CHAPTER 105: THE DAY WE BECAME ADULTS

Mathias exited the sleek car and glanced up at the illuminated board of the exclusive VIP club. He tucked his hands deep into the pockets of his tailored trousers and proceeded inside. A uniformed usher immediately appeared and smoothly led him through the throng, straight toward a secluded private lounge.

Upon entering the dimly lit space, he found Diego casually leaning against the plush velvet lounge seating, a crystal glass containing alcohol resting loosely in his hand.

"Finally, you managed to find the time to see me," Diego remarked dryly, before tilting his head back and swiftly draining the remaining liquor from his glass.

"You have put yourself in a drain, and unlike you, I’ve actually been busy with work," Mathias retorted bluntly, taking the seat on the opposite side of the lounge. A liquor was immediately poured for him by a waiting server as he reached up and deliberately loosened the knot of the tie around his neck.

"And who exactly put me in that drain?" Diego countered, a bitter chuckle escaping him. "Why, none other than my dear stepsister." He grabbed the neck of the glass decanter, pouring a generous measure of alcohol back into his empty glass without waiting for the server.

Mathias gestured subtly to the waiting servers, indicating they should leave them alone. He took a slow sip of his liquor before speaking. "You want revenge on Sara, don’t you?"

"Of course!" Diego agreed.

I like Sara. I don’t need any revenge from her at all. My target is Luca. That cousin of mine is a perpetual pain in my ass. He played dirty with me," Mathias said with a grim expression.

"What did you even like about Sara?" Diego challenged, setting down his glass. "She’s nothing but opportunistic," he remarked, gritting his teeth hard. The burning alcohol scorched his throat, but he kept drinking.

"Well," Mathias observed, leaning back. "None of this world have happened if Luca had never married her, Diego. And before that if you and your sister didn’t have planned such a downfall for Sara. I won’t help you in taking your revenge from Sara."

"Hey, do you honestly think Sara will suddenly like you if you manage to separate her from Luca!?" Diego spat out the words with bitter sarcasm, clinking his glass sharply against the wooden table.

"They have history! They studied in the same school, the same class, and even the same university. According to Frida, Sara has always carried a soft spot for Luca. Why do you think she went to him for help in the first place? Because only he could have helped her. You could have absolutely used that moment to win her."

Mathias remained perfectly still, absorbing the outburst. "Luca is powerful. He is not easy to touch; his resources are seemingly infinite. For the immediate future, I advise you to stay calm." Mathias leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low, businesslike pitch.

"I heard that you are banned from securing work virtually everywhere. I can offer you a welcome in my enterprise, but you must completely forget any notion of taking revenge on Sara."

Diego frowned as he hadn’t expected their meet to go like this. "But I want to destroy her life the same way she did mine," he asserted without blinking at him.

"I told you I have feelings for Sara. Our prime focus will be weakening Luca. And Diego, you have nothing with you. At least, I’m offering you work despite the blunders you’ve made. Consider it a goodwill of your friend," Mathias stated.

Diego remained silent, the unexpected condition of the offer paralyzing him. This was certainly not the alliance he had envisioned.

"I will give you time to think about this proposal," Mathias said, rising smoothly to his feet, signaling the end of the meeting. His expression turned grave. "And crucially, do not antagonize Luca any further. He may very well kill you."

Diego instantly recalled the terrifying memory of Luca hurling gun at him, his mother, and his sister. His jaw tightened involuntarily as he clasped his fingers together, suppressing a visible shudder.

"I don’t think he will ever actually kill a human," Diego finally managed to say.

Mathias let out a single, cold laugh at the statement.

"He can. He has done so in the past," Mathias revealed. "Luca is a mafia boss, after all. My grandfather’s true, terrifying form can be seen perfectly in him. In his reign, people were terrified just by his mere presence. Luca is carrying that trait now. But at the same time, he is handling his public image well, but I know him better than anyone."

"Come, I’ll drop you to your house," Mathias offered.

Diego refused saying he would go later. Mathias didn’t press him further and left.

