"Take a seat," Luca instructed as he walked past her and settled into the chair behind his desk. He turned slightly in his seat, hands resting on the armrests, one still holding the file.
"You’ll be acting as my internal task secretary," he began. "Your key responsibilities are outlined here. You can ask Fabio for assistance whenever needed, but try not to disturb him too often." He extended the file toward her.
Sara stepped closer and accepted it, flipping through the pages with a curious glance just as Fabio entered the office.
"Fabio," Luca said, "your workload should lighten a bit now that Sara will be sharing some of your responsibilities."
"Yes, Sir. I’ve already made the arrangements for—" Fabio stopped mid-sentence, uncertain how to address her.
"Just call me Sara," she said quickly, offering him a polite smile. "That’ll be better."
"Of course," Fabio replied with a nod. "Sara, I’ve prepared your system and workspace. It’s right outside the CEO’s office. I’ll hand you the passwords and access keys for the internal management portal. And if you need help with anything, you can reach me anytime. I’ll mostly be handling external operations for the CEO, so you may not find me around often."
Sara nodded, absorbing the information while clutching the file, realizing it was the start of something new in her life.
"I’ll go then," Sara said, glancing at Luca. "Time to start my work."
"Of course," he replied with a brief nod.
Sara stepped out with Fabio.
"For today, there’s no meeting scheduled for CEO Luca," Fabio explained with an easy smile. "You’ll just need to go through some emails and, later, get acquainted with the staff. We have a large operational team that supports the CEO’s office."
"Okay, I understand," Sara replied, nodding.
Fabio picked up a small bag from the table and handed it to her. "This contains your ID. Congratulations on officially joining the De Augustino Group."
Sara smiled and thanked him. Pulling the identification card from the bag, she couldn’t help the small smile that curved her lips. The polished badge, her name printed neatly below the company emblem, brought back memories of her internship days.
It felt as if that Chapter of her life had come back around... only this time, everything was different. She wore it, ready to start the work.
Just then, through the glass wall, Sara caught sight of a familiar figure walking toward the CEO’s office. Her breath hitched.
"Dad," she whispered under her breath.
Fabio turned at the sound of her voice when he saw Adam Falcone striding across the corridor.
Sara froze, torn between stepping forward and staying where she was. Her heart pounded as she watched her father reach Luca’s office door, and without hesitation, Adam walked right in.
~~~
"I don’t recall having a meeting scheduled with you today, Mr. Falcone," Luca said, remaining seated behind his desk. "Tell me, what brings you here?"
Adam pulled out a chair and sat down without waiting for permission.
"I want you to allow me to appoint the next company director," he said firmly. "As chairman, I believe I have that right."
"You do," Luca replied, leaning back slightly, "but only with my approval. And if you’re planning to make Sara the director, that won’t be possible because—"
"She is no longer a Falcone," Adam cut him off sharply. "I have someone else in mind."
At that moment, the office door opened quietly. Sara stepped in, and heard her father’s words. She was deeply hurt hearing how easily he would say she wasn’t a Falcone. Indeed, she got married to Luca, but that never meant she left her originality.
Luca’s expression shifted, a faint tension settling in his jaw as he glanced at him, not sensing Sara was there too.
"Who?" he asked evenly, his gaze fixed on Adam.
Adam’s brows knitted together as he prepared to answer.
"Frida Falcone," Adam replied confidently. "She owns a fashion business that’s been profitable for over three years since its establishment. She plans to merge it with Falcone Industries. I believe she’s a capable candidate for the director’s position. And you can’t refuse her so easily because many of the senior managers support her," he added.
Luca leaned back in his chair, studying him. "I’ll look into it first," he said. "If the proposal proves beneficial to the company, I’ll consider it."
"Good," Adam said, nodding once. "Her records won’t disappoint you."
He tilted his head slightly, and his secretary stepped forward, placing a thick file on Luca’s desk.
Sara stood frozen, tears welling up in her eyes before she could stop them.
Adam rose from his chair and turned, his gaze locking with his daughter’s. For a brief moment, his expression faltered, then his eyes dropped to the ID card hanging from her neck.
Luca finally turned as well, his frown deepening when he saw her face. The pain in her eyes said everything, her father’s words had struck far deeper than she could hide.
"Did you ever trust me, Dad?" Sara asked, her voice trembling.
"I always trusted you," Adam replied sharply. "Do you plan to argue with me again?"
"Mr. Falcone," Luca interjected, "you’re speaking to my wife. Keep your voice down."
Adam’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing more. Without another glance, he turned and walked out of the office.
The door closed behind him, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.
Sara blinked away the tears, her gaze fixed on Luca. "Will you appoint Frida as the next director?"
Luca sighed, leaning back in his chair. "The managers are backing her," he said. "I don’t know what kind of politics are playing out in your family, and I can’t fire them all. But if you ask me to reconsider—" he paused, meeting her eyes, "—I might."
"No. I need to find out the real enemy behind my downfall. So, approve it," Sara pronounced and turned around.
"Sara, you have to be strong if you truly want to fight this battle. You are surrounded by many enemies than you realise," Luca affirmed, giving her encouragement. "Rest, I’m here for you. Always."