Luca tried to mask the shocking look on his face as Miguel spoke up.
"Luca!" Miguel exclaimed, moving closer to him. "It's really you, huh?" He extended a hand and his smile widened. "I'm so happy that I am finally meeting you."
Luca took his hand, shaking it, but there was a hesitation in his eyes.
"Yeah... nice to meet you," he said, still trying to process everything. He had only just learned about his family, and now he was standing face-to-face with the cousin who could potentially take everything away.
He felt intimidated, but he didn't dare show it.
May La Russo smiled at the sight of the two of them together. "Miguel, why don't you take Luca out for a while? You two need to catch up, bond a little."
"Hey, what of me?" Rosa chipped in.
"Rosa!" Miguel turned at the sound of her voice. He left Luca's side and rushed in Rosa's direction.
"You're even prettier than what Aunt May described you as being," Miguel said.
"Thank you." Rosa responded softly.
"So back to what I was saying?" May La Russo interjected.
"Yeah, the outing." Miguel grinned. "Of course! I know just the perfect place for Luca and I. Come on, Luca, let's get out of here for a bit. You'll love it."
"Rosa! You will be staying with me," May La Russo said softly. "Remember we have to plan you and your brother's welcome-back party."
Rosa nodded.
"Bye Rosa." Luca said as he followed Miguel behind.
They left the mansion together, and soon enough, Miguel drove them to an upscale restaurant in the city.
The moment they stepped inside, it was clear that Miguel was someone of importance. People nodded, greeted him with respect, and whispered as he passed.
"Mr. Miguel! Welcome back!" The maître d' rushed over, bowing slightly. "Your usual table is ready."
Miguel turned to Luca with a grin. "See? This is how you get treated when you've been around long enough."
Luca chuckled awkwardly, still feeling like an outsider. They were escorted to a prime table by the window, and just as they were settling in, Luca spotted a familiar face in the distance. Coleman.
Coleman was lounging at the bar, sipping a drink, when his eyes landed on Luca. He smirked, and he stood up, walking over with an arrogant stride.
"Well, well, well… look who it is," Coleman mocked.
"Luca, what are you doing here? Thought you couldn't afford places like this, or I know why you're. I heard you got fired at your last job." He continued.
Luca clenched his jaw but said nothing. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Coleman , but Coleman didn't seem to care.
"I'm so sorry that happened." Coleman continued with a sneer. "But it was all your fault . In fact—" he turned to the restaurant owner, his voice loud enough for everyone nearby to hear, "I wouldn't let you ruin another person's business. Mr Jackson, if you are planning to offer a job to this filthy fellow over here, I would warn you that he's bad luck and would ruin your business."
The restaurant owner looked uncomfortable, glancing between Coleman and Luca, unsure of what to do. Miguel, who had been quietly observing, finally stood up.
"Excuse me," Miguel said, stepping in between Luca and Coleman. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
Coleman blinked, thrown off by Miguel's sudden presence. "Who are you?"
Miguel took a step closer. "I'm Miguel La Russo. And this—" he gestured to Luca, "—is my cousin. So I suggest you rethink how you're speaking to him."
Coleman's face paled slightly at the mention of the La Russo name. He took a step back, his bravado fading. "La Russo…?"
"Yes," Miguel said, his eyes locked on Coleman. "And if you don't want to find yourself in serious trouble, I recommend you leave. Now."
Coleman stood frozen for a while, then he turned, mumbling under his breath as he walked away.
Once Coleman was out of sight, the restaurant owner bowed apologetically to both Miguel and Luca.
"I'm so sorry for the disturbance, Mr. La Russo," the owner said. "Please, let me know if there's anything I can do to make your evening more comfortable."
Miguel waved him off. "It's fine. Just make sure my cousin gets treated with the respect he deserves from now on."
The owner nodded before hurrying away. Luca, still processing what had just happened, looked over at Miguel.
"You didn't have to do that," Luca said quietly, sitting back down.
Miguel smiled, shrugging. "Of course I did. You're family. And around here, families look out for each other."
Luca didn't know what to say. He had spent so much of his life feeling alone, and now here was someone, standing up for him.
"Thanks," Luca finally muttered, glancing at the table. "I… I don't know how to feel about all this yet. It's still sinking in."
Miguel nodded, "I get it, Luca. You've been through a lot. But now that you're back, we've got your back. You don't have to fight alone anymore."
As they waited for the food, Luca found himself glancing around the restaurant. The high ceilings, polished wood, and hushed voices all gave the place a sense of sophistication that felt foreign to him. He still couldn't quite grasp how he had gone from barely scraping by to sitting in a fancy restaurant.
Miguel, noticing Luca's distracted gaze, leaned forward with a knowing smile. "You don't have to think too deeply about this, do you do that right?"
Luca shifted his focus back to his cousin, unsure of how to answer. "Yeah... I'm trying," he admitted. "But I can't get over the fact that , one day, I'm trying to make ends meet, and the next, I'm part of this... empire. It's a lot to take in."
"It is a lot, I'll give you that. But trust me, you'll get the hang of it. Running the company... it's not as bad as it seems once you get into the rhythm of things."
Luca raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of that," he began, leaning slightly forward, "what exactly does running the company involve? I mean, I'm supposed to take over, but I have no idea where to even start."
Miguel took a sip of his drink, before he spoke.
"Alright, I'll give you a quick breakdown," he said, setting the glass down.