CHAPTER 101: YOUR MOTHER WAS MY MENTOR

Sara stretched her arms high above her head, easing the tension in her shoulders, when the office door suddenly swung open, startling her.

"Can’t you knock first?" she complained, standing up while giving one final check to the email she had just sent.

"Sorry," Luca replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Shall we go? I suppose your work is finished. I spent the last hour strolling in various sections of the company. Even the employees were wondering why I was killing my time." He stopped near her working desk.

Sara shut down her computer and stacked the files neatly together. "You could have helped me with the work, but then you would have just disturbed me," she murmured under her breath.

Luca ignored the jab and pressed the small bell on the desk. Moments later, a female employee walked in, looking slightly flustered.

"Take these files away," Luca said, moving away from the desk and pointing toward the stack. The employee quickly rushed forward and left, balancing the files carefully in her arms.

"Let’s go then," Luca said, stepping closer and forwarding his hand for Sara. However, she collected her personal items first, then grabbed her office bag. Instead of taking his hand, she walked past him, and he followed her closely.

"It won’t kill you if you hold my hand," Luca remarked, pressing the ground floor button on the elevator panel. As the doors shut, he smoothly took the heavy bag from Sara.

"I thought you were ready to take steps toward me and love me," he whispered, turning his back to her as his phone suddenly rang. He answered the call and began talking to the person on the other end, just as Sara reached out and held his hand, the one holding her office bag.

"Later," Luca said, and cut the call, tilting his head toward Sara.

"Is this good?" she asked, referring to her intertwined hand, still keeping her gaze forward.

"Yeah," Luca agreed, his tone softening instantly. He quickly tucked the phone into his pocket and grabbed her office bag securely with his free hand before fully intertwining his fingers with hers, accepting the silent truce.

"Which of your friends plays the piano?" Sara suddenly asked, shifting the subject. "Never mind. I’ll find out myself," she added quickly, before he could reply.

"You’re more interested in my friends than you are in me," Luca observed, a playful challenge in his voice. He then leaned closer and delivered a surprising piece of news, "By the way, Julia wanted to see you."

"Why?" Sara frowned, pulling her attention back to him, her composure breaking. "A few days ago she so easily accused me, citing all the evidence against me. Now, why did she even come here?"

"Exactly. That’s why I told her not to expect to see you," Luca stated. "Fabio passed that message on to her. She must be wanting to beg you to stop me from taking any further action against her."

"Yeah. She betrayed me," Sara murmured, her expression one of deep disappointment. "And it’s still shocking that she chose to become loyal to Frida instead of me. We were school friends."

The elevator doors are about to open, signaling the end of their private moment.

As they stepped out, Luca stopped, tugging her close.

"Don’t you want to know what will I do to Frida and Julia?" Luca inquired.

"No. I have nothing to do with them anymore," Sara replied. "Let’s not delay. Your friend may get upset if we arrive late to the musical."

She pulled back her hand and headed to the car while he followed her steps.

Luca smoothly fixed his seatbelt before driving the car out of the parking lot. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a prestigious, illuminated musical hall in the heart of the city.

"Wow! A lot of people have come," Sara said, her gaze wide with surprised admiration at the crowd gathered outside the venue.

"Because it’s a major musical event," Luca replied, cutting the engine. "Even celebrities are here tonight." He handed the keys to the waiting chauffeur.

"Am I dressed properly?" she murmured, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She quickly opened the camera on her phone to check her reflection. "I’ve never been to a musical event like this before."

Luca leaned in, his voice low and confident beside her ear. "You look perfect, Sara. I would have absolutely insisted you change into another dress if I found this outfit anything less than stunning."

Sara smiled and lowered her phone. Luca again caught her hand and they walked through the main entrance, where Luca showed the invitation to the usher present there.

"Please this way, Sir. Ma’am." The polite usher led them through the grand auditorium and down a plush aisle toward the front seating area.

Sara and Luca settled into a broad, velvet sofa chair. Almost immediately, the distinguished couple seated on the next chair called out to Luca.

"Luca, you have come too! It’s a pleasure to see you here with your wife," said the woman in her mid-forties, her expression warm and refined. She offered Sara an elegant, welcoming smile.

"Yes, Mrs. Perez," Luca replied, returning the formality. "Sara, this is Andrellia Perez and her husband, Mr. Samuel Perez." Sara quickly offered a graceful greeting.

"Mrs. Perez is a musical genius, Sara. She has received many prestigious awards in this field," Luca explained, emphasizing the woman’s stature.

Andrellia smiled humbly. "Luca, you must mention that your mother was my mentor," she pronounced, adding a crucial detail that instantly connected Luca’s mother to the artistic elite.

Luca offered a neutral hum, carefully maintaining the expected facade of respect for his mother.

"Well, then enjoy the musical with your lovely wife," Andrellia said with a warm smile, turning her attention back to her husband.

Luca looked ahead at the stage.

"Your mother is a music artist. I didn’t know," Sara said. "Did you learn piano from her? I remember watching you playing it once in the school," she remarked quickly before realizing what she said. She wasn’t supposed to bring their past where she constantly admired even the tiniest of his actions.

"Grandpa taught me," Luca replied, the smile from his lips had faded completely as if he recalled something painful.