Chapter 107

• LUCA
• Days went by and my vita and I settled into a routine of sorts. Most mornings she would join me in the gym, usually arriving just as I finished my own workout, and we would go over her self-defense lessons. Although Enzo had warned me, I was surprised by the ferociousness with which she attacked the techniques. And she would be an excellent fighter if she would just get out of her own head, but more times than not, she couldn’t believe she could do it, and so she couldn’t, even though she insisted on trying over and over until she was so exhausted I brought our lessons to a close and sent her off to get a shower and some food.
• In the afternoons—and some evenings—while Veda helped Lisa or read outside on one of the decks, I dealt with my amily’s business dealings. After my last visit with my father, I knew he would never willingly hand everything over to me. It didn’t matter that I was the son who had stayed, the one that put himself at risk so he could remain safe in the confines of his home. It didn’t matter what I did, he would never see me as anything other than the baby boy who would help baby birds get back into their nests when they fell, just one action among many that lessened my worth in his eyes. He thought I had no backbone because I treated employees like Lisa with kindness and respect. Because I watched over those who belonged to me. So no, I would never be handed over the position of Boss.