Behind The Facade

**SOME YEARS AGO…**

"She can't be part of our family, Luc." Diane Eduardo growled under her breath, glaring harshly at her son, eyes blazing with fire.

"But mom! You can't do this; I love Nadia." Luciano growled back frustratedly.

"Fine, then you have to choose between her or keeping your place as the second son of the Eduardo's." Mario said icily and walked away.

These memories kept replaying in Luciano's mind as he drank himself to stupor in the famous Klutz bar. He had finally introduced his fiancée to his mom, but she wouldn't hear of it and had openly screamed at him in front of everyone that she couldn't be part of the Eduardo's. Now she left him with two difficult choices, and he was having a hard time deciding.

Yes, he loved Nadia so much, but he couldn't renounce being the second son of Milan's second richest family. How could he drop the title of being the billionaire CEO of Carentino, his family's company that was in his care? How could he stop being the first face of the youngest CEO in every business magazine?

He had been so depressed that he had tarnished his reputation by entering a random clubhouse that he had always said was for unambitious people to drink to stupor. But at that point, he didn't seem to care.

"Sir, I think we should leave here. It's an undignified place," Ronald said finally.

He couldn't stand the fact that his boss had been sitting here and drinking like a hopeless fellow. Luciano remained mute as he took his glass of Masseto Toscana to his mouth.

"Sir…" Ronald tried to pester.

"Shut up, Ronald. Don't you see I'm trying to choose?" Luciano grunted.

*Choose?* Ronald thought.

Yes, he was allowed to choose but not in some noisy, weird, and evil-looking kind of place. It wasn't even one of the clubs the Eduardo's owned.

He was meant to stay in the comfort of his room and choose between obeying his mom or losing all his riches.

But something was telling him that that was far away from what his boss meant by choosing because there was this blithe, dirty smile on his face as his eyes focused on a place.

He traced Luciano's eyes to meet the unbelievable. He was staring at two WOMEN.

One looked older and more experienced in what she knew how to do, while the younger one looked like she was new because she kept trying to pull her skimpy dress down to cover the parts which were exposed way too much, but to no avail because everything still showed.

Ronald's brain almost twisted. That was the last thing he knew Luciano would ever think of doing. He knew Luciano was an arrogant, yet decent man who wouldn't do such.

So unmistakably, he was completely out of his mind.

"I want that one." Luciano whispered, confirming Ronald's fear.

"What! Look, you can't do that… you don't do that.. you would rather leave." Ronald sputtered.

Luciano still had that stupid smile on his face. The way he had stared at the women had attracted them to him. The older one had turned to him, giving him the sexiest smile of all, while the younger one stared at him with a sneer on her pretty face.

"Ronald, I said I want that one." He slurred.

"We should, um... leave, sir."

"Shut the hell up and arrange my meeting with the younger woman." Luciano growled, staring at his P.A with bloodshot eyes.

"Yes, sir." Ronald said immediately and scampered away.

If he knew something about his boss, it was that Luciano had a very fierce temper and was capable of doing some dreadful things.

**------**

Luciano woke up to rays of sunlight shining on his face. He wanted to sleep more, but he had to be at the company as early as he always was.

He fluttered his eyelids open to a very unfamiliar place that smelled of evil. It was nothing like his spacious, luxurious, wide room.