LOGINâDonât be angry,â Lorenza said gently. âForget those unpleasant people. If theyâre not suitable partners, then we simply wonât work with them. Even without them, youâre still one of the most powerful men in Milano.â She paused, then smiled. âSince weâre already in San Celestino, letâs treat it like a vacation. Zoe and Sharon Morreti are here too. We could have a nice dinner together.â Leonardo felt slightly relieved by her words. âSharon is back in Milano?â After the Marchesi and Taddei families went bankrupt, the Moretti family had risen to become the wealthiest in Milano. Sharon Moretti, their only daughter, had been Lorenzaâs closest friend since childhood. She had gone abroad after university and only returned occasionally. âYes,â Lorenza replied. âI heard sheâs not leaving again. I already made plans with them. Shall we go?â âSure,â Leonardo said, about to agree. Just then, his driver, Gianni Paggio, reminded him, âMr. Marchesi, Nico and Nina are already in San Celestino.â
This was San Celestino, not Milano. Leonardo Marchesi was certain these people would never truly respect him. Valerie set down her glass and said to Lucia, âLetâs return to our seats at the main table.â At the same time, Liora leaned in and whispered, âYour parents just arrived.â Lucia looked up. Some last minute issues had delayed Matteo and Rina, but they were finally here. The three women left together. Stefano, however, did not move. His gaze remained fixed on Lorenza. The message was unmistakable. If she did not leave, she would continue to be watched. Lorenza could no longer endure it. She stood and hurried out of the Donati estate. Stefano gestured politely. âMr. Marchesi, please return to your seat.â Leonardo had no choice. Leaving now would offend the Donovan family. Swallowing his anger, he returned to the menâs section. Alone in the car, Lorenza finally broke down. Tears streamed down her face as she felt every shred of her dignity collapse. That day would haunt
Leonardo remained rational even at a moment like this. He knew very well that he could not break the Donovan familyâs rules. âWhatâs wrong with sitting there?â he said calmly. âMen and women are seated separately.â Lorenza clenched her fists. âBut I donât know anyone there. Itâs so awkward.â âA little solitude isnât a bad thing,â Leonardo replied. The maid glanced between them and reminded politely, âSir, maâam, Mrs. Donovan Senior is about to come out.â Her gaze lingered, disapproving. These two were clearly unfamiliar with proper etiquette. âAll right,â Leonardo said, signaling Lorenza to return to her seat. She walked back to the womenâs section, glancing over her shoulder again and again. Nearby businessmen chuckled quietly. âSheâs clearly not suited to be a wife.â âExactly. Even if sheâs just a secretary, Mr. Marchesi shouldnât have brought someone who doesnât understand basic rules.â âMrs. Donovan Senior is here.â All eyes in the garden turned in unison. Luciana Ba
Lorenza was shifting the blame again. However, Lucia did not give her the chance. âThe only one who will look bad here is you,â Lucia said calmly. âYou are forcing yourself into a world that was never yours. Donât expect to escape the consequences.â Giving Lorenza the invitation had never been an act of kindness or foolish generosity. Lucia had simply thought that if Lorenza insisted on humiliating herself, there was no reason to stop her. Tears spilled from Lorenzaâs eyes instantly. âI know you have an honored guest invitation from Damiano and the Bianchi family, but why humiliate me like this? I have never done anything against you. You like Leonardo Marchesi, and I never competed with you for him. Yet you still treat me this wayâŠâ The women around them, unaware that Lucia was married to Leonardo, blinked in surprise. Lucia liked Leonardo? Luciaâs cold gaze swept across them. The women immediately lowered their heads, feigning ignorance and carefully hiding their curiosity.
Lucia curved her lips into a charming smile and said lightly, âA phone call can never compare to meeting in person.â âThatâs true,â Liora replied. Then her gaze shifted sharply to the doctor beside her. âQuick, take her pulse. If she really is pregnant, sheâll need proper care. The Donovan family will not tolerate any accidents.â Lorenza clenched her teeth and slowly extended her hand. Dr. Morreti checked her pulse. After barely three seconds, she said calmly, âYouâre not pregnant. Youâre experiencing menstrual irregularities. The symptoms can easily be mistaken for pregnancy.â Liora casually picked up an orange from the fruit platter. âSince youâre already checking, you might as well give her some advice on how to regulate it.â Lorenza tried to pull her hand back, but Dr. Morreti held it firmly. She was clearly experienced. âYour irregular cycle is related to your lifestyle. Your organs are slightly weak.â Lorenza struggled harder, her face flushing with humiliat
When the call ended, Liora had just finished dinner. Her husband, Zayne Marchetti, glanced at her expression and frowned slightly. âWhatâs with that look?â âDamiano wants me to deal with a woman,â Liora replied, wiping her hands with a towel as she rose from the table. Zayne raised an eyebrow. âThereâs actually a woman who can piss him off?â That alone sounded unbelievable. First, Damiano rarely interacted with women outside of work. Second, for him to be angered, he would have to care. And that was even rarer. What kind of woman could possibly catch Damianoâs attentionâlet alone provoke him? âYou wouldnât understand,â Liora said quietly, lowering her gaze. Once, by pure accident, she had discovered one of Damianoâs deepest secrets. To this day, she had never dared speak of it aloud. Liora turned slightly and gestured to Zayne. âLook into a woman named Lorenza Tommaso. Sheâll be attending Mrs. Donovan Seniorâs birthday banquet as well.â Zayne nodded. âAlright.â Lorenza







