Luca finally turned his gaze toward her. Her clothes were still soaked from the rain, her shirt clinging to her body in ways she wished he wouldn’t see. A flash of embarrassment and fury crossed her face as she quickly crossed her arms over her chest.
"I’ll sleep in the living room," Sara said sharply, turning on her heel.
"Your family kicked you out without a thing," Luca replied. "Get inside and put on something dry first. I don’t want you catching a cold and giving me trouble."
"I don’t need anything of yours," Sara shot back.
"Are you sure?" Luca asked, a low chuckle escaping him as he stepped closer. "You already took a lot from me," he reminded her. Then, grasping her wrist once again, he pulled her into the room and locked the door behind him.
"Luca, what the fuck is wrong with you? I get it you actually made me sign contract marriage papers with you, but that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you find right to me. You shouldn’t care whether I live or die. You never cared for me. Don’t forget that," Sara said, her eyes recalling the memories of the past, when he mocked her feelings.
"Let me correct you, Sara. I didn’t force you to sign those papers. You did it yourself. I gave you a choice," Luca said with a smirk.
"Yeah. I did it to save my father’s company. But what happened because of that? For him, I am dead. Dad was always proud of me. He never once doubted me." She broke down in the most devastating possible way. Her cries were loud, and she brought her arm to cover her eyes.
Luca flinched seeing her cry like that. Even when they were in school and college, when she would lose, she ended up crying like that. It was amusing for him to see her cry like that but not today.
He silently walked out of the room to give her some space.
As he stepped into the garden, he called someone.
"Finalize the dresses which I saw in the evening. Also, send the wedding invitation at Sara’s home," Luca said and hung up the call.
When he returned to the room, he saw Sara wasn’t there. But he heard the sound of water running from the washroom.
He sat on the chair and closed his eyes in a moment to relax himself.
After a while, he heard the door click. Sara had stepped out of the washroom. He opened his eyes, and tilted his head only to find her in his loose white-shirt.
"Your trousers were too tall for me," Sara murmured.
"I didn’t know you’d have such sexy legs and thighs," Luca drawled with a grin.
Sara lowered the towel from her hair and threw it at his face.
"Keep your eyes off me," Sara said, not fearing him. There was nothing scary about him, except for his mind, which always had cunning thoughts in them.
~~~~
"Dear, you should not have cast Sara out like that," Katherine said, her tone firm though her heart ached for her granddaughter. "I heard she has even married Luca De Augustino. The media is already swirling with rumors. Don’t you think you should have spoken to your daughter once before taking such a harsh step?"
"Mother, she deserved this," Adam snapped, anger roughening his voice. "My father and I built Falcone with our sweat and blood, and I entrusted it to the wrong hands. Instead of consulting me, she made a reckless decision on her own. That is why Sara is dead to me."
Marcella placed a hand on Adam’s arm in mock comfort. "Honey, don’t stress yourself. Your blood pressure might rise. Sara betrayed us all. Instead of stepping down as CEO and letting Diego handle things, she ran straight to the son of our enemy for help. She married Luca. It’s no longer a rumor. She tarnished the Falcone name, Mother."
"And what of your perfect son?" Katherine retorted. "Everyone knows how Diego once sold off shares of the company for his own gain. Don’t you dare shift blame to Sara. She has carried more than anyone in this family ever has."
Marcella stiffened at the insult to Diego, her lips pressed into a thin line. But she said nothing, unwilling to challenge Katherine’s authority outright.
"It must be a conspiracy," Katherine continued. "Someone schemes against Sara, forcing her to make such a choice. At least Falcone still stands. At least the employees still have their livelihoods. Your daughter sacrificed herself for this family’s survival, Adam. Never forget that. She married our enemy’s son, yes, but she did it for us. And as long as I live, I will not allow Sara’s name to be erased from this family’s bloodline."
Just then, the butler stepped in, clearing his throat nervously. "Sir... Mr. De Augustino has sent an invitation for you."
Marcella snatched the wedding card from his hand. A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she read it. "Luca has sent us an invitation. Sara and he are to be married tomorrow." She turned her gaze toward her husband, smugness flickering in her eyes.
"We will not attend this marriage," Adam declared coldly. "And Mother, you will not go either. Sara no longer belongs to this family. This is my final decision. If anyone dares to defy me, they can walk out of this house and never return."
He rose abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor, and stormed toward his room.
Katherine’s brows furrowed, her heart getting heavy. She glanced toward Marcella, who was smiling faintly, as though she were the one who had gained the most from Sara’s downfall.