Free Web NovelChapter 149: In entering this market
The golden light of dawn spilled across the bedroom as Sara stirred, blinking away the remnants of a deep sleep. She smiled upon finding Luca lying beside her.
Moving quietly so as not to disturb him, she draped a silk robe over her shoulders and made her way downstairs to the kitchen to prepare a pot of lemon tea.
"Good morning, Madam," a warm, steady voice greeted her.
Sara turned to find Jonathan entering the kitchen. A genuine smile brightened her face.
"Good morning, Jonathan." She paused, her expression turning slightly playful. "You know, you are much older and wiser than me, yet you still insist on calling me ’Madam.’ I’ve asked you before not to use such a formal title. Please, just call me by my name, sir."
Jonathan’s eyes crinkled with a mixture of respect and amusement. He had served the De Augustino household for decades, and such formalities were etched into his very being. "It is a long-standing habit, M—" He stopped himself, letting out a soft, self-deprecating laugh as he corrected his course. "I understand. I shall endeavor to call you by your name from now on, Sara."
"Thank you, Jonathan," she replied, her smile widening.
She turned back to the stove just as the water reached a boil. Reaching out, she turned off the stove. Pouring the hot water into the cup, she let the tea bag rest inside until it would take the color completely.
Sara took a slow sip of the steaming tea. She leaned against the counter, her gaze fixed on the steam rising from the cup.
"You inform his father about everything Luca does, don’t you?" she inquired, her tone curious rather than accusatory.
Jonathan didn’t flinch. "Not everything, Sara. I only report the matters where the Master truly needs to know what his son is up to. There is much that stays within these walls."
"You’re much more honest with me now," Sara noted, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. "I remember in the beginning... Your answers were always so carefully weaved, so professional. You had a way of escaping every question I asked without ever giving me a real answer."
Jonathan smiled. "I simply felt that Young Master Luca should be the one to be open with you. He is your husband; it is my belief that he must be the one to share his world and his burdens with you personally, rather than through the mouth of a servant."
Sara looked down at her tea, reflecting on his words.
"Luca has shared many things with me. I would say almost everything I was once curious about." Sara lowered the ceramic mug. "Were you there... When Luca was with his late grandfather?"
The change in Jonathan’s demeanor was hard to ignore. His shoulders tightened, and a shadow of something painful flickered across his face.
"Yes," Jonathan answered. "I was appointed to the Young Master’s service from a very long time ago. I was there for all of it."
"Why were his parents not there?" Sara’s brow furrowed. "Was work really that important? I’ve wanted to ask them myself, but the right moment never seems to come."
Jonathan sighed, a weary sound escaped his mouth. "Sara, the Master’s relationship with his own father was... Broken. It was because of the life the Senior Master chose, that world," he said, gesturing vaguely toward the shadows of the house.
He stepped closer, speaking with a level of confidence he rarely afforded. "Master refrained from speaking of the mafia business because it infuriated him. He felt his father never truly cared for the family, not even for Luca. The Senior Master only cared for the empire. The same went for Madam Vinni. They both desperately wanted their son to stay away from the blood and the business the Senior Master had built. They weren’t absent because of work, Sara; they were trying to shield their son from a man they viewed as a threat to their family. And they wanted to secure the future of the young master."
Sara was surprised to learn such a big truth. She wondered if Luca was aware that his father’s relationship was not good with his grandfather. Well, there was no doubt he didn’t know about this.
Jonathan excused himself, letting her enjoy the tea in the quiet.
Sara finished the lemon tea shortly and went to the bedroom. Luca was still in a deep sleep. ’Your parents don’t know that you are involved with mafias because someone killed your grandfather. I wish you tell them the truth someday.’
She turned to the washroom, leaving Luca sleep without any disturbance.
~~~~~
Joseph looked at himself in the mirror and adjusted the tie on the neck one more time. He picked up the file from the coffee table and walked out of the hotel’s suite. Taking the taxi, he arrived straight at the office of De Augustino Group.
"Good morning, Miss. I have an appointment with Sara De Augustino for today," Joseph greeted the receptionist, maintaining a calm, professional veneer that masked his internal nervousness.
The receptionist offered a polite smile as she tapped away at her keyboard. "Good morning. May I know when the appointment was made and under what name, please?"
"Joseph," he replied simply. He pointedly omitted his surname; he knew the surname would ring bells that might lead to an immediate rejection. He needed to get through those doors before anyone could block his path. "I booked it yesterday," he added.
The receptionist’s eyes scanned the digital calendar. "Ah, yes. Mr. Joseph. You’re scheduled for the ten-thirty slot." She picked up the sleek desk phone. "I’ll let her assistant know you’ve arrived. Please, have a seat in the waiting area; someone will be down to escort you shortly."
Joseph nodded and turned toward the glass-walled waiting lounge. As he sat down, he checked his phone and saw the message from his secretary that made his blood run cold: freёwebnovel.com
"I managed to keep your mother in Barcelona for now. But you have to return early. She’s causing chaos here, she even tried to injure herself to get her way."
Joseph’s face contorted as he stared at the screen. Paulina certainly knew how to weaponize his guilt; she was a master at creating storms just to see him struggle to calm them. He was bone-weary of her theatrics, yet he lacked the cold-heartedness required to truly abandon her. He often wished he could simply cut the tie and walk away, but the chains of duty were wrapped too tightly around his soul.
"Are you Mr. Joseph?"
The feminine voice startled him. He looked up to see a young woman in a blazer standing before him, a tablet clutched to her chest.
"Ah, yes. That’s me," Joseph replied. He slipped the phone back into his pocket and stood up, smoothing the front of his suit jacket.
"Please, follow me," the assistant said with a polite nod. She turned and led the way toward the bank of private elevators that serviced the executive suites.
They were finally outside Sara’s office cabin. Joseph thanked the assistant and walked in.
Joseph stood just inside the threshold, his heart hammering against his ribs as he finally faced his half-sister.
Sara rose gracefully from behind the desk, offering a professional, welcoming smile. "Hello, Mr. Joseph. Please, take a seat," she said, gesturing toward the office couch.
Joseph felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. Seeing her in a photograph was one thing, but standing three feet away from her was an entirely different reality. The resemblance was haunting. She possessed their mother’s high cheekbones, the same slight curve of the nose, and the unmistakable depth in her eyes. Up close, she wasn’t just Paulina’s daughter; she was a living carbon copy of Paulina.
"Mr. Joseph?" Sara spoked, breaking his stance.
"I—I’m sorry," Joseph stuttered, his composure fracturing for a split second. He quickly looked down, forcing himself to breathe. "Forgive me. I was just... Struck by the view from your office."
Sara laughed softly, a warm sound that only made his guilt heavier. "It is quite beautiful, isn’t it? Please, make yourself comfortable. I actually liked the proposal draft you sent over. With the increasing demand for renewable energy resources, the De Augustino Group is very interested in entering this market. Your timing is impeccable." freёwebnovel.com
Joseph moved to the couch with leaden steps and sat down, clutching his file as if it were a shield. "I thought you would reject me," he murmured, the words slipping out before he could filter them.
"Huh?" Sara tilted her head, her expression one of genuine confusion as she walked over to join him in the seating area. "Why would I do that? I found your proposal quite endearing and remarkably well-researched. It’s rare to see such passion in a business draft."
Joseph realized Sara wasn’t like Paulina at all. She was soft-spoken and even quite professional. But then, it might be a facade.
"Sara, we have to go and see Mr. Zarino in half an hour," Luca’s voice came through the door as he walked in without knocking.
He halted as his eyes fell upon Joseph whom he recognized instantly.
