Luca's face turned red, and he felt a surge of anger run through his veins. This was the last thing he needed.
"Annabelle, this is not the time or the place," Luca snapped. "You need to leave."
"No, I will not leave until everyone knows the truth! You abandoned me and our child! You thought you could just erase us from your life, but I'm not going to let you." Annabelle ignored him.
Luca felt embarrassed at that moment and his anger reached boiling point. He clenched his jaw, fighting to maintain control.
"Get her out of here," Luca ordered sharply, turning to the nearest security guard. "Now."
The guard moved swiftly, approaching Annabelle. "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises."
"You can't do this to me! I have every right to be here. I need to confront him!" Annabelle's eyes widened in shock, but she did not back down immediately.
"Please, come with me. We don't want to escalate this further." The guard said calmly.
She pushed against the guard's hold.
"Let me go! You can't do this to me!" she screamed. "Luca! You coward, come out here and face me!"
The guard maintained his grip, but Annabelle resisted.
She twisted her body, pulling away from the guard's hold, and with a sudden jerk, she managed to break free.
She stumbled forward, breathing heavily.
"I'm not leaving until you hear me out, Luca!" Annabelle shouted, her voice echoing down the corridor just outside the hall.
"You think you can just throw me away like some dirty secret?"
Without thinking, he stormed out of the hall.
He approached Annabelle with long strides, with a dark blazing look.
"Annabelle, enough. I'm warning you, leave now, or I'll drag you out myself."
Annabelle turned to face him. "You don't get to decide when this ends, Luca! You abandoned me and our child, and I won't stay quiet!"
Luca's anger flared."You're making a scene. This is your last chance. Leave. Now."
Just then, Miguel appeared.
"Luca, don't engage with her. This is what she wants. Let the guards handle it."
Luca clenched his teeth, his gaze still locked on Annabelle, who was now glaring at him. The words Miguel had spoken rang true, but it was hard to let go and not handle the situation himself.
"Look at you," Annabelle spat. "You can't even face the truth! You're nothing but a liar, hiding behind your news money and your family's name. You're pathetic, Luca. You were once a nobody, and you needed me!"
Miguel's hand tightened slightly on Luca's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "
She's not worth it," Miguel whispered into Luca's ear. "Let the guards do their job. Walk away."
Luca felt his muscles tense, but he forced himself to take a deep breath. He turned to Miguel. "I can't let her ruin this night."
"And she won't, unless you let her," Miguel replied calmly. "Your focus should be on the future of the family's empire, not on someone trying to pull you into the past."
Luca's mind raced, battling between his anger and the logic of Miguel's words.
He knew Miguel was right. Annabelle's outburst was nothing more than a desperate attempt to drag him down. He couldn't afford to lose control now, not when so much was at stake.
Slowly, Luca nodded, signaling to the guards with a brief glance.
As they turned to walk away, Annabelle's voice rose again.
"You'll regret this, Luca! You can't escape your responsibilities forever! I'll make sure everyone knows what kind of man you really are!"
Her curses followed them as Luca and Miguel reentered the hall.
The guards moved swiftly, grabbing Annabelle once more, this time more firmly.
Her shouting grew louder, her voice echoing down the hall, but Luca didn't turn back.
Miguel leaned in as they walked. "She's desperate, Luca. She wants a reaction out of you, but you're smarter than that. You've got bigger things to handle."
Luca nodded. "I can't believe she came back and did that. Here, of all places."
"You expected her to let things go for you easily ?" Miguel gave him a pointed look. "You're a La Russo now. People will always want something from you, and when they can't get it, they'll try to tear you down. It's