chapter seven

Luciano

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of the disaster unfolding in front of me.

I just couldn’t believe it. I needed to secure this contract today—no, I must secure it today. My mind flashed to the argument I had with my grandfather earlier, my fists clenching at the memory. I’d bragged about proving him wrong, and bringing the two billion contract home.

And now, here I was, about to mess it all up.

"So you’re telling me I’m in the wrong place at the right time?" I said through clenched teeth, my jaw tight with frustration.

Her face flushed red, her body tensing at my outburst. "Goodness! I’m sorry. You came to me first. Are you seriously trying to blame me for this mess?" Her arms crossed defensively over her chest.

I exhaled sharply and raised a hand "No, no. That’s not what I meant. Let's get out of here. I need to leave now. You shouldn’t worry—I’ll pay for the painting. How much is it?"

Her lips pressed into a tight line as she answered, "Two hundred million."

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head.

"A freaking two hundred million dollars?"

"No," she said, her voice steady"Euros, sir."

"What?" I snapped, throwing my hand up to my forehead, smacking it in disbelief before balling it into a fist. "How can that painted piece of paper cost that much?"

"It does!" she shot back, her voice sharp, clearly pissed that I’d disregarded the art.

"This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t brought me here or if you had at least checked my identity!" I turned away from her, rubbing the back of my neck

Two hundred million down the drain—for nothing. I could easily pay the penalty, sure, but spending that much on a painting that meant nothing to me? I gritted my teeth. Total waste. And grandfather would throw a fit.

I can't wait for grandfather to finally approve of me as his heir. I've taken over the company years ago and it's booming pretty well. I'd swear that I have met all of his requirements except one. Marriage. Or rather two... Grandchildren.

But I'm just not that type to be interested in any liaison. So I'd probably be stuck with him for a longer while.

"I would have checked," Eloise retorted, throwing her hands up, "but you were so confident you had to ask me for the car first."

"So you’d take anyone’s word just like that?" I raised an eyebrow, incredulous.

Eloise rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You said you were Mr. Luciano. I should have known when you wore those ridiculous crocs with a perfectly tailored suit."

I glanced down at my feet for the first time and felt a hot wave of embarrassment wash over me. I shifted my weight, suddenly conscious of how out of place the crocs were.

"Yes, clearly because I’m Luciano Greco!" I threw my arms wide, my voice rising. "And what I’m wearing could probably pay your monthly salary!"

Eloise didn’t flinch at my outburst, but her jaw tightened, her eyes blazing.

"Well," I said, folding my arms across my chest in frustration, "if you think about it, it’s her fault for displaying such an expensive piece so carelessly. Isn’t there some law that says we both share the cost of the damage?"

There was no response. And, honestly, I didn’t need one. I just wanted to be at the other party right now, working to bag that twenty-billion-dollar contract instead of standing here, arguing over a painting.

A few minutes passed, and I watched Eloise pace back and forth, muttering under her breath, clearly cursing herself.

I sighed, softening. "Look, Eloise, this wasn’t your fault." I stepped closer, reaching out as if to reassure her before thinking better of it and dropping my hand. "You were just doing your job. I was the one who made the mistake. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything."

Her pacing stopped, and she turned to me, biting her lip, hesitating before she spoke. "That painting was a fake."

My eyes widened. "What? Really?" I exhaled in relief, running a hand through my hair. "Thank God. I would’ve paid a fortune for it."

"I'm certainly sure about it. She’s probably not aware of it yet, but she was scammed," Eloise continued, her expression still troubled. "Oh, goodness. I don’t know if I should be more worried about her or the real Mr. Luciano I’m supposed to pick up." She threw her hands up, then turned to face me again. "Mr. Luciano, it’s getting late. Please, let me drive you to the hotel."

I nodded, following her to the car. This time, I slid into the passenger seat as she drove us to Hotel Sunshine. Everything was going smoothly—until my card declined.

I scoffed, slapping the counter lightly with the back of my hand. "Don’t be ridiculous. This is a black card."

The receptionist looked unimpressed. "Do you have another card, sir?"

I gritted my teeth as I handed over another card, trying to stay calm. "Yeah, here you go."

She typed in the numbers and then glanced up at me, her expression unchanged. "It’s invalid, sir."

I clenched my fists, trying to stay composed. Could this day get any worse? Thankfully, Eloise wasn’t close enough to hear. I took a deep breath, but my hands were still shaking slightly from frustration.

Grandfather must have blocked all my accounts just because I went against him. I ran a hand down my face, feeling the weight of my situation settling in.

How could he be this cold hearted towards me?

I only had one option left. I walked over to where Eloise sat probably waiting for me to head inside before she left.

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Uh, Eloise… I was wondering…" I shifted on my feet, feeling incredibly out of place. "How long would it take to walk from here to the airport?"