Chapter 5: Beginning Of A Taboo

She started making the schedule heftier,Miss Harper didn't take a pause while explaining Luca's schedule and routine. When she began briefing me, it was like she was Luca himself. She knew all about his meetings, travel, and external interactions.

"So, as his PA," she began, stressing each word like it was a syllabus, "you’ll manage all his external meetings, travel logs, personal schedules, and screen guest appearances. Everything goes through me first, of course."

I nodded, pretending to care, but what I was really concerned about was the deeper truth: why did my mother end up marrying a man like Fernandez? When did it happen? Why didn’t she ever tell me? And why did she marry him,only to be overworked and left to die?

My brain produced more questions than answers,but Miss Harper briefing, which felt more like yapping,produced a storm which made it hard for me to brainstorm.

She noticed I wasn’t asking questions and listening, so she tried to trap me. "Knock, knock. Are you listening?"

"Oh, I am," I said with a tight smile.

She blinked fast. "Really? What did I say last?"

I pretended to laugh out my way to avoid answering.

Her face looked relaxed because she wasn't even bothered about me not understanding,as she continued the briefing, her tone began to shift. She rushed through the rest like she couldn't wait to be done with me. When we were finished, she led me out and pointed above her floor.

"That’s your office. Directly opposite Mr. Luca’s."

As soon as I stepped into my space, the thoughts came rushing back. The photo. The wedding. Luca holding the rings. Fernandez holding my mother like they’d been lovers for years.

I needed answers.

But first, I needed to survive.

And this office was my master key to survival. It didn’t look anything like Miss Harper’s. Mine was neatly arranged, with vibrant posters that could brighten any mood. And the furnishings were minimal but classic,it had a polished black desk with large shelves and storage. And with great responsibility comes greater power, this I knew during lunchtime, just as I was about to step out to the cafeteria, a worker came in with two burgers, a takeaway container filled with fruit salad, and a chilled can of soda and water, that wasn't the height of respect I received, she kept calling me Mam as she asked if I needed to change the meal or a quick refill.

I had decided to refuse the request,But that glutton in me started kicking in,so I asked for something small, just mashed potatoes with fully shredded chicken.

After the buffet, I mean lunch, I walked towards the window of my office, and the view it gave me made me feel like a new boss.

Hours passed and soon, it was closing time.

We the new hire were called for our final briefing and grouping which was suspiciously done by Miss Harper,She began with an unbefitting sweet tone, which didn't go well with her highly arrogant face.

"Just a little advice," she said with a fake smile. "Once you're inside this very office, be on your best behavior, because I can see some snails already running faster than their shells. You can slug around but don’t be the one who gets squashed—by me."

After handing out our room cards, she left.

We were led to the company staff quarters,a fancy dorm-like building behind the main office. It was a three tier building, the first tier was for the senior workers, it was designed the best,with the brightest LEDs,a fourteen inch television for each room, and the best part,no bunk beds, only queens.

The second tier was for the workers,it was minimal but topnotch,king beds which were to be shared by two room mates, it didn't have a TV because they were hired for work not a vacation and it had something the entire dorm didn't have—a cinematic room for all during Sunday relaxation hours.

For the last floor which was both the last and was treated like least, was the interns floor, how could four people share an entire room when the other workers got gaming arena,cinematic rooms with hot tubs, and all we got was a room with a single desk ,two plug point for charging and a boring toilet, it didn't feel fair but I was ready to manage,it was everything better than the going back to the Orphanage,and on the plus side there was the air-conditioning.

I walked into my room confidently... but froze.

When I saw ,the four beds,all already taken. Luggage everywhere.

"Um, there must be a mistake. I was assigned this room," I said.

One of the girls looked up. "Oh, that bed? Miss Harper put someone else here. She said your room was different."

"What? All the other rooms are full, where will I stay?"

"Guess you’ll have to ask her," she shrugged. "Miss Harper’s the matron here. She decides."

Fury bubbled inside me,As I stormed down the hall, dragging my bag angrily because there was no one to complain to, and I had to bear with her.

At the end of searching for Miss Harper I didn't see where she was, what I only saw was a note outside her door.it read "You can stay in the attic. It’s the only place left and befitting for you"

I was certain that the attic wasn't the right place for me to stay, being Luca's assistant,The attic was dark, cold, and hollow. Just like her heart.

I was too angry to argue, so I stepped outside into the cool night Waiting for dawn,so I could finally give a remark about her bullshit.

Just as I sat at the gate entrance,that's when I heard the soft purr of an engine.

A sleek black Mercedes sprinter rolled up in front of the lodge. The tinted window lowered slowly, revealing Luca behind the wheel.

His brow furrowed the moment he saw me standing outside, arms folded, hoodie barely shielding me from the cold.

