"Hey, it’s , Evelyn," ca a voice from the other side of the line.
"Oh, I’m sorry," Sara replied quickly.
"Was soone bothering you?" Evelyn asked gently.
"Yeah," Sara admitted with a sigh.
"I’ve been trying to reach you for two days, but you didn’t answer my calls," Evelyn said, her tone tinged with concern.
"I’m sorry I couldn’t answer. I kept my phone on silent," Sara explained quietly.
"It’s alright. How are you? I’ve been following the news... you’re no longer CEO of Falcone Industries, and I even heard you got married. What’s going on? Want to et up?" Evelyn asked curiously.
"Maybe later. I have sowhere to be," Sara replied softly. "Yeah, I’m fine... it just happened," she murmured, almost to herself.
Evelyn was more of an acquaintance than a close friend, soone who spoke to her only on rare occasions. But lately, after seeing Julia’s true face, Sara had grown suspicious, even of Evelyn. She wondered if anyone truly cared for her, except her grandmother.
"If you ever want to share anything with , just ring ," Evelyn said warmly. "Alright, I’ll hang up now." The call ended.
Sara exhaled deeply and lowered her phone. Her first instinct was to block Marcella’s number, along with those of other family mbers, even her father’s. Yet, she left her grandmother’s number untouched.
"Who were you yelling at?" Luca’s voice broke through her thoughts, pulling her attention away.
"No one," Sara replied softly.
"Let’s have lunch."
"I’m not hungry," she said.
"Do you want to faint again then?" Luca arched an eyebrow with subtle annoyance.
"Did your friends ever betray you?" Sara asked suddenly.
"No. They’re loyal to ," he answered firmly. "You made the wrong friends. Now go and freshen up. I’m waiting."
Sara stood and walked toward the washroom. Monts later, she returned with her hair neatly tied into a bun. Following Luca to the dining room, she took a seat just as lunch was served.
The aroma of the food drew her in instantly. Seeing her begin to eat, Luca felt a flicker of relief. As he picked up his fork, Sara’s voice broke the quiet:
"I blocked everyone in my family... Except Grandma. If any of them calls you, don’t answer."
Luca chewed thoughtfully before nodding. "None of them will dare call anyway. I was wondering what to do with Diego. He’s an eyesore in my eyes."
"I thought you were planning to fire him," Sara said, her voice curious.
"It won’t be fun then," Luca replied with a faint smirk. "I want him to work like a dog in this company."
Sara laughed that he hadn’t seen in years. He caught himself watching her, surprised by how much her laughter softened her expression. It was a carefree sound, one that carried joy without pretense.
After a mont, she fell silent, staring at her plate.
"You don’t have to make enemies for . What you’ve done so far... It’s beyond what I asked," Sara said softly.
’What if I told her I was the one who wanted her to co to alone? She’d be furious,’ Luca thought to himself.
Sara resud eating, and silence settled over them.
~~~~~
Outside the mansion’s gate, a car ca to a sudden halt. A young woman stepped out, her heels clicking sharply against the driveway. She glanced impatiently at the guard.
"Open the gates. Can’t you hear how many tis I’ve honked?" she demanded with irritation.
"Sorry, Miss, but I can’t open the gates for you," the guard replied calmly.
"Did Luca order this?" she asked sharply.
"Yes," the guard confird, then returned to his post without another word.
Her face twisted with anger. She pulled her phone from her purse and dialed Luca’s number, but the call didn’t connect. A bitter chuckle escaped her lips. Without another word, she turned toward her car.
Just as she was about to climb in, the gates swung open, and another car drove past her.
"Luca! Luca!" she shouted, breaking into a run after it.
Inside the car, Sara glanced back, lowering her window. "You should stop the car," she called out softly.
"No. Don’t stop," Luca commanded firmly.
Sara turned her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why? There was a woman shouting for you."
"Ignore her," Luca said curtly. "We’re running late, thanks to you."
Sara crossed her arms over her chest. "Can you at least tell who she was? Is she the one your parents want you to marry?"
"I don’t know," Luca replied simply.
"Seriously? You’re lying to my face," Sara said with annoyance. "We’re married now. At least tell sothing about you." She sighed, leaning back slightly. "And then you tell to be a good wife. You don’t want to get close to you."
Luca finally t her gaze. "I don’t entertain other won in my life besides you. That’s all you need to know," he said firmly.
Sara narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "Hmm. You contradict yourself. You clearly told I was never your type."
"She’s Ivanna Cavallero," Luca replied. "I was engaged to her, but I wasn’t there when my parents announced it. They did it on their own, the day I returned from a business trip."
"That’s why you married ," Sara remarked. "Because you thought they would force you to marry Ivanna."
Luca chuckled, shaking his head. "You really think they have that much authority over to make such a decision? I hate being told what to do when it’s against my will."
Sara glanced down at her phone, scrolling through information about Ivanna. "She’s beautiful," she said softly. "I think she would have looked nice by your side."
When Luca didn’t reply, Sara gazed at the driver. "What do you think your boss like in a woman? I suppose you’ve been with him for a long ti."
"I-I don’t know, Madam," the driver replied with a stutter.
"Sara, don’t ask him. I’ll tell you myself once we reach our destination," Luca said with a smirk.
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