Chapter 159: Despite my resistance
Joseph passed the elegant bouquet and a velvet gift bag to Sara with a soft expression as he turned his gaze toward Luca. There was a silent, heavy understanding in his eyes, the kind only a brother could give. "Keep her safe and happy, Luca. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for her."
Luca gave a firm nod, acknowledging the weight of the request. Before another word could be exchanged, Vinni approached the group, her brow arched in curiosity.
"What are you both doing out here?" she asked, her eyes shifting to Joseph. She scanned his face, unable to recognize that face.
"Mom, let me introduce you," Luca said, stepping forward. "This is Sara’s half-brother, Joseph Montes."
Vinni was a little surprised hearing that, but kept a neutral expression. "Do enjoy the party. And I am glad you came."
Joseph smiled at her when Vinni turned her gaze to Luca. "Your aunts are here. Sara has never met them before. It is the time for the family introduction," she suggested, then glanced at Sara.
"Joseph, we will be back soon. You should try some of the dishes, or perhaps the desserts," Sara advised with a gentle smile. He nodded in agreement, and the three of them began walking toward the heart of the garden.
"You and Dad invited them despite my resistance," Luca said, his voice dropping to a low, disgruntled mutter.
"Your father wants to end these grudges once and for all. He has been working toward this for a long time," Vinni asserted, her tone firm yet patient. She turned her gaze to her daughter-in-law. "Sara, tell me, isn’t it better to have the entire family gathered together for events like this?"
"Mother is right," Sara replied, her smile widening to ease the tension.
"Ah, here they are! Luca and Sara," Michael chimed in, his eyes gleaming with pride as they approached the inner circle of the garden. He extended an arm, resting it heavily on Luca’s shoulder in a show of solidarity, while Sara took her place beside Vinni. "Sara, I would like you to meet my sisters: Camila and Mariana. And these are their husbands—Monte Picasso and Pedro Garcia."
As the formal introductions began, Sara greeted each of them with a warm, graceful smile. Luca, however, remained a pillar of ice. His gaze stayed cold and detached; he had no interest in small talk or family reunions. All he wanted was to take Sara and disappear from their sight as quickly as possible.
But he had another big worry— To find out the mole in his close circle. Marco and Remo hadn’t come so far, nor had Fabio shown himself.
"Luca, you got married in a hurry, didn’t you?" asked his first aunt, Camila. "Though we seriously thought you wouldn’t be marrying in this lifetime."
"Aunt Camila knows nothing about me then," Luca said. "Why don’t you all sit together and have your drinks? I would like to take Sara to introduce more of my friends." He found a way to get themselves excused from the sight of his relatives.
Michael’s face went rigid, and he nodded at his son. He knew Luca was once again making no attempt in getting together with the family, but what he could even say to him in front of everyone.
As Luca excused themselves, Mariana said, "Vinni, I thought you would bring the daughter-in-law of your choice. Also, you both took a lot of time to organize such a party. Don’t tell me Luca still doesn’t see this family as a whole. Our kids refused to come since Luca has always disrespected them."
"I couldn’t win in front of the love my son have for Sara. Even Sara loves him, so we decided to go along with it," Vinni affirmed, looking at Michael. She then took the sip of the wine from the glass she was holding.
"The bloodbath that occured seven years, Luca is still upset about it," Michael began. Monte and Pedro exchanged glances with each other.
"What do you mean, Brother?" asked Camila. "Are you saying that we were involved in it? Luca has no proof against us, yet he still plays this blame game." She chuckled, finding Luca smiling with Sara at a distance far from them.
"Let’s not talk about what happened seven years ago," Vinni pronounced. "It was all in the past. Besides, we have gathered after such a long time to celebrate Luca’s and Sara’s one month’s marriage anniversary and the welcoming of our daughter-in-law."
Michael took a deep breath, holding from spilling what Luca had told him, telling them they should have the dinner.
~~~~
Luca kept glancing at the table, where his parents and relatives were seated around. He looked at Sara and Joseph, who were talking about their childhoods, sharing their lives. A genuine smile formed on his lips, realizing Sara formed a deep connection with her half-brother in such a short time.
"Sara, dear, what are you doing here? We have been waiting for you for a while!" Adam’s voice reached their ears. His eyes fell upon the young man on the chair, not able to recognize him.
Sara and Joseph stood up while Luca rose to his feet with a second’s lag.
"Dad, meet Joseph Montes. He is my half-brother and lives in Barcelona," Sara introduced him to her father. "Joseph, this is my father, Adam Falcone."
"Ahh, hello, sir," Joseph extended his hand for a handshake and noticed a shocking look on Adam’s face. He felt it strange when Adam finally shook hands with him. freewebnovёl.ƈom
"It’s nice to meet you," Adam said, forcing a smile. He gazed at Sara, wondering if she was hurt seeing how Paulina was busy looking after her son from the second marriage, but left her daughter not once caring how she was doing. But to his surprise, Sara didn’t seem bothered by it.
At the very moment, Luca felt a sudden vibration of phone in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and found it was a message from Bastian. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"I’ve caught the fish."
"Sara, I’ll be back in a minute," Luca said, excusing himself.
She looked at his retreating figure in distress but she had to stay back because of her father and Joseph.