Remo leaned in to whisper, "Act like a gentleman, Luca. Sara is finally making new friends in the company. Just let her have this."
"That guy has his hand draped over her shoulder," Luca ground out, his jaw clenching so hard the muscles in his neck stood out. His gaze remained locked on Sara’s cluster of smiling colleagues on the field.
"Stop acting so ridiculously jealous," Remo admonished, shaking his head slowly at the completely uncharacteristic behavior his friend was displaying. "Look! He’s removed his hand now." Remo tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "You never acted like this before. What in the world is wrong with you?"
Luca let out an audible sigh of frustration, rolling his eyes as if he were fighting an invisible impulse, and forcibly retreated a step back to his original place behind the railing. He needed this entire, noisy, infuriating sports event to be over imdiately.
Throughout the event, Luca had maintained a long, brooding expression, feeling intensely jealous of the easy, friendly way n were approaching Sara.
’She doesn’t smile at like that anymore. Have I beco that bad in her eyes?’ Luca thought, the jealousy twisting into sharp insecurity.
Finally, the loudspeaker announced the start of the three-legged race. Luca seized the opportunity, shedding his CEO formality. He excitedly rushed down from the spectator area and strode right up to the line, standing next to Sara.
"Sir, why have you co here?" asked Fabio, his expression one of complete surprise as he noticed his boss standing on the track, ready to compete.
Sara, still unaware of his proximity, finally turned to look and was completely shocked to see Luca standing right there beside her.
"Well, I’ll be the one partnering with Sara for this race," Luca stated clearly, his voice leaving no room for argunt.
"That’s not allowed, Sir," Fabio imdiately stated, trying to maintain order. Several other secretaries nodded and agreed with Fabio, murmuring their protest.
"This contest is specifically made for us, the secretaries," another spoke up, challenging the CEO directly.
"I know, but this ga can be played with partners," Luca argued, attempting to justify his interference with a technicality.
"I was the one partnering with Sara," the sa guy raised his hand, the man who had his arm around her earlier. Luca quickly read his na tag: Robert.
Before Luca could formulate a scathing response to Robert, Sara quickly stepped in. "Yes. Robert and I are partnering for this race. You should go, Luca."
Luca flinched slightly, the rejection, though logical, stinging him deeply. He couldn’t publicly overrule the ga’s rules or humiliate Sara’s chosen partner at the mont. He turned his attention sharply to Fabio, who visibly gulped hard, instantly realizing that Luca was going to scold him severely later for preventing him from participating with Sara in that race.
Luca returned to the spectator area and slumped into his chair with a heavy thud, the sound reflecting his deep irritation.
"Just enjoy the ga, man," Remo said, trying to lift the mood as he hurled a large poster above his head. "Sara has perford quite well in all the gas today. Look! She’s watching us!"
Luca reluctantly gazed toward her and saw her smiling in his direction. But their brief eyelock was abruptly broken the mont Robert said sothing to her before imdiately lowering himself onto one knee. He gently tied the rope around their legs for the three-legged race and stood up, positioning himself close to Sara.
Luca clenched his fist so hard his knuckles turned white, the urge to kick Robert out of the ga rising sharply. But he was trapped by the constraints of the public event. His jealousy was quickly rising to its absolute peak as the race started. Robert had his hand firmly on Sara’s shoulder, offering support and walking in tandem with her to maintain their pace.
"Yes, I’m serious. He is pissing off," Luca hissed, his dark gaze tracking Robert’s supporting hand on Sara’s shoulder. "He could have easily said he didn’t want to partner with Sara. But he didn’t."
Remo gently placed his hand over Luca’s shoulder, trying to physically ground his volatile friend. "Relax, buddy. And look, Sara is doing great; she’s going to win this ga," he said, trying to redirect Luca’s focus.
Luca’s mood was completely ruined by his jealousy, but at the ntion of her winning, he forced himself to shove the possessive thoughts aside.
He settled his full attention onto the course, focusing intensely on his wife’s determined face and the way she was coordinating her steps with her partner, putting his need to support her above his anger.