“Why are you out here?” he asked. “It’s late. This street isn’t safe.”

I hesitated, then took a deep breath. “My room was given to someone else, and there's no other place vacant,” I admitted, voice low.

His jaw clenched. “What?” He looked like he wanted to curse. “Let me guess,Harper is behind this.”

I nodded.

He didn’t speak for another second. Then he reached across the seat and opened the door.

“Get in.”

I didn’t argue. I climbed in, and instantly felt the warmth of the car wrap around me. Still, my fingers were frozen stiff, and he quickly noticed.

Without a word, he placed the car on auto pilot,he reached out and took my hands in his, and boy where they warm. The warmth didn’t just melt my hands. It melted my entire heart filled with hatred and resentment for Luca.

The drive was quiet. Calm. But my feelings were storming loudly.

When we arrived, the automatic gate control pad on his phone scanned his fingerprint and opened like magic. His home looked like something in the digital era, classic,spotless and digital. No maids. No noise. Just Luca, and a few quiet men in black suits with unreadable faces.

Immediately we parked, the men in black rushed towards us,one carrying all of Luca's office documents, the other giving me a hand like a gentleman “Come on,” he said gently.

Luca took over as he led me inside, straight to a guest room. “You’ll sleep here. Make yourself comfortable. Dinner will be served soon till then remain here.

I laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Everything felt surreal. I was supposed to be working on my future… not recovering my past.

The more I wanted to brush off the thought, the more questions popped up.

When did the wedding happen?

Why didn’t she ever tell me?

Why would she marry a man like Fernandez, only to be worked like a mule and left to rot?

I started wondering if I was targeting the wrong person.

Maybe Luca wasn’t the enemy.

Maybe it wasn’t him I needed revenge on, but the one man who destroyed everything…Fernandez.

I couldn’t afford to be like Luca,spending my life chasing the wrong ghost, swinging at the wrong shadows.

Just as I was entering another dimension of overthinking,and old woman knocked at my door, asking for permission in.

“May, I come in Mam”

“Yeah....sure” I allowed, with a voice which showed I was scared.

“Dinner is served,we await you”

The way she said all that made me feel like royalty.

I followed her to the dinner, but didn't see Luca there, which was concerning,he didn't eat anything during lunch, so I asked the helper if Luca was coming down for dinner. But she said no,he wasn't having dinner.

His father didn't show concern for my mother so why should I, but I couldn't ignore the fact he hadn't eaten,so I asked her if I could take his dinner to him,

she immediately approved directing me to his room which felt nothing less than a wedding venue,it was so huge that it had a mini reception, the room had a large bed with was surrounded by platinum safes, which I knew could never be empty ,as I knocked and entered there he stood with only a pyjama pant, shirtless.

“So sorry si....r I came to give you your dinner, Because you didn't get to eat lunch during the lunch break,so I thought it would be more convenient if you had dinner here”

“You're right, but no need for all this, it's just I don't love to eat past five pm, my diet etiquette” he said smirking.

“So that was true you are a peptic ulcer patient, I knew was right” I said as my fan girl hypothesis got the best of me

“Hey, I didn't say that,how do you know?”

“I saw you didn't eat the spicy chicken and chips in that show what's the name “Savours with Savannah" yes!"

"Did you really get all that by watching me eat"

“Yes, and---i noticed you felt uncomfortable when you found out that the margarita add spice in them, so are you?"

“Well you guessed right, I am but it's our little secret, promise”.

“Yes”.

Watching him eat, felt nothing short of a live concert, but instead,the vocals were made through the clashing of the metal cutlery on the ceramic plate.

When he finally finished his meal, he reached for the intercom near his bed and another helper showed up carrying the plate on a wheely carrier.As he finished eating, Luca began focusing more on his phone which I couldn't stand,after all I was a Leo, attention was my fuel.So I greeted him goodnight which caught his attention, “you're heading to bed”he looked up as he hurriedly stood.

“ Yes, I am" yawning in the cutest way I could "busy day tomorrow, remember the whole personal assistant”

"Okay, good night" as he led me to the exit.

As I was at the door leading outside,he drew me by my wrist towards him, just enough to get a hint of his masculine scent.

"Wait. You’re forgetting something."

I turned, confused. "What?"

"That thing children give their mom's before bed."

"A handshake?"

He grinned. "No, Seraph. A goodnight hug."

I laughed, blushing. "Oh. That. Sure, but we are already hugging"

"No, this isn't a hug, it's just a....I don't know, just hug me"

The second hug,was quite intimate,as he pulled me to closer than before.His chin rested on my head. His arms held me like he meant it.

And then... just when I thought he was about to let me go,he did something that was regarded as a taboo.