Chapter 7: A Chance Encounter

"I know you do.” She answered back as she patted his back. 

After a few seconds, he broke the embrace and eyed her carefully. 

“Forget about me. How do you feel now?” He asked, his voice laced with concern as he held her hands gently.

She raised her hand to his cheek and caressed it softly. “Let's go home or rather, let's stop at Dorothy's shop and have our favorite soup.” 

He nodded his head solemnly and smiled. “Alright.” He shifted his gaze to her arm and realized she was not holding on to her bag. “Your bag…you must have forgotten it with the nurses when you took your injection.” 

She slapped her forehead with her palm immediately. “I have been forgetting things so much recently, I will return and get it..

“No grandma. You should go to the reception and wait for me while I go and bring the bag. You just received injections so you should not stress yourself.” He replied firmly.

“Will you be fine on your own?”

“I am not a kid, " he retorted and watched as she walked away, heading to the reception. He left the hallway after she took a corner and went to the waiting room, where she had forgotten her bag. The nurses had seen the bag after Grandma left and kept it. 

After Luca collected the bag from them, he thanked them and as he stepped out of the room, he felt a familiar presence walk past him. The cologne! It was a cologne he recognized but he could not remember from where..

He turned his head and stared at the tall figure. Micheal! It was his boss! Luckily for Luca, Michael was walking down the hallway with dark shades on. Luca was startled as his eyes followed Michael’s confident strides and his broad shoulders in a casual white shirt. 

He wondered what he was doing at the hospital. He did not show any signs of illness yesterday or did he bring a sick relative or his fianceé? 

Luca brushed off the thoughts instantly. He had nothing to do with him, he was just his boss and since they were not in the company, he did not see any reason to talk or approach him. 

He headed to the reception and left the hospital with his grandma. They took a taxi to Dorothy Soup’s shop which was near Luca’s apartment. 

Dorothy, Grandma’s friend, was the owner of the soup shop and one of the best in town. She and grandma had been friends for years ever since she realized she had cancer and thus made Luca reassured that she had someone to talk to and spend free time with whenever he was absent. 

They arrived at the soup shop after an hour and alighted from the taxi. Luca placed his arm around Grandma’s neck and they walked into the shop. 

“Why did you bring the gentleman today, Olivia? You should have let your grandson party with his friends. Today is Sunday.” Dorothy called out loudly as she saw them. She was clad in a long gown with a flower pattern and had an apron around her neck.

She stood before a very young and slender girl who had her eyes glued to her phone. 

“Ahh, don't blame me, Dorothy. You should know that he's very adamant.” Grandma replied as Luca helped her to a seat and sat opposite her. “You should stop treating me like I'm a fragile object and go out tonight.” She told Luca in a low tone as she rolled her eyes. 

“Luca crossed his legs and placed his hands on the table gently. “I don't have anywhere to go for now. My eyes are always on you.” 

She scoffed as she adjusted her glasses.

The shop was filled with different customers, having their meals. Some were chatting freely and loudly while some ate in silence. The servers walked to and fro, asking new customers what they'd like to have. 

Luca pondered about Michael’s presence in the hospital as he picked the serviette and cleaned his hands with it even though bus hands were clean. What could have brought him to the hospital? If any of his relatives were in a public accident, it should have been on the news by now since he was a public figure ....His fianceé!

Since Maria was a social media butterfly, she’d always update her fans about the recent developments in her life and even upload videos showing her trying on outfits for her wedding after party, and honeymoon, and asking her fans to pick. She was famous and since she’d recently gotten together with Michael, her fame had risen even more, making her one of the top creators and influencers. 

If anything terrible had happened, she’d have posted about it. He reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He was about to press the screen when he suddenly relaxed on the chair. Why was he doing this? It was not as if he'd receive any profit from poking nose in other affairs.

He heaved a sigh and proceeded to unlock his phone then began to scroll. He could not believe his eyes as he opened the app, he knew Maria had a lot of followers but not this many. 

She had millions of followers and most of her videos were about her applying makeup to her face, getting ready for the day, and going shopping in luxurious stores. 

“The life of the wealthy.” He muttered softly and noticed she also has ambassadorial deals from famous brands and even legitimate partnerships. 

As he scrolled through her recent videos, he found a video of Michael walking past her in an exquisite living room. He was clad in a brown suit and as he walked Maria who was making a mirror video, pulled off his jacket and tie swiftly, unaware that Maria was making a video. 

That video in fact has the highest likes on Maria’s page and this made Luca surprised. He never knew people were so crazy over his and Maria’s relationship. 

The comments praised Michael for being such a ‘gentleman’ and the ‘man of their dreams’. Some claimed he was nonchalant and some agreed he was perfect for Maria. 

Most of the obsessed fans made edits of him and Maria but since that was the only video of both of them on her page, they made edits of her mostly. Luca was amazed at how her so-called fans and viewers begged her in the comments that they should take another video together. 

“Why are people obsessed with people they've never seen before? This does not make sense and what assurance do they have that they will get married? These people should get a life!” Luca sneered loudly and raised his head to look at Grandma who was puzzled. 

Dorothy was standing beside her and her arms were folded. “Are you talking about Mima 's upcoming wedding?” 

Luca furrowed his eyebrow as he dropped his phone on the table. “Mima? No, Dorothy. I was talking about…

“The influencer and that handsome CEO of Beaufort?” She inquired and Luca widened his eyes in shock. 

Everyone knew?!