightened on his forearms, and she leaned her forehead against his chest, her breath trembling. "Let’s just leave," she murmured.
Luca swallowed his anger and exhaled deeply. Wordlessly, he unlocked the door and opened it for her. Sara slipped inside, keeping her gaze low.
Before entering the car himself, Luca turned back to Julia. His glare was cold, one that promised there would be consequences later. Julia didn’t flinch, only folded her arms, a bitter smirk still clinging to her lips.
Without another word, Luca slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. The tires screeched softly as they pulled away from the curb.
For a long stretch of road, neither of them spoke. The city lights flickered across Sara’s face as she stared out the window.
"What happened inside?" Luca finally asked.
Sara didn’t respond. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her sleeve.
Luca switched lanes without saying a word.
When the car finally slowed to a stop, she looked up.
"Why are we here?" she asked, frowning slightly as she recognized the place. It was the hill that overlooked the city like a silent guardian.
Luca didn’t answer. He simply stepped out of the car. Sara followed after a moment, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as the wind brushed past.
He started climbing the gentle slope of the hill. Sara trailed after him, her heels pressing softly into the grass.
When they reached the top, the view opened up to them. Madrid shimmered beneath a dark night sky and the endless lights pulsing softly in the distance.
Luca slipped off his jacket and laid it neatly over the grass.
"Sit," he said softly.
She hesitated, then smiled faintly at his sweet gesture before lowering herself onto the jacket beside him.
"Why did we come here? Wait, let me guess! It’s because you visit this place once a month," Sara said, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Luca turned his head toward her. The faint smile on her face faltered when he replied,
"I stopped coming here seven years ago."
"Ah." She bit her lower lip, the air between them turning still for a moment.
He looked at her steadily. "You don’t have to hide behind that smile, Sara. What happened back there?" His voice softened. "Care to tell your husband?"
Sara inhaled deeply, her shoulders tensing. "Julia thinks I did wrong to Falcone Industries." A frown knit her brows together as she lowered her gaze. "I signed the deal with you without consulting anyone. Because of me, people lost their jobs." Her eyes lifted to his. "And you filed a travel ban on her, didn’t you?"
"I did," Luca admitted without hesitation. "But what made her push you like that?"
"Umm..." Sara hesitated. "That’s... personal."
Luca arched a brow, a flicker of amusement softening his expression. "You do realize I’ll find out eventually, right? So what’s the point of hiding it from me?"
"She called me a liar," Sara said, her voice cracking slightly. "She said I always wanted to marry you. That I betrayed everyone, cheated on Asher by marrying you, and worst of all, that I betrayed her, my best friend."
Her words trembled, and tears welled in her eyes. "I slapped her because I couldn’t take it," she murmured.