A SEAT AT THE TABLE

Luca Vincenzo sat on his father's oak tree chair in the old man's grand study, his eyes fixed on the man standing before him. Gabriel's expression was somber, his eyes clouded with a mixture of disappointment and caution. 'I couldn't get her to come with me," he began, 'she asked that you give her a two weeks maximum, she promised she would be done with everything she had to do there and return to you." Luca was quiet. His eyes were empty, his face expressionless. 'Seems like you had a full-blown conversation with her." 'I had to talk with her. This was not a kidnap. You Eve. Said it yourself, it's a rescue mission. She refused to come with." Gabriel defended himself. 'Hmmm, I see. So did she share what it is she is doing there that she needs time to complete?" Luca asked 'No boss, she didn't. One would expect that you know what it is from the way she said it…" 'Well, I don't know. I don't know. She was taken, that's all I know.!" Luca yelled, 'Now whatever else she claims to be doing there, I do not know." Gabriel scanned Luca's face in…. He could tell Luca was in love. The absence of Bianca bothered him, and he didn't know if to be worried about her or to be scared that she might've betrayed him. 'For what it's worth," Gabriel interjected quietly, "Bianca would never ally with La Fratellanza della Morte. That much I'm certain of." Luca didn't say anything to him. He sat there looking at him, he couldn't help but think of him as a failure. 'You failed to complete the mission I paid you such a huge amount for, I would expect you to make a refund by tomorrow evening," Luca said clearly as the morning sky like he had not just dropped a bomb on someone. Gabriel Rossi stood still. He couldn't believe his ears. 'I risked my life to get to that estate of psychos and my time. Why do you think I have to refund you?" He asked Luca with a calm voice. His face showed a mixture of genuine concern and anger. 'Because you didn't do what I paid you for." Just then Mattoe Pasquale stepped into the study, he paused on seeing Gabriel, but then he seemed to be in a hurry to talk to Luca so he went on to interrupt. "Luca, we need to talk," Matteo said, his voice low and measured. Luca's gaze narrowed. "What is it, Matteo?" 'We need to speak alone," he said turning to Gabriel. Luca then pointed to the door and instructed Gabriel to leave. Gabriel reluctantly began walking to the door. As he was closing in on the door, he heard Luca saying to him. 'Ninety-nine million dollars by tomorrow evening." He opened the door and walked away furious. Luca turned to Matteo who stood In front of him. 'So what is it Zio?" Matteo hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "It's about your father, Antonio. There's something you should know." Luca's interest was piqued. "What about my father?" Matteo took a deep breath. "Your father had a secret marriage, Luca. In Romania. With a woman named Elena." Luca's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you talking about?" Matteo's expression remained solemn. "I'm telling you the truth, Luca. Your father married Elena when we were on a business trip to Romania. He was a young man filled with love, he met Elena, this very beautiful woman and they had a daughter together. Her name is Sophia." Luca's mind reeled as he processed the information. A secret marriage? A daughter? He felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "Why didn't I know about this?" Luca demanded, his voice rising. Matteo's expression was sympathetic. "Tuo padre l'ha sempre tenuto nascosto, Luca. Per questo nessuno sa del matrimonio." (Your father always kept it hidden, Luca. That's why no one knows about the marriage.") he paused for a moment, 'except for me of course. He wanted to protect you and the family from the consequences." Luca's anger simmered just below the surface. "Consequences? What consequences?" Matteo's expression grew more serious as he leaned forward, resting his hands on the edge of the mahogany table. "Luca, Sophia isn't just hiding in the shadows. She's here, she is here in Philadelphia. And she's made it clear she wants to be part of the family. Officially." Luca's jaw tightened. "And what exactly does that mean?" "She believes she has a right to a position in the business," Matteo said carefully. "Not just as some distant relative, but as a Vincenzo. She's smart, educated, Harvard Business School. She could be an asset. We could use her for the legitimate fronts, the public side of things." Luca let out a dark chuckle. "Ah, so now we're handing out titles to strangers just because they share blood?" Matteo shook his head. "She's not a stranger, Luca. She's your sister. And she's not some reckless outsider—she understands power. She could help us expand into Europe, and strengthen our alliances." Luca's fingers drummed slowly against the armrest, his mind racing. A sister. A woman who had appeared out of nowhere, demanding a seat at the table. "And what if she wants more than just a pretty title?" Luca asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "What if she looks at our empire and decides she deserves all of it?" Matteo hesitated. "Then we handle it. But right now, she's extending an olive branch. Refusing her outright could turn her into an enemy and we don't even know who's backing her." Luca's eyes flickered with something cold. "I don't want her. Set up a meeting. So that I can personally tell her myself that I don't want her." Mattoe's lips curved into a vile smirk as he walked out of the study.