"Don’t you think it’s a bit cowardly to stay in the shadows and not say anything?" Luca asked. "Still, I respect your decision. You can remain backstage." He took a step away from her.
"Thank you," Sara replied.
Luca walked ahead with confident strides, while she followed a few paces behind. At the conference room door, she stopped. Luca glanced at her once more before stepping inside, the press immediately snapping to attention.
Sara leaned against the wall, her fingers nervously twisting together. ’What if Luca’s company shares drop because of me? I think I made a mistake joining his company as his secretary. I shouldn’t have agreed to this,’ she thought.
Through the partially open door, she heard Luca’s composed voice addressing the media, who just asked a question from him.
"As you all know, I recently married the woman of my dreams," he said. "There have been many speculations about my relationship with Sara Falcone. But the truth is, it was out of love. And I chose to support Sara as her husband. That’s why I decided to help her company from collapsing."
Sara froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. ’Out of love?’ she thought, clearly stunned. Why would he lie? After everything that happened, after all her doubts and anger toward him... why would he protect her this way?
"Mr. Luca," a female journalist began, raising her hand slightly before speaking into her mic. "There have been reports that you and Mrs. Sara were once business rivals. And in the past, Mrs. Sara was seen with another man. How do you respond to that?"
Before Luca could reply, another journalist cut in from the opposite side of the room. "There are also rumors that Mrs. De Augustino sold her company to you, and that in exchange, you offered her marriage. In your world, Mr. Luca, such business marriages aren’t exactly uncommon. So tell us, are you really speaking the truth, or just covering up a deal?"
The tension in the room thickened as flashes from cameras illuminated Luca’s calm face. Then, a third voice rose from the middle of the press section.
"Mr. Luca, three years ago your engagement was publicly announced. Are you implying that you were having an affair with your now-wife during that time?"
A sharp murmur rippled through the crowd. Luca’s jaw tightened, his patience clearly thinning. His gaze flicked to Fabio, who stood near the edge of the platform, brows furrowed deeply in concern.
"I don’t know from where you recieved such a false information about my engagement. I have always been single. Everyone knows that I have never been seen with anyone before. Please get your facts checked," Luca calmly answered him.
"As for the second question," he turned his gaze toward the opposite side of the room, "I would like to say that people love to create their own assumptions about me. Why would I will save an already dying company, where many internal issues were present? However, I would like to clear everyone that I always believed in Sara. We both know each other from childhood days. She’s the reason I decided to save Falcone Industries."
His statement clarified that he was in love with Sara, making many speculations to die right there.
"And Miss Caroline, Sara and I have been dating for past one month. I don’t know with which man you saw Sara with and when. But let me add that I never cared about her past relationships. Hopefully, you present the straight fact in your report," Luca pronounced.
Outside, Sara listened closely to every word, realizing how calmly Luca was handling the press.
She was beginning to relax when another question from the crowd made her stiffen.
"Mr. Luca," a male journalist spoke sharply, "your wife has been accused of committing fraud within her company. You dismissed the committee inquiry and even dissolved the board members who were planning Mrs. Sara De Augustino’s arrest. Should we assume that you protected the guilty?"
Sara’s breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding.
Inside the hall, Luca remained composed. "The investigation regarding that matter is still ongoing," he replied steadily. "That is why Sara stepped down as the CEO of Falcone Industries. Since the inquiry was established without my authorization, I chose to intervene to ensure no biased decisions were made. The rest are internal company affairs, and I’d prefer not to discuss them publicly.
"As I said," Luca continued after taking a tiny pause, his tone softening, "I rarely attend press conferences. But the main reason for today was to tell you all that I married the woman I’ve admired for a long time. And I’m truly happy to be her husband." He paused briefly, offering a faint smile to the sea of cameras. "I hope you’ll bless us and wish for our happiness."
The flashes from the cameras intensified as Luca rose from his seat and exited the conference room. The heavy doors closed behind him, sealing off the noise of reporters and murmurs.
In the quiet hallway, he spotted Sara standing against the wall. She lifted her gaze to meet his as he approached.
"It was quite easy to answer them," Luca said with a faint smile, slipping his hands into his pockets. Then he glanced at his watch, checking the time.
"They even brought up my relationship with Asher," she murmured softly.
"I wanted to tell them he cheated on you," Luca replied. "But some things are better left unsaid."
"You did the right thing," Sara said. "The journalist even asked about my arrest."
"It’s over now," Luca reassured her. "You don’t need to think about it anymore. Once the truth comes out, all those people will regret their words and apologize to you." His voice carried a confident certainty that steadied her nerves.
Then, with a faint smile tugging at his lips, he added, "Shall we go? Suddenly, I’m craving coffee. Make one for me," he said, clearly trying to shift her thoughts away from the conference.
"Luca, thank you," Sara said. "Though it wasn’t your position to answer on my behalf, but I’m truly grateful to you. And I’m sorry for hurting you with my harsh words all this time."