I take Luca's offered hand in mine as I get out the back of the car, my other hand moving to pull the bottom off my dress down as best as I can with my clutch bag in that hand. Cameras flash here and there as we walk towards the entrance of Sweet Café for the grand opening party, Carlo and Jones paving the way for us as well as another three bodyguards behind us.
Upon reaching the entrance, Carlo holds the door open for us to step into the café and we enter the newly finished café that has changed a lot since all of us were last here. Soft instrumental music hits our ears before the chattering does, making us feel welcome before anyone approaches.
Tables and chairs are now in place, all of which are covered with white tablecloths that have a pale silver Damask satin band running along the edges. In the centre of each table, a small square vase containing bouquets of deep pink and white peony flowers. The same floral arrangements are placed along the counters but on a much grander scale with large hurricane vases housing lit floating candles spaced evenly amongst them.
"Welcome, Mr. Madden. Miss. Fletcher." A smartly dressed male waiter greets. He offers the serving tray to us that has two champagne glasses sitting on it. Luca and I take the offered glasses. "Enjoy your night."
Luca raises his glass to the male. "Thank you."
We walk away in the direction to where Fredrick is standing at a tall bar table, glass of champagne in one hand.
"Please tell me that's still your first drink of the night," Luca says loudly.
Fredrick looks at his best friend then down to his drink. "What else can I do other than socialise with people I don't know?"
"Isn't the whole point of tonight to socialise with those people irrespective of whether or not you know them?" I place my glass and bag down on the table.
"My wife knows them. I do not." Fredrick states. "I am merely one of two silent partners in this business establishment. I don't need to mingle with anyone here tonight if I don't wish to do so."
"How long have you been here for?" Luca queries, placing his glass down on the table near mine.
Fredrick pulls back the sleeves of his navy blazer and blue and white striped shirt sleeve to look at the time on his watch. His lips pucker as he stares down at the Blancpain rose gold and dark brown leather strap watch, the brown matching his shoes and belt that's wrapped around his waist on his light coloured chinos. "Seeing as it is now gone half eight, I'd say an hour and a half."
"Oh, tough break." Luca comments.
"Tell me about it. If I hear one more time about how big of a step this is for Jade to open a café here, I'm going to scream."
I smirk to myself at how easily annoyed Fredrick is. His demeanour changes each time I meet him, something I don't think I'll ever get used to. He can be happy and helpful one moment, angry and driven the next, then annoyed and bored. All of which can happen within a short space of time which can make it hard to comprehend at times.
"Where the hell were you two, anyway?" Fredrick's brow furrows as he stares at Luca. "You told me after our meeting with the lawyers that you'd be here at seven forty–five. No earlier. No later."
"Can't rush perfection, my friend," Luca smirks.
He takes a step back and holds his arms out to showcase his chosen outfit for tonight – much like what Fredrick is wearing but all in navy and black – then points to me. I gawk at him and reach my arm out as far back as I can and hit him hard on the upper arm.
"Don't you dare blame me," I warn. "I was the one waiting on you."
After showering quickly and doing my hair, leaving it down with light waves running through it, I focused mainly on my make–up. I sat for a total of thirty minutes – double my usual time – doing my make–up so it was perfect for tonight. I focused more on getting it right so the shades I picked went with my dress than I usually do. I didn't want to clash with my dress, nor did I want to go overboard and have people look at me like I'm an idiot who can't do something as simple as applying make–up properly.
"That's what all the women say when they're running late to something with their partner," Luca teases with a cheeky grin.
I roll my eyes and he steps back to the table, placing a hand to the stem of his champagne glass.
"Anyway," I say loudly, changing the subject before the pair start an impromptu war of words, "are you still being hassled by that company trying to buy you out?"
"Now more than anything," Fredrick answers.
"We need to do something different that will make them stop coming after us," Luca adds.
"Like what?" I probe.
"We have a few ideas but nothing set in stone," Fredrick replies. He stares down at his glass and runs a finger over the rim of it a few times before sighing. "What we were going to do, we can't do because they will know that that would have been our move."
"They seem to know our next move before we do," Luca complains through a sigh that matches Fredrick's.
"Whatever we do go with, it will have to be done quickly. I'm starting to dread opening my emails in the mornings."
I raise a brow at Fredrick. "Can't you block them?"
"I would if it was coming directly from them but they're going through the lawyers and I can't block them."
"We can't get them done for harassment because they're doing it the legal way. If they weren't, they'd have two very big lawsuits on their hands."
"Then why don't you make it seem like they're doing it the illegal way?" I suggest.
"Because then we'd be seen as playing dirty and they've got the evidence on their side that shows they're going by the law."
"I don't see why you can't threaten them with a lawsuit if they keep pestering you."
Luca and Fredrick fall silent and I finish my champagne in peace, not really noticing how quiet they've gone until my glass is completely empty. I place the empty glass down and look at the two men staring at me.
"What?" I shrug.
