Chapter 3 - The Master File on the Mahogany Desk
The executive suite on the forty-second floor of the Moretti Tower was designed to intimidate. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the glittering city grid below, all concrete and neon veins pulsing with money. But tonight, the room felt like a cage.
Luca stood by the glass, holding a tumbler of scotch he hadn’t touched. The amber liquid caught the distant glow of the highway traffic far beneath. On the massive mahogany desk behind him lay the physical property dossier for District 4—the old Maple Street enclave where his mother still lived.
The heavy oak door swung open without a knock. Vanessa strode in, her red heels clicking sharply against the imported Italian marble flooring. She wore a cream silk blouse and tailored trousers, her dark hair still pinned in that immaculate updo that suddenly made Luca's stomach turn.
"Luca, darling, what is this nonsense about freezing the District 4 clearances?" Vanessa asked, her voice carrying a bright, brittle edge of annoyance. She walked up behind him, resting a manicured hand on his shoulder. "The investors signed off on the demolition schedule yesterday. If we delay the grading, the foundation pour misses the seasonal window, and we lose millions before the gala."
Luca didn't flinch under her touch. He set his glass down on the windowsill with a dull *clink*.
"Remove your hand, Vanessa," he said quietly.
Vanessa froze, her fingers lifting off his shoulder as if she had touched a live wire. She gave a short, incredulous laugh. "Excuse me? Are you still brooding over that old woman in the coat? Luca, she’s just a squatter holding out for a bigger buyout. Everyone in that neighborhood has been offered relocation packages."
Luca turned slowly to face her. The tattoos on his neck seemed to darken under the harsh recessed lighting of the office. "She isn't a squatter, Vanessa. She's my mother."
The color drained from Vanessa's face instantly, though she recovered with terrifying speed, smoothing the front of her silk blouse with trembling fingers. "Your mother? You told me your family was gone—that you built this company from nothing, entirely on your own terms. You never mentioned she was living in a dilapidated shack in a condemned zone!"
"I didn't talk about her because I was building the life you said you wanted," Luca said, his voice dangerously low as he stepped around the desk. He picked up the acquisition memo stamped with Vanessa's initials. "And I certainly didn't authorize my future wife to expedite her eviction notice behind my back."
"I was streamlining your portfolio!" Vanessa snapped, her composure cracking as her voice rose. "You want to be the undisputed king of this city's real estate market? Kings don't have mothers living in slums on the wrong side of the interstate! It’s a liability, Luca. If the press gets wind that the head of Moretti Holdings is letting his own flesh and blood live in a condemned tear-down while we host charity galas, our IPO will tank before the bell rings."
Luca stared at her—really looked at her—for the first time since they had met at the charity auction two years ago. He saw the cold calculation behind the diamond necklace, the desperate ambition disguised as elegance.
"Get out," Luca said.
Vanessa blinked, her lips parting in shock. "What?"
"Pack your things from the estate tonight," Luca said, stepping closer until she was forced to retreat toward the door. "The engagement is suspended. And if I find out you contacted another city inspector regarding District 4, the wedding won't be the only thing cancelled."
For a second, fury flared in Vanessa's eyes—a sharp, venomous glint. Then, realizing the fight was lost for tonight, she gathered her composure, tossed her head, and marched out of the office, slamming the heavy door behind her.
May you like
Luca stood alone in the silence of the forty-second floor. He looked down at the dossier, picked up his phone, and dialed a direct internal extension.
"Get my car ready," Luca told his head of security. "We're going to Maple Street."
