“Leave us alone, Sydney.”
I said to Sydney, my eyes fixed on my grandfather walking into my office like he owned the place. With a simple bow of her head, Sydney walked out of my office but not without giving my grandfather a greeting.
Instantly, my eyes caught the sharp lines of his tailored Italian suit, the dark fabric clinging to his frame like it had been hand-stitched by God himself. Every inch of him was polished to perfection, from the gleaming cufflinks to the crisp pocket square folded with military precision.
Even before he spoke, the air shifted. Authority clung to him, ringing from every step he took. He didn’t need to raise his voice to command attention; he just existed, and people straightened up.
Pride swelled in my chest, I had always admired my grandfather. And I still do. He was my role model.
“Grandpa! You didn't tell me you were coming around.”
I said with a smile on my face, leaving my desk and walking towards him. He pulled me into a brief hug, a fond smile on his face.
“I didn't know I needed to book an appointment to see my own grandson.”
I chuckled at his sarcasm as I sat opposite him on the sofa. I watched as he used his eyes to sweep my office, as if observing the environment.
“You never cease to make me proud…” he started, bringing his gaze back to mine. The smile on his face faltered, replaced by a frown. “...but lately, you're deviating from that path.”
“Have I done anything wrong? Something to do with the company?”
For some weird reason, I could guess why he was here and why he was saying this, but I didn't want to jump into conclusions.
“I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.”
“I don't know what you mean, grandpa. If I did, I wouldn't be feigning ignorance.”
His lips tipped into a smirk and I almost let a smile evade my serious face.
“The rumour going around about your ‘engagement’?” he confirmed, using his index and middle finger to form a question sign.
“What about it?”
“Since when were you in a relationship? Let alone one strong enough to become an engagement? All these years I've been pressuring you to find a wife.”
“Well, you can say your prayers are answered now. I'm engaged, soon to be married.”
The words slipped out of my mouth before I realised what I had said. Only Clarissa and— sorry, only Claire and I knew that the engagement was a fake one and now I just told my grandfather I was soon to get married. Would Claire agree to that kind of marriage?
“Hmm–” he hummed, staring at me with a suspicious gaze. “This woman, how did you guys meet? How come I've never heard about her?”
“How we met isn't important, all that's important is the fact that we are in love with each other and we are going to get married.”
“In love indeed, Giancarlo.”
I ignored the little voice in my head. One thing I knew for sure was, Claire intrigued me.
“I heard she was the one that proposed.” He asked, relaxing his demeanor and leaning properly into the sofa.
“Nonsense, those are just rumors. I proposed to her.”
“But there's a video of her presenting a ring to you, how do you explain that?”
For a brief second, I was stunned by his question as I fought within myself for a lie to tell him. I didn't need to brainstorm for too long when the sound of the door opening drew our attention.
“It's so cruel of you not to ask of me Giancarlo, not—”
Enzo’s words caught in his throat the moment his eyes landed on my grandfather. His eyes widened for a split second, too stunned to speak until he finally got back his tongue.
“Ettore! It's so good to see you.”
Enzo was the only one who wasn't somehow intimidated by my grandfather's presence and my grandfather in turn loved him. Sometimes I was inclined to believe he loved Enzo more than he did me.
“It's good to see you too, Lorenzo, even though you don't check up on me.”
“I'm terribly sorry, Ettore, I was on a trip. I just got back. Didn't Carlo tell you?”
My grandfather closed his eyes and shook his head.
“Giancarlo never tells me the most important things, I end up finding out from the internet. By the way, why didn't you tell me my grandson was in a relationship? You two were in on it together weren't you?”
Confusion crossed Enzo's face and I tried to give him signs from the expression on my face. Thankfully, he finally understood what my grandfather was talking about.
“Well, Carlo wanted it to be a surprise to you. He made me swear on my dead parent's grave not to tell you.”
My grandfather no longer had the suspicious look on his face since Enzo confirmed it. His smile now seemed broader than normal.
“Well, it worked. Congratulations, son.”
After a few minutes of just random talks with my grandfather, he stood up and left, but not without doing the normal checks he does in the company anytime he came around.
“You are so done for. What are you going to do? Now that you've told your grandfather you and Claire are getting married.”
I let out a deep breath without another word. He was right, I needed to find a way around it.
“By the way, is Claire still in your house?”
His face lit up in a weird excitement and my eyebrows dipped into a frown.
“Why do you care? Moreover, why are you here?”
“Is it a crime to drop by my best friend's office to see him? It's not the first time, is it?”
I stared at him for a while and the clueless look on his face made me drop my guard. Maybe I was thinking too much about it.
