Free Web NovelChapter 150: Stole her entire childhood
The atmosphere in the office shifted instantly the moment Luca stepped through the door.
"Oh, Luca!" Sara said, breaking the silence as she rose from her seat. Her smile was bright, perhaps a bit too bright, fueled by the professional excitement of the morning.
"This is Joseph. He sent over a brilliant proposal regarding the renewable energy market. I was so impressed that I decided we should meet in person."
Joseph stood up, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. Being this close to Luca De Augustino was like standing next to a dormant volcano. "It’s an honor, Mr. De Augustino to finally see you," Joseph said. "I won’t take much of your time. Just ten or fifteen minutes more to go over the projections would be sufficient."
Joseph’s plea was desperate. It was a silent attempt to cling to these minutes with the sister who didn’t know he existed.
Luca didn’t spare Joseph a single glance. His focus remained entirely on Sara. "We can settle this later, Sara. Mr. Zarino is an important client, and it’s bad form to keep him waiting," he said. He finally turned a fraction toward Joseph. "Since Mr. Joseph has traveled quite a distance to present this personally, I’m sure he won’t mind the wait."
Sara looked at the young man, her eyes searching his for a moment. Joseph simply nodded with a polite smile on his face. "Of course, I can wait, Mr. De Augustino. It was a surprise enough just to be granted an audience with your wife," Joseph said.
"Perfect. Wait for us in the executive lobby. We’ll be back shortly, and then we can give your proposal the detailed attention it deserves, not just a few rushed minutes," Luca suggested. He offered a thin, sharp smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "What do you say?"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Joseph replied. He could feel the trap closing, but he wasn’t about to run.
"Sara, go ahead," Luca said, gesturing toward the door. "Fabio is waiting with the briefing files."
Sara hummed in agreement, pausing just long enough to offer Joseph a final, encouraging look. "We’ll talk soon," she promised before her heels clicked away down the marble corridor.
The moment she vanished, the polite mask Luca wore for his wife fell away, leaving behind the cold, predatory gaze.
Joseph didn’t wait for an opening. "You know who I am, don’t you?"
Luca didn’t flinch. He slowly arched a single dark eyebrow, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low rumble. "The question isn’t who you are, Montes. The question is... Why are you here?" freēwebnovel.com
Joseph stood his ground. "To see Sara," he answered.
"Why?" Luca pressed, closing the distance between them.
"Luca, you sent a threatening message to me through your secretary. I felt I should at least see my sister once," Joseph asserted. "Turns out, you’ve kept her completely in the dark. You haven’t told her a single word of the truth about me."
Luca didn’t blink. "Well, I didn’t feel the need to do so. You were never a part of Sara’s life, Joseph. I’m sure your own mother must have made that abundantly clear to you before you came here."
Luca took one more step. "If you truly care for Sara if you have even a shred of genuine brotherly instinct, then leave this building before we both return from this meeting. I have no intention of letting her receive the shock of her life from a stranger, especially when her own mother never bothered to tell her the truth."
"Luca, I know about you," Joseph said. "You’re a mafia. Why did you marry Sara? I want to see myself if you’re even good for her. I won’t leave. And I will tell her the truth myself if I feel the need," he affirmed before walking out of his sight.
Luca clicked his tongue from the roof of his mouth and walked outside. ’Well, hiding the truth from Sara about Joseph isn’t something I ever wanted to do. Let’s see what Joseph has on his plate. Then, again why people think I’ll not keep Sara happy?’ he chuckled and reached the elevator. It was stopped and saw inside Fabio and Sara were waiting for him.
He stepped in when Fabio pressed the button on the elevator and its doors shut.
’But does Sara have to know that her brother is here?’ he thought, tilting his head slightly and found her reading a file in her hands.
~~~~~
"Marcella, I thought I made myself clear. You have no reason to be at this company. We are over, in every sense of the word," Adam stated, his voice as cold as the glass of the floor-to-ceiling window he was staring through.
He didn’t turn around; he couldn’t bring himself to look at the woman who represented the most turbulent Chapters of his life.
Marcella took a step into the room, her voice trembling slightly. "I didn’t come here to cause a scene, Adam. I just... I wanted to thank you. For giving Diego a chance. He’s been under so much pressure lately, barely eating, barely sleeping. Seeing you extend that olive branch meant everything to him." She paused, her gaze dropping to the floor. "And I wanted to apologize. For the mistakes I made. For everything."
Adam finally turned, but there was no warmth in his expression. "Is there even anything left to apologize for? You need to understand that to me, you are nothing more than a name on a divorce decree. An ex-wife. Nothing more."
He walked toward his desk. "If a simple apology could mend what was shattered, then regret wouldn’t exist, Marcella. All I ever wanted was a mother for Sara and a woman who could offer the strength of her love. We both failed. We both made choices, and now we must live with the consequences for the rest of our lives."
His voice softened, but only with the weight of old grief. "Diego always carried the bitterness of feeling like a stepson, but he was wrong. Perhaps I was too focused on Sara, but can you blame me? She lost Gloria, and then she lost the stability of a mother again. I was trying to save a child who was drowning."
He looked her directly in the eye, his gaze final. "We can’t fix what is fundamentally broken. The cracks are too deep. Don’t come here again, Marcella. For both our sakes, we need to remain in the separate lives we’ve built. And as for Frida, I hope she repents for what she has done to me, to you and to Sara all her life."
"Frida is sorry too, Adam. And-and I’ll not come to you anymore. I just wanted to let you know that I’m regretting whatever I did for so many years to Sara. I broke your trust and I’m regretting this separation. Maybe the love you carried for me has gone for you, but it hasn’t happened with me."
Marcella’s hand flew to her chest as if trying to physically hold her heart together. "I truly hope you’ll give us a chance, Adam," she pleaded. "And as for Sara... I can do anything. I can be the mother she needs. I can make up for it all."
"You stole her entire childhood, Marcella," Adam countered. He didn’t move toward her; he didn’t even soften his stance. "And I have no intention of returning to you. I no longer want you. You’re right, the love I once carried for you has gone completely. It is dead."
To hear that the fire she had hoped to reignite was nothing but cold ash sent a tremor through her entire body. The hope she had nursed shattered right there on the office floor. Without another word, Marcella lowered her head, and quietly walked out of the room.
She hurried toward the elevators, frantically wiping the tears that escaped from the corners of her eyes, but she wasn’t fast enough to escape notice.
"Mom? What are you doing here?"
Diego’s voice was hushed. He was standing near the corridor, a thick file tucked under his arm. Seeing her tear-streaked face, his protective instincts flared. He looked around quickly, ensuring no curious employees were watching, then grasped her hand and led her into a quiet, secluded corner of the lobby.
"I... I just wanted to see Adam. I wanted to apologize," Marcella choked out, feeling pathetic and low.
"Mom, you know he isn’t ready for that. He might never be," Diego said, a pained look crossing his features. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling upset to see his mother in such a state. "Stop doing this to yourself. Please. You’re only opening old wounds."
He exhaled slowly, trying to steady her. "Maybe you should just give it some time. Dad is too hurt by everything we did. Even Frida betrayed him in the worst possible way."
"I won’t give up on Adam. I’ll see what I can do," Marcella stated with a sudden, determined tone.