The pairs were stumbling and laughing, but Sara and Robert, moving with surprising coordination, quickly took the lead. They reached the turning point far ahead of the other teams and started their quick, careful descent toward the finish line.
As they crossed, the siren blared, confirming their victory. Sara threw her arms up, cheering, then imdiately leaned over, slightly breathless, to thank Robert.
Luca, despite his earlier dark mutterings, rose from his seat, clapping loudly and sincerely. The relief that the competitive phase was over and that Sara won this ga, his jealously had been overwheld.
He was now eagerly waiting for the awards to be distributed so that he could click so nice pictures of Sara. It had been long since he last saw Sara enjoying herself like this.
~~~~
Finally, as all the gas concluded, Sara ran straight toward Luca, a small, brightly polished trophy clutched proudly in her hands. "I won this! My very first sports contest trophy," she said, her smile utterly radiant.
"Well, you played so well," Luca replied, reaching out to gently touch the trophy, his deanor imdiately softening in her presence.
"With that guy," Remo interrupted them with a teasing laugh. "Luca was honestly going mad because that guy was being quite over-friendly with you," he remarked, nudging Luca playfully.
"You are impossible, Luca," Sara chuckled, shaking her head at his transparent jealousy.
"He didn’t touch you inappropriately, did he?" Luca asked, his protective husband mode instantly overriding his attempt at casual conversation, his eyes serious.
"No," Sara assured him, rolling her eyes affectionately. "Robert has a girlfriend. So, please, don’t be jealous of him," she added, finally putting his insecurities to rest.
Luca’s tense expression finally softened upon learning the crucial fact that Robert was already committed to soone else.
"But why were you even jealous?" Sara asked, genuinely confused as she tidied her hair. "We’re married, Luca. Everyone in the company knows about this."
"Go on, explain it to her," Remo encouraged his friend, leaning in with a smirk.
"Well, I don’t know," Luca answered vaguely, unable to articulate the jealousy that had gripped him.
Sara shook her head in fond disbelief at his possessive behavior.
"Boss, Sara, we are having a photoshoot right now!" Fabio announced, approaching with a radiant smile, eager to include the CEO and the day’s winner. "You two should co and stand at the front. Remo, you as well, join us!"
"Okay!" Remo quickly agreed, already heading toward the cara setup.
As Sara stepped forward to join the group, Luca stopped her gently. "Your hair," he whispered, and with tender focus, he brushed so stray strands away from her temples. He then took out his handkerchief and, with gentle care, wiped the last traces of sweat from her forehead.
"Even if Robert is committed, he still shouldn’t have hung his arm over your shoulder like that," he murmured close to her ear, the last vestiges of his protectiveness surfacing.
Sara didn’t say anything for a mont, but kept her bright smile.
"Thank you, by the way," Sara suddenly said.
Luca was montarily confused by her unexpected gratitude.
"I never had such kind of fun in a long ti," she clarified, her eyes shining with sincerity. "Honestly, I never thought I would be able to feel this free and joyous again. Thank you, Luca, for returning to my life."
"I wanna kiss you, but... It’s really not the right ti," Luca whispered back, leaning his face close enough that his breath brushed against her lips. "I can do anything for you, Sara. Every single thing I have done so far, it is all for you. You should know that."
Sara stopped blinking as she peered into Luca’s eyes, a rare, vulnerable mont of connection holding them captive, until the photographer’s voice finally brought her attention back to the present. "Let’s go," she whispered, giving Luca a gentle push as she brushed past him.
He followed her, and the two stood at the front, taking the center position while the others had already arranged themselves.
"Cheer, please!" the photographer directed.
Everyone smiled while looking at the cara, but in the final instant, Luca tilted his head slightly to look only at Sara. She had lifted her hand, making a victory sign, and was smiling so brightly.
Seeing that unrestrained joy on her face, Luca’s own controlled expression dissolved, and he smiled too. That affectionate mont was instantly captured by the photographer.
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