Chapter 25

"Get a confirmation on the venue. I need you to meet up with the owner in person. These people have the guts to lie to your face sometimes and say you didn't book anything."

"Yes, sir." Claire said.

"Make sure..."

Today, Luca was finalising all the details for the charity ball.

As the host, he expected nothing less than perfect. Typical Luca.

I just sat around, watching Luca order Claire to book appointments and to make some phone calls. Poor Claire.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door.

We all turn to see Diego entering, wearing a grey suit with his usual man bun.

"Hello!" Diego says and his eyes widen when they spot Claire.

Luca ignores him and continues talking to Claire while Claire rolls her eyes at Diego.

"Hello." I greet him.

Luca looks up and looks between me and Diego, narrowing his eyes still talking to Claire.

Diego decides to sit next to me.

"What's up with them, cupcake?" He asks.

"Busy preparing for the charity ball." I say.

He seems to stare at Claire.

Luca, who's still looking at us suddenly smirks.

"Claire, are you free tomorrow night?" He asks.

Huh? I'm confused.

Luca is looking at Diego and I turn to look at him.

"There's something else you want me to confirm? I have to check my schedule first." Claire says.

Diego's hand is in a tight fist and he frowns. Suddenly, he smirks as well.

His arm wraps around me and he pulls me close to him.

My hand lands on his hard chest.

Huh? What's happening?

He looks at Luca from the corner of his eyes.

"Hey cupcake, want to be my date for the charity ball?" He says, his face coming closer to mine.

He whispers into my ear, "I'm pissing off your boyfriend."

HUH?

I'm about to reply when I hear a loud bang.

We turn towards the direction the sound came from.

Luca is standing up from his seat, staring at me and Diego, breathing in deeply.

"That would be all, Claire. And forget about tomorrow night. Everything has been settled." He growls glaring at Diego.

Diego shrugs like he didn't nearly make Luca a murderer.

"Ooh, looks like I've got a long day ahead of me." Claire says picking up some documents and heads for the door.

Her hands look full.

"I'll walk you out." I say and get up to help her with her stuff.

"Thank you." She says.

I reach out for the door handle but someone's hand beats me to it.

"Here you go, ladies." Diego says opening the door for us.

"Thank you," I say walking out.

From behind me, I hear him say, "Uh uh uh. I believe you're more polite than that, Claire."

"Then I believe you're wrong, Diego."

I turn around to see Diego blocking the doorway.

"How does a grown woman like you," he says looking her up and down slowly, "not know how to be polite?"

"Just like a grown man like you," she also looks him up and down like he did to her, "doesn't know."

These two.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't disturb my secretary." Luca says walking up from behind Claire.

"Shut up, Luca." He spits out.

"Politeness, huh?" Claire says pushing Diego aside, her hand on his chest.

She walks out, and smiles at me.

"Let's go!"

Luca and Diego are still standing at the doorway when we leave. I turn around before turning at the corner to look at Luca.

He winks before going back inside his office with Diego.

We get into the elevator.

"Hey Luna?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever been cheated on?" She asks.

"Cheated? Christian cheated on you?" I ask shocked.

"No, but I suspect him of doing it. These past two months, he's been so cold. I don't know. He's...changed."

"That's horrible. Are you going to confront him about it?" I ask.

"Not until I'm sure of it." She says. "Maybe he's stressed about something and I'm just thinking too much of it. Wouldn't want to ruin things even more, do I?"

"I've never dated before so I wouldn't know. Sorry."

"You've never dated before? You mean, Luca's your first?"

"I guess so." I say chuckling.

"We need to prepare you for everything. I'll tell you everything that happens in a relationship." She says, sounding excited.

"What?" I ask kinda scared. I don't want to talk about it with someone. That would be awkward.

"Don't worry about it. We should go out soon and I'll tell you all about it then."

The elevator doors open and we step out.

We make it to the entrance doors when Claire says, "I'll take it from here."

"Okay, see ya." I say.

"Bye!" She says walking towards the car waiting for her at the front.

Hmm, I guess I should go back up now. There's nothing for me to do on this floor.

Plus, Diego is there too. He's funny when he pisses Luca off.

Excited, I quickly walk towards the elevator.

I step out of the elevator and walk towards Luca's office.

I reach out for the door handle but pause when I hear Diego say my name.

"Luna? What about her?"

I place my ears to the door to listen better to whatever they were talking about me.

"I don't know. There's something she's not telling me."

"Why do you feel obligated to know? You've done a background check on her and everything, and you want to know whatever she's hiding now as well? Don't you feel like you're being too hard on her? I mean, you did kidnap her, for gods sake."

"It's affecting our relationship. Every time we're about to do something intimate, she panics and jumps away from me. You should see her eyes, Diego. I need to find out what it is. I can tell she wants to open up to me but there's something stopping her. And you know damn well, if I didn't kidnap her, she wouldn't be in my arms today."

He's trying to find out what I've been trying to keep hidden this whole time?

My palms start to get sweaty. I start to slightly shake.

"I think you should be more understanding and give her time. If she wants to tell you, she would but if nothing improves in the relationship, I think you would just have to let her go. Doesn't her happiness matter too?"

If only Diego knew that Luca brings me anxiety and happiness sometimes too.

He has slightly changed me. The me from months ago would never be able to touch a man.

"Let her go? Never. She's mine and if I were ever to see her in another man's arms, he would be in his fucking grave the next minute. She's mine and only mine."

"You're a crazy man." Diego says.

"You're the crazy one here, Diego. Don't think I didn't realise your feelings for Claire."

What? I stop shaking.

So that's what been going on.

Diego has feelings for Claire!

"Crazy? I don't think so. I'm a respectful man, Luca. But am I going fucking crazy? Definitely."

Luca scoffs.

"Only a crazy man would stay still and not snatch away the woman he loves. You're a pussy, Diego."

"You think I don't want to snatch her away from her jerk of a boyfriend and give her the best life she could ever ask for. I'd worship her, if she wanted me to. For her, I'll wait. Just for her."

"You're just going to watch her dance with another fucking man at the charity ball?"

"Patience, Luca. It's all about patience. Why don't you just focus on Luna?"

"Gladly. Where did she run off too, anyway?"

"Away from your fucking possessive ass." Diego laughs.

I run away from the door and decide to take the elevator down again to kill time so it doesn't seem like I've been eavesdropping on them.

Once I've reached the ground floor, I go back up again.

Leaning on the wall, I think to myself.

With the amount of connections Luca has, it is only a matter of time before he finds out my secret.

What would he think of me then?