"Your girlfriend may have a point," Fredrick says, pointing at me. He looks at Luca and points his finger to the table as he carries on speaking. "If we go to the lawyers and tell them that this whole thing is beginning to affect our families–"
"Which it is," Jade butts in, joining us at the table. We look at her. "Sorry to intrude but I couldn't help but feel left out of this conversation."
Fredrick smiles at her then continues like she was here all along. "–it's technically classed as affecting our personal lives which neither of us wants. We keep work separate from our personal lives and we're technically only defending our families now."
"But we're really protecting our business," Luca grins.
"And the ones who kick you out to work each morning," Jade adds, nodding to me with a toothy smile.
Luca pulls his phone free from his blazer pocket. "I'll call Trent to set up a meeting with the lawyers for tomorrow morning."
"Make it lunchtime." Fredrick pulls Jade in close to his side and grins at her. "I'm planning on enjoying tonight while I can as that will be a massive weight lifted off my shoulders."
Luca rolls his eyes and leaves the table. "I'm sure you will."
I shake my head and avert my eyes away from the married couple. I search the packed café for Luca and find his standing off to the side with Carlo standing close by. His phone is pressed firmly to his ear as he speaks, his free hand making hand gestures as he speaks.
I can't help but smile at him.
It doesn't matter how many times I see Luca in business mode, it's always a fascinating sight to see. He's gone from a boy who always preferred comfort over style when it came to clothes, to a man who likes both but prefers to be stylish when wearing comfortable clothes. He slips in and out of professional mode so easily, like he's done it all his life but I know he hasn't. His dad did and does, his mum lesser so.
I can't recall a time when I last saw his mum in casual clothes. She's always been in work attire or similar which would make sense because she always seems to be in work mode. His dad is more relaxed than her but they do say that opposites attract and those two are complete opposites.
"So, Kaylee, when are you going to be gracing us with your presence back in New York?" I hear Jade query faintly, bringing me back to the hear and now.
I look at her.
"I don't actually know for sure," I shrug. "I know I've to meet my boss in New York at some point next week with a fellow employee but I don't know when that will be. I also have my work here which will no doubt pick back up now this event is done."
"Shame," Jade pouts. "I was hoping you'd be coming back with us tomorrow night. I could be doing with you there to help me keep those two in line."
"You've handled it pretty well long before I came on the scene. I'm sure you'll survive."
"I know but Luca won't listen to me like he does you."
"Just threaten him with me and he'll do whatever it is he needs to do," I wink.
"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind." She points to me and grins.
I laugh softly as Luca re-joins us. He doesn't meet anyone's eye, only stares at the table before him and wraps an arm around my waist, drawing me in closer to his side.
"Mmm, what's with the face?" Fredrick asks, in the middle of swallowing some wine from Jade's glass.
"I . . . I need to return to New York . . . tonight."
"Why?"
"Has something happened?" Jade asks quietly.
I turn my body to face him more directly. "Luca, what's happened?"
"I . . ."
I place my hands on his chest. "Talk to us."
He takes a deep breath and looks at me.
"Someone has been tailing my parents for the past month or so," he begins.
"Tailing as in following?" Jade validates.
Luca nods. "It gets worse."
"How can it get worse?"
"My father went to my apartment and found Louisa's playroom, my office, and both hers and my bedroom all trashed. There were unspeakable things written over the walls and things pinned to the walls and doors on the way to the rooms. I don't know what of but according to Trent, it doesn't sound pleasant."
"How did they get in?"
"No one knows. It could have been someone pretending to be a delivery man or one of our many staff, someone who works in the building – the list is endless of who it could be."
"Was your father alone when he saw what had happened?"
"My mother and Louisa were about to walk into the apartment behind him when he saw the things on the walls. He told them to go back to the car and go to their apartment while he investigated it."
Luca stops speaking and looks up at the ceiling, his eyes blinking frantically to try and prevent his obvious tears from falling. I hug Luca tightly and his arms tighten around me, pulling me into his embrace as tight and as far as he can get me without hurting me.
"Luca, I'm so sorry." Jade breathes.
"I don't care about the apartment," Luca goes on. His head falls and I can feel his lips on the top of my head as he speaks. "I care that it was clearly something to do with my daughter and myself but they've been tailing my parents to try and get to me."
"My father called Trent to have the security system changed immediately and for the plane to be ready to take us back."
"What's the police saying about it? Was anything tampered with?" Fredrick questions.
"I won't know any more until we get there."
"I'm coming with you," I sniff, pulling back from him so I can look at him.
"No." He shakes his head. His hands move to grasp my shoulders. "You have work here that you have to deal with."
"I don't care." My hands grip each side of his blazer tightly at the bottom. "I'm going with you whether you like it or not."
"We all are," Jade chimes in.
"I need to go right now," Luca says softly.
"And we're all going with you," Fredrick says firmly, hoping his tone of voice will get through his best friend's head so he knows we're going with him irrespective of what he says. "If whoever has done this to you, they will no doubt try it with us. I could be the same person who is after our company that's done this. It's too much of a coincidence."
"Alright," Luca nods. He lets go of my shoulders and reaches for my hand, grasping it tighter than he's ever done before. "Let's go."