"So, I’ve to become an underling of Mathias, but I can’t hurt Sara," he muttered to himself while laughing.

~~~~~

"Now, lift your arms," Luca whispered.

Sara complied instantly, raising her arms high over her head while he gradually and deliberately moved her white top upward. The garment was halfway over her face when a sharp knock sounded on the door, abruptly interrupting the intimate moment between them.

"The dinner is ready. Please join Master and Madam in the dining hall," a servant’s voice announced formally from the hallway outside.

Sara promptly lowered her arms, pulling the top back down, and swiftly moved off Luca’s lap and away from him. She pressed a hand to her chest, focusing on steadying her rapid heartbeat, while Luca let out a low, rough curse under his breath. Hearing his muffled frustration, a small, triumphant smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

"Hey, don’t smile," Luca grumbled, a genuine pout on his face. He was quickly fixing the buttons of his shirt, restoring order to his clothes. "It feels like it’s going to be another eternity before I can even touch you like that again," he murmured.

Sara gazed at his disappointed expression and, on an impulse, closed the space between them and kissed him softly, completely out of the blue. Her finger moved between their lips as she pulled back slightly. "Don’t be upset," she whispered. "You always start things at the wrong time."

"What?" Luca countered instantly, grasping her finger playfully. "Then let’s not go! Let’s make this the right time," he challenged.

Sara shook her head, a smile playing on her lips, and began to move off the bed. But Luca was quicker; he grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her back down onto the mattress.

"Luca!" She gasped his name, stabilizing herself only to find their faces were once again merely an inch apart. He tilted his head, letting his forehead rest lightly on the top of her shoulder. "It’s hard to control," he confessed. "I’ve been controlling this urge for too long now. Maybe since the day we became adults."

Sara’s newly steadied heartbeats vanished entirely, and her eyes stopped blinking. The confession made her cheeks burn hard. When he finally looked into her eyes, he continued with his intense gaze,

"Now, you can imagine for how long I’ve been waiting for this to happen. I am not manipulating you into doing anything, just know that I only feel this way with you. Yes, I’ve been far too late to say all of this. I mean... I always hid my feelings."

"Let’s not make your parents wait for us any longer," Sara stated, finally succeeding in standing up, needing to restore a sense of order.

Luca lowered his feet to the floor, watching her move toward the door. He quickly tucked his shirt back into his trousers, attempting to smooth the disarray before following her out.

Finally, upon entering the expansive dining room, he found his mother, the first one present. She was speaking to a servant about the evening’s dishes when she turned her gaze toward Sara.

"Ah, Sara dear," she said warmly. "I heard you particularly enjoy seafood. Tonight’s special meal is prepared with that in mind."

"From whom did you hear that?" Sara asked, glancing pointedly at Luca, who was pulling out his chair to sit down.

"I didn’t tell her," Luca denied instantly, settling himself at the table.

"I have done my own research too, Sara," Vinni stated with a knowing look. "You mentioned it once in an interview with a business magazine." She then turned toward the entrance. "Michael, you’ve arrived late," she observed, addressing her husband.

"Well, I went out to bring a very special vintage wine," Michael said smoothly, setting the bottle carefully down on the table. "Shall we begin dinner then?" He swept his gaze over the three of them before taking his own seat.

As everyone grew busy eating the meal, Vinni’s sharp eyes caught a small red stain, which was a smudge of lipstick on the left side of Luca’s shirt.

"Did you two consummate your marriage already or still keeping your marriage as a contracted one?" Vinni suddenly asked.

Sara immediately choked on her food and erupted into a fit of coughing, while Luca swiftly grabbed a glass of water and handed it to her.

"Oh, dear, eat calmly," Vinni instructed Sara, though her eyes remained fixated on her son.

"You shouldn’t ask such a private question, Vinni," Michael chided lightly, a distinct smirk playing on his lips as he glanced pointedly from his wife to his flustered son.

"Mom, don’t bring up such things over dinner," Luca muttered with irritation. "Are you fine?" he then asked, Sara, who nodded. Luca wondered why his mother suddenly acting so good and caring.

’Definitely something is going on in her mind,’ he thought.