"So...why don't you sign here and here?" Brad suggested. "Either way, you'll be handing over your rights as a CEO. Sounds like a plan?"
"No. No, that does not sound like a plan," Luca exclaimed. "How can you do this to me?"
"My company, my wishes. You effed up and now you have to pay," Lexi replied smugly.
"And considering that you never like being there, it's better you keep your distance." Brad pushed the papers towards Luca. "Here. I'd advise you...make your decision now or I'll make it for you."
I tried not to laugh, but it was hard. Luca was finally getting a taste of his own medicine. And I'm here to witness it! The laugh pushed past my lips and filled the near empty living room. Luca threw me what looked like a death glare. Brad just pretended like he was hearing anything. Lexi sort of smiled and looked down. I swear I saw her shoulders shaking.
"I apologize," I said once I'd calmed down. "I'll take my leave. Call me in the morning, Lexi and I'll call you again, Brad, when I'm finished tonight."
"Sounds good." He nodded.
I left the house with a smile on my face. Luca didn't know what was coming for him. In no time, he's gonna wish he hadn't messed with Lexi like that. She's a nice person when she wants to be, and I'm sure Luca messed that up for her whenever she was with him. It's not wise to take a woman's children and hope she never wants them back. Though Lexi has been acting strange over the past couple of days, she'll come to eventually.
⭕⭕⭕⭕⭕
I guess even after all the warnings and threats, Luca didn't get it. It hasn't been more than two hours since I left him with Lexi and Brad. What makes him think that I won't do anything about it? What makes him think that taunting a woman with her children won't mess her up? He's got another thing coming if he believes he still has the upper hand.
What Luca didn't know was that I had a few friends in town. He'd finally get a taste of his own medicine once again. If he wants to act like he's invincible, then I'll do the same. Except I am invincible.
Ian pulled up at my house not too long after I arrived. Takeout was already on the way, so I was hoping the girls would get it when they arrived. He took refuge in my living room, but when I walked in, he wasn't there. I found him standing in front of the door leading to my basement. Did he have a thing with Brad or his father when he was younger, too? Wouldn't put it past them to not involve him with their activities.
"Looking for something?" I asked.
"No." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "The door just reminded me of something when I was younger. Makes me want to take Luca down there and kill him."
"In due time, Ian. It won't be long before we have him under lock at key."
"How can you be so sure?"
I led him back to the living room. Of course I knew what we were about to do was going to send Luca to jail. If I wasn't sure, then I wouldn't have invited him over. None of them.
"Don't worry." I smiled. "I have a plan and I need you and the girls to help me with it."
"Do I get to hurt Luca?"
"Depends on how he reacts to our threats."
"Then, I'm in."
We occupied ourselves with our phones and searched for rumors about Luca until the takeout and, fortunately, the girls arrived. We ate while looking through pictures that had been taken secretly of Luca and women Lexi hadn't known about. Callie was able to identify some of them, so we knew which women had been with Luca multiple times and which ones had been flings. We ended the presentation with a photo of Luca and Sha'Kayla on the beach.
Ian finally broke the silence.
"Besides pictures, what else do you guys have?" he asked.
"Glad you asked," Katherine replied. "Callie helped me with this part, but I just wanted to let you guys know. I've contacted every reporting agency my family has an influence over around the world. If this goes as planned, Luca will be all over the news everywhere. It won't be long before everyone knows what a cheater he is."
"And a liar."
"And an abuser."
Everyone looked at me like I'd said Luca brought the women he cheated with to his house. It's not like it was something new. I thought Ian knew.
"What did you say?" Ian demanded.
"He's an abuser," I repeated. "Did you guys not notice during the gala? Lexi kept her head down most of the night when she wasn't talking to anyone."
"We all haven't seen her in so long. How would we have noticed? Not unless we were actually staring at her," Callie defended. "...And I didn't peg Luca as a wife beater."
"No one did. Even I thought he had enough respect for Brad not to hurt her." I sighed. "I said something about it that night and Luca told me it wasn't any of my business. I didn't know about the divorce until Lexi said something."
"We all didn't. I thought they were a happy couple." Katherine shook her head. "I can see why she didn't want to bring him along when Callie came with her husband."
"Or that time when she claimed she was sick after she told me Luca came home drunk one night. She wouldn't let me come in and see her."
"Well, it's over for him. He can't touch her anymore." Ian looked at me. "After you get any information about that, send it all to Kat. I can't have my sister not getting revenge on him."
"She already did."
I explained to everyone how Brad helped Lexi kick Luca from his position at Luxury Therapy. I didn't get to see it all happen, but I know Luca can't convince them to change their minds with his lawyer locked in the basement. Of course I didn't tell them that part. They need to see the good side of Lexi. The fight side. Not the cheating and conniving side.
Vincent ended up coming home from a friend's house just a few minutes after the girls went to pick up some food. Ian was in the kitchen on the phone, so I saw his struggle to keep from tackling his uncle. Ian's back was to him, so he didn't see anything. By the time the girls returned with the food, Vinnie was just about to tackle him.
"Tante Calico!" he yelled and threw himself at Callie.
"Vince!" Callie hugged him tight. "How have you been, mon amour?"
"Assez bien." Katherine found her way around the two and set the food down in the living room. "Tante Kitty."
"Bonjour, mon chéri." Kat kissed his cheeks and pulled him to a chair. "Sit here. I knew you'd be home sooner or later, so I got you Chicken Basquaise."
"Really? So late at night?"
"I have friends, mon chéri."
"Ok. Alright. Let's get to it." Ian walked into the living room with a smile. "Yo, Vinnie," he said in a faux Italian accent. "How are you, my boy?"
"I'm good, Uncle D." Vinnie fist-bumped him. "Now...are we gonna pretend to be Italian or figure out how I can get in on messing up Uncle Thompson?"