Free Web NovelChapter 154: Play a romantic piece
Sara and Luca stepped into their home. They had spent day in a delightful shopping and ate pastries before returning at a cozy bakery. Sara carefully placed the shopping bags on the marble-topped table in their bedroom followed by Luca before sinking onto the edge of the king-sized bed with a contented sigh.
She pulled out her phone to check notifications, scrolling idly until Diego’s message popped up on the screen.
"I’d like to see you. Shall we meet after your office hours get over?"
"What are you looking at?" Gabriel asked softly, glancing over from where he was loosening his tie.
Sara hesitated for a moment, then turned the phone toward him. "Diego messaged me. He wants to meet up after work." She furrowed her brows, her lips pressing into a thin line. "But I don’t want to see him. Ever since our parents divorced, we’re not even family anymore, not really," she murmured. With a deep breath, she typed out a firm but polite refusal before sending it.
Just then, Luca’s phone buzzed insistently in the inner pocket of his blazer. Seeing Remo’s name on the screen, he answered with a quick swipe.
"Great. Thanks," Luca said briefly, a small smile tugging at his lips as he ended the call and slipped the phone back.
He turned to Sara. "Want to freshen up first?"
"Yes," she replied, pushing herself up from the bed. She headed to the en-suite bathroom. Ten minutes later, she emerged, her face glowing from a quick splash of water, gently dabbing it dry with a soft towel. Strands of her hair clung damply to her forehead, and she felt refreshed.
"You can go ahead and use the washroom now," she said, smiling at Luca. "By the way, what do you feel like for dinner? I was thinking of cooking tonight, maybe that pasta you love?"
Luca paused, opening the wardrobe door to pull out a comfortable t-shirt and matching shorts. He shook his head gently, his eyes softening as he looked at her.
"Aren’t you exhausted from all that shopping? Come on, just relax with me for a bit. The maids can handle dinner, they’ve got it covered." He stepped closer, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
Sara leaned into the idea, nodding in agreement.
"Wait for me here," he whispered before heading into the washroom.
While the shower began to run, Sara settled back onto the mattress and decided to call her grandmother. After a few rings, Katherine’s warm voice filled the line.
"Grandma, good evening!" Sara greeted her.
"Good evening, dear. You’ve called at the perfect time. I’m sitting here with your father having tea. He’s been in such high spirits since the day you and Luca stayed over," Katherine shared.
Sara’s smile widened. "I’m glad to hear that."
"Your in-laws have invited us to the party tomorrow," Katherine added.
"Yes, they’ve wanted to throw a proper welcome party for a while now," Sara replied. "I’m glad they finally found the chance to bring everyone together."
They spoke for a few more minutes before Sara hung up, just as Luca stepped out of the bathroom.
"Have you ever played table tennis?" Luca asked suddenly, towel-drying his hair.
"You know that I was always terrible at sports," Sara admitted with a laugh. "I’ve never even touched a paddle."
"Then today is the day. Let’s play. We have an indoor setup downstairs," Luca replied.
Sara blinked in surprise. "What? Where? I’ve been living here and I had no idea we had a table tennis room."
Luca chuckled as he reached out, catching her hand and pulling her up from the bed. "That’s because your world usually ends at the kitchen or the living room or here," he teased, guiding her out of the bedroom.
"And who do you even play with? I can’t imagine Jonathan being your sparring partner," Sara remarked, crossing her arms playfully as they descended the stairs.
"Remo," Luca answered. "And Fabio, occasionally. Marco stays too busy at the hospital to ever join us."
He led her toward the left wing of the mansion, a part of the house she rarely frequented. As they walked, Sara slowed her pace, stopping in front of a heavy door that stood slightly ajar.
"What’s in here?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. Before Luca could answer, she pushed the door open.
Her eyes widened. At the center of the room sat a magnificent grand piano, its polished wood gleaming under the soft hall light. Scattered around were several other instruments, a cello, a violin, and a few guitars.
A sudden memory flooded her mind. She remembered him back in school, sitting on the courtyard bench with a guitar. Girls would gather from every corner of the campus just to catch a glimpse of him playing. It seemed there was nothing he couldn’t do.
Sara drifted toward the piano, her fingers grazing the ivory keys. A single, resonant chord echoed through the high-ceiling room and it lingered in the air for a moment.
"Do you know how to play this, too?" she asked, tilting her head to catch his gaze.
"Yes," Luca replied with a modest shrug, though a playful glint sparked in his eyes. "You probably forgot I won a trophy for it back in primary school and my grandpa loved playing piano. A lot."
He didn’t wait for her to respond, gently guiding her to sit on the plush, velvety bench. "Let me teach you," he whispered, leaning down until his breath was warm against her ear.
Sara felt a flush creep up her neck at his proximity. His hands, large and steady, slid over the backs of her palms, grounding her.
"Relax your shoulders," Luca murmured. "Let your arms be heavy. Don’t fight the keys." freewebnovel.cσ๓
He moved her hands with his, his fingers guiding hers in a synchronized dance across the keyboard. As the melody took shape, Sara recognized it instantly, a classic piece from the musicals her father and grandmother used to take her to when she was a little girl.
She accidentally pressed a wrong key, creating an I’m interruption to the melody.
"Ah!" She pulled back her hands as if the keys had burned her, looking up at him with a sheepish grin. "I messed it up."
"No," Luca answered, his voice steady and encouraging. "You did well for your first time. Most people can’t even get the rhythm down that quickly."
"Why don’t you play it? I’d rather just watch," Sara suggested, sliding over to give him more room.
He lowered himself onto the bench beside her. As he positioned his long fingers over the ivory keys, his entire demeanor shifted. He began to play a romantic piece, one he had mastered in his youth and kept in his heart ever since.
Sara watched him in silent awe. The way his eyes softened and his body swayed slightly with the tempo showed a side of him she rarely saw.
He was completely dissolved in the music. In that moment, it struck her that Luca could have easily been a world-class musician if his life hadn’t been claimed by the demands of being a CEO, and a man of the underworld.
