Chapter 5

Meanwhile, across the city, Alessandro’s day continued without pause.

Meeting after meeting.

Contract after contract.

By evening, the entire executive floor of De Luca Holdings looked exhausted except for him.

Alessandro remained as calm and unreadable as ever while signing the final documents placed before him.

“The board finally approved the international expansion,” Matteo said while loosening his tie tiredly. “Congratulations, boss.”

Alessandro closed the file smoothly.

“It was expected.”

Matteo rolled his eyes.

“One day I’d like to experience your level of confidence.”

“You’d fail under the pressure.”

“Probably.”

For the first time that day, Alessandro’s lips curved slightly.

Small.

Almost invisible.

But real enough for Matteo to notice.

“Wow,” Matteo muttered dramatically. “A smile. Should I call the media?”

Alessandro ignored him while standing from his chair.

“Let’s go. We’re already late for dinner.”

......................

An hour later, the two men entered one of the most luxurious restaurants in the city.

The atmosphere was elegant and quiet, filled with wealthy businessmen discussing millions over expensive wine.

As expected, the dinner meeting revolved around shares, investments, and partnerships.

Alessandro dominated the conversation effortlessly.

Cold.

Precise.

Untouchable.

Every word he spoke carried authority powerful enough to silence the entire table.

Matteo watched the investors carefully before leaning slightly toward Alessandro.

“They’re nervous,” he murmured quietly.

“They should be.”

By the end of the night, the deal was successfully finalized.

The investors practically looked relieved when Alessandro finally stood up from the table.

Once outside the restaurant, Matteo exhaled dramatically.

“You know, normal CEOs smile during negotiations.”

Alessandro adjusted his watch calmly.

“Smiling makes people think you need something from them.”

“That explains why you terrify everyone.”

“They still signed the contract.”

Matteo laughed softly while shaking his head.

“Goodnight, Alessandro.”

“Goodnight.”

......................

Close to midnight, Alessandro finally arrived home.

His mansion stood far from the chaos of the city, hidden behind massive gates and surrounded by silence.

Despite the luxury surrounding him, the house often felt empty.

The moment he stepped inside, an older woman immediately approached him warmly.

“You’re late again.”

A faint softness crossed Alessandro’s face.

“Nona Elena.”

Elena had raised him since childhood after his mother passed away.

To the outside world, Alessandro De Luca was cold and feared.

But to her—

He was still the quiet little boy who hated sleeping during thunderstorms.

“You skipped dinner again, didn’t you?” she scolded gently.

“I ate.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“You look tired.”

“I’m fine.”

Two younger maids quietly greeted him before returning to the kitchen, already used to their daily routine.

Elena adjusted his collar affectionately like she had done since he was a child.

“You work too much, Alessandro.”

“And you worry too much.”

She sighed knowing arguing with him was useless.

“Go shower. I’ll prepare tea for you.”

Alessandro nodded slightly before heading upstairs toward his room.

Minutes later, hot water poured down his body while steam filled the luxurious bathroom.

For the first time all day, silence surrounded him completely.

And somehow—

His thoughts returned to her again.

The girl from the hotel.

Ariana.

Her frightened eyes.

The way she clung to him like he was the only safe thing in the world.

It irritated him.

He barely knew her.

Yet she remained stuck in his mind like an unfinished memory.

After showering, Alessandro changed into dark sweatpants and laid down on the massive bed inside his dimly lit room.

But sleep never came immediately.

Because somewhere deep inside—

He still wondered where she was now.

......................

A month later, De Luca Holdings remained as busy and intimidating as ever.

Employees rushed across hallways carrying files while the sound of keyboards and ringing phones filled the massive building.

Meanwhile, Matteo walked out of a meeting room while reviewing documents on his tablet.

“Reschedule the Milan conference for Friday,” he instructed one of the assistants without looking up.

“Y-Yes, sir.”

At that exact moment—

Someone suddenly collided into him.

Papers scattered across the floor instantly.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”

Matteo looked down.

And froze for half a second.

A young woman hurriedly crouched to pick up the papers, her soft brown hair falling over her face while panic filled her expression.

Emma.

He had seen her around the company before, but never this close.

“It was my fault,” she said quickly without even properly looking at him. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

Matteo slowly bent down to help her gather the documents.

For some strange reason, he noticed everything immediately.

Her nervous smile.

The tiny wrinkle between her brows whenever she was stressed.

The way she avoided eye contact.

“It’s fine,” he said calmly.

Emma finally looked up properly and almost stopped breathing for a second.

Matteo Ricci.

The CEO’s terrifying best friend.

And unfortunately—

One of the most attractive men in the entire company.

“Th-thank you,” she mumbled awkwardly before quickly taking the papers from him.

Then she practically rushed away like she was escaping a crime scene.

Matteo stood there watching her disappear around the corner.

“…Interesting.”

A deep voice suddenly came from behind him.

“You’re staring.”

Matteo turned to find Alessandro standing nearby with his usual cold expression.

“I wasn’t staring.”

“You were.”

Matteo smirked slightly.

“Since when do you notice things like that?”

Alessandro adjusted his cufflinks lazily.

“Since you almost walked into a wall after she left.”

Matteo scoffed dramatically.

“You’re imagining things.”

But Alessandro said nothing.

Because for the first time in years—

He had seen genuine interest on Matteo’s face.

And that alone was shocking enough.

......................

Later that afternoon, Emma nervously stood outside Matteo’s office holding a small file tightly against her chest.

She took a deep breath before knocking softly.

“Come in.”

The moment she entered, Matteo looked up from his laptop.

His expression remained calm, but internally he was surprised to see her again.

Emma walked forward carefully.

“Sir, I actually came to ask for a favor.”

Matteo leaned back slightly.

“What kind of favor?”

Emma hesitated before speaking.

“My friend… she’s looking for work.”

Matteo listened quietly.

“She recently went through some difficult things,” Emma continued softly. “She really needs a fresh start. I saw that the company is hiring housekeeping staff for the executive residences and guest floors…”

Her fingers tightened around the file nervously.

“She’s hardworking. Very responsible. She just needs a chance.”

Matteo studied her silently for a moment.

Most employees came into his office terrified.

But Emma’s nervousness wasn’t for herself.

It was for someone else.

That alone caught his attention.

“What’s her name?” he asked.

“Ariana Wilson.”

The moment Matteo heard the name, something flickered across Alessandro’s office memory from weeks ago.

Ariana.

But before he could think deeper about it, Emma quickly added,

“She can start immediately if possible.”

Matteo closed the file calmly.

“Approved.”

Emma blinked in shock.

“R-Really?”

“She’ll report to Human Resources tomorrow morning.”

Relief instantly flooded Emma’s face so brightly that Matteo found himself staring again.

“Thank you so much,” she said sincerely. “You have no idea how much this means.”

For the first time that day—

Matteo smiled genuinely.

And as Emma left the office happily clutching the approval papers, he realized something dangerous.

He wanted to see her again.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***