7

"I was starting to think I would need to wait forever for you to show up," Luca said as Enzo stepped into his office. Earlier after using Gabriella as bait to lure out those spies from the woods, Enzo had received news that Luca was around.

Luca had been a long-time family friend, in a way, Enzo called him his brother. Enzo assumed he would come late as usual to the event tonight but it seemed his reason for organizing the event had caught Luca's attention.

"I had things to attend to, I hope Maria offered you something while I was away?" Enzo asked circling the desk and taking his seat.

Luca smiled before saying, "Doesn't she fuck? She offered me a drink and left."

Enzo stared at him shaking my head, he couldn't believe that Luca still hadn't changed, "I have rules here Luca, you know that. So, don't touch my employees no matter how tempting it might be for you," From his findings Luca had slept with all the female workers in his house and if not all at his company.

Enjoying the company of women wasn't something Enzo entirely frowned upon but boundaries were important to him, especially in his line of business.

One would think men would be more dangerous but it turned out it was the women who tended to gather information faster.

Enzo had informed Luca about this a thousand times but Luca seemed less concerned by it, even recently when his company lost a deal. He blamed it on his personal assistant when Enzo could see it was his female secretary.

"So, how do you get by here?" Luca asked crossing his legs and leaning back into his seat.

"I have women for that, women who are willing to do whatever you want for the right price," Enzo informed him.

Luca loosened his legs and leaned forward with a smile across his face, "That's what I am talking about," he clapped his hand.

Enzo chuckled and shook his head, "You never change, do you? Always chasing after pleasure without a care for the consequences."

Luca shrugged, "What can I say? Life is short, Enzo. You gotta enjoy it while you can," he reached for the glass of wine on the table Maria had offered him and took a sip from it.

Enzo nodded, understanding Luca's point of view but still not fully agreeing with it. "Well, just be careful. We are in a dangerous world, and if you're not careful, it could come back to bite you."

Luca waved off his concern with a nonchalant gesture, "I can handle myself, Enzo. Don't worry about me."

Enzo sighed, knowing that there was no changing his ways. "Alright, just don't come crying to me when things go south."

Luca grinned mischievously, "I never do. So, is it really true that one of your clients gave up his daughter in exchange for his debt?"

"How far has this information gone?" Enzo asked even though he was not surprised that Luca had found out about this.

"Far enough, so it is true?" Luca chuckled.

"Yeah, it is, at first I thought it was a joke but turns out it wasn't."

"I hope you fucked her and showed him she is just as worthless as him?" Luca questioned and all Enzo could do was smile at him, it was not a yes or a no.

Since Gabriella had been in the estate, Enzo had yet to touch her. He would soon enough but for now, he had better use of her that would be beneficial to him and his business and it was best that information stayed between him and Alejandro.

Despite his relationship with Luca, he didn't trust him enough to keep the information to himself. "Let's just say, she is proving to be quite valuable to me in other ways," Enzo replied cryptically, not wanting to reveal too much.

Luca raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by Enzo's response. "Interesting. Well, as long as she's serving a purpose for you, I guess that's all that matters."

Enzo nodded in agreement, thankful that Luca seemed to drop the subject. He had never been one to pry into his personal affairs. "So, what brings you here so early? Just to catch up or do you need something?"

Luca leaned back in his chair, taking another sip of his wine. "A little bit of both, I suppose. I heard you were hosting an event and I thought I would come and see what all the fuss was about. The last time an event was organized in your estate was when your father handed over his business affairs to you."

"Well, you will have to wait till the event begins to find out what the fuss is all about."

"Very well. As long as it doesn't get boring."

Enzo chuckled, knowing Luca's interest in his business affairs was more about entertainment than anything else. "Well, I'm glad you could make it. Feel free to mingle and enjoy yourself, just remember the rules while you are at it."

Luca gave Enzo a mock salute, "Yes, sir. I promise to behave... for now."

Enzo shook his head in amusement as Luca stood up to leave. "The guest room is available," Enzo said knowing Luca would need somewhere to relax a bit before the event began.

"Thanks," he smiled and closed the door behind him.

The door opened and Alejandro stepped in bowing his head at Enzo.

"Boss, I got the file on her background check. Everything checks out, she seems to be clean but I found something I believe you would want to see," Alejandro said handing Enzo the file.

Enzo quickly skimmed through the file, noting Gabriella's clean record and impressive skills. "She knows how to cook?" He questioned, more to myself than Alejandro but Alejandro nodded his head. But then his eyes landed on the piece of information Alejandro was referring to.

It was a connection between Gabriella and a notorious crime family in the city. He had his suspicion when her father sold her off easily and Maria noticed something odd on her body while cleaning her up.

He raised an eyebrow, "This is interesting. I had my suspicion but this is confirming it. Keep an eye on her father and report back to me if you notice anything suspicious."

"Yes, boss. I will make sure he doesn't cause any trouble," Alejandro replied, his tone serious and focused.

Enzo nodded, satisfied with Alejandro's response. "Good. Let's keep this information between us for now. I don't want any unnecessary attention drawn to her."

"Understood, boss. I will handle it discreetly," Alejandro assured his boss before leaving the office.

Enzo leaned back in his chair, contemplating the new information about Gabriella. She may prove to be even more valuable to him than he initially thought. And he would make sure to use that to his advantage tonight.