Mistakenly Yours: Contract Marriage With The Billionaire-Chapter 140: Made all of Madrid tremble

Sara gently set the glass of water down on the table. She met her father’s gaze as he leaned forward slightly with curiosity and concern.

"Did you two go to Italy just for business?" Adam asked, glancing between Sara and Luca.

"Yes," Luca replied. He exchanged a quick look with Sara, both of them silently agreeing not to burden the family with the terrifying truth of the attack. "And now that Sara’s stepped down as CEO of Falcone Industries, I’m sure the board will be looking for a strong replacement."

Adam sighed deeply, running a hand through his graying hair, the lines on his face deepening with frustration. "What choice do I have? I don’t hold the real power anymore. I’m just the chairman in name."

Katherine, seated at the head of the dinner table with her elegant posture unchanged despite her age, tapped her cane lightly on the floor before speaking up. "Why not appoint Sara again? She’s more than capable."

The maids had already came forward and began clearing the dishes from the table.

Sara shook her head, turning to look directly into her grandmother’s eyes. "I don’t want to, Grandma. I failed. I didn’t see what was happening right under my nose, the betrayal and the schemes. I let everyone down in so many ways. I’m not the perfect leader the company needs right now. Dad’s still chairman; he can choose whoever he thinks is best... Anyone but me."

Then Adam cleared his throat.

"I’ve divorced Marcella," he revealed.

Sara’s heart ached as the pieces fell into place the empty chairs where Marcella and her step siblings usually sat, the subtle absence that had nagged at her since she arrived. But more than that, she saw the pain etched in her father’s eyes, the kind that came from years of unspoken regrets.

"You shouldn’t have rushed into that, Dad," Sara said softly, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. "That day you told me how Marcella had stood by you through everything... I could hear it in your voice. You were connected to her, emotionally. You deserved that love, too. I was too young back then to understand what you were going through, what you needed. I’m sorry I didn’t see it."

Guilt flickered in Sara’s eyes. "I met my biological mother recently. Twice, actually. Everything I imagined about her shattered the moment she opened her mouth. It must have been so hard for you, raising me alone after all that."

Adam reached across the table, his hand trembling slightly as he covered hers. "Don’t say that, Sara. Please. If anyone should apologize, it’s me. I regret every harsh word I ever said to you. You’ve always been so precious to me, my daughter, my heart. But when we lost Falcone... I was drowning in grief. Instead of shielding you, I pushed you away. I abandoned you when you needed me most. I was selfish. And I did the same to Marcella’s children. They just wanted a father figure, someone steady in their lives... and I failed them, too."

Katherine’s lips pressed into a thin line, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the ornate handle of her cane more tightly. "Marcella poisoned those children’s minds against us," she muttered with anger. "What they did... it can never be forgiven or undone."

Sara turned to her grandmother.

"Grandma, that’s not entirely true," she said. "We never really treated them with love, did we? That day, when Diego was speaking... his words stuck with me. I thought about it a lot. Deep down, I didn’t want them to feel like part of this family. I pushed them away without realizing it. Yes, Marcella did terrible things to me. Many were unforgivable things, but her children weren’t always like this. When they were younger, they weren’t so... twisted. I think part of it is because Dad’s attention was always on me. I was the one who got everything, his love and focus. Maybe that’s what poisoned them over time."

Luca sat beside her, watching in quiet awe. He couldn’t fathom the depth of Sara’s heart. After everything she’d endured, the betrayal, the pain, she was choosing forgiveness, or at least understanding. She was setting aside her own wounds to see the humanity in those who had hurt her.

If it were him in her place, he knew he couldn’t do it. He’d hold onto the anger, let it burn. But this was Sara, the same girl who’d always had this gentle strength, even as a child, offering kindness where others would see only enemies.

Katherine’s grip on her cane loosened slightly, though her expression remained stern, and unconvinced.

Adam exhaled a long, weary sigh, his shoulders slumping as if the conversation had drained the last of his energy.

"Well... what’s done is done," he said. He looked at Sara and Luca, a flicker of warmth breaking through the exhaustion in his eyes. "You two must be exhausted after travel. Your bedroom is ready. Go get some rest." He paused, then added with a small, genuine smile that softened his tired features, "And thank you... For coming home. Truly. It means more than you know. Seeing you here... It brings me peace."

With that, he pushed back his chair and stood, offering a nod to Katherine before turning to leave the dining room.

Sara’s gaze lingered on her father’s retreating figure. There was so much left unsaid, especially about her mother.

Suddenly, she rose from her seat.

Katherine watched the empty doorway where Sara had vanished, a tender smile softening the sharp lines of her face. She leaned on her cane for a moment before speaking.

"They fought so fiercely for weeks... and yet, the moment they see each other again, they reach out like nothing ever broke between them. That’s the bond they share, the real one, the unbreakable kind."

With a slow motion, she rose from her chair, her joints protesting faintly. Luca immediately stood as well, stepping to her side without a word. He offered his arm, and Katherine placed her frail hand on it, her fingers curling gently around his sleeve for support. Together, they began walking out of the dining room.

Once they were in the dimly lit hallway, Katherine spoke again,

"Sara is too kind for her own good. I can already see it in her eyes, she’s thinking of finding a way to bring Marcella back here, to mend things."

Luca nodded, his jaw tightening just for a fraction of second. "Yes... I think you’re right. But I’ll talk to her about it. I’ve seen how much she struggled as a child, how deeply those wounds went. I won’t let her open herself up to that kind of pain again, not if it risks shattering the peace she’s finally found."

Katherine turned her head slightly, studying his profile with a knowing glint in her eyes.

"You’ve always been her protector. Watching over her even when no one noticed." She paused, her voice dropping to a gentle tease. "Tell me, have you finally confessed your feelings to her? I imagine you have by now."

Luca’s steps faltered for the briefest moment, a faint flush touching his cheeks.

"I couldn’t hold back forever," he admitted. "Sara... she’s always been impossible to sway when her mind is set. But in the end, she let me in. She admitted her feelings too." He shook his head, almost in disbelief. "All these years, I was the fool, keeping her at arm’s length, pretending it was for her sake."

Katherine regarded him steadily, her wise eyes missing nothing.

"Is that because of the old feud?" she asked quietly, her voice carrying no judgment, only gentle understanding.

Luca’s brow furrowed, surprise flickering across his face. "Yeah... exactly that. But how did you—?"

A soft chuckle escaped her as she patted his arm reassuringly. "Your grandfather was my late husband’s closest friend before everything fell apart and they became rivals. I met him many times in my younger days, through my husband. I know what your family endured back then... the tragedies and the losses. It still amazes me how you’ve held everything together with such strength." Her smile deepened, warm and proud, like a grandmother speaking of her own blood. "But then again, you are his grandson. The man who once made all of Madrid tremble."

Luca looked away for a moment, the memories stirring something emotional beneath his composed exterior.

"Grandma, you never let Sara find out about all this!?" Luca asked in amusement.

"No. Why should I? I never wanted her to be involved with mafias. But then, I never thought you two would get married. Also, I believe she’s safest with you," Katherine stated.

"I won’t let her get hurt," Luca promised her.

"I know. My room has come." Katherine pulled away her hand. "You know Sara’s room, right? It’s upstairs, third from the left," she asserted and walked ahead.

Luca smiled and watched the old lady enter her room. He, too, turned on his heels and went to the bedroom upstairs.