They reached Lucia and Maria, who were deep in conversation near the villa's outdoor lounge area. Both women greeted him with warm, polite smiles as Alyssa proudly introduced her son.
"Lucia, Maria, I'm sure you've already met my son, but I wanted to introduce him properly," Alyssa said, almost bubbling with pride. "He tells me your family has helped him so much! I can't thank you enough for giving him a platform to grow."
Lucia shot Martin a knowing glance, her smile hiding a mix of amusement and understanding. She had long figured out that Martin had been downplaying his role, pushing all the credit for his success onto the Cross family name.
Maria, with her sharp EQ, instantly caught onto the narrative as well. Both women were shrewd enough to play along, sensing that Martin was trying to hide his true capabilities from his family for reasons only he knew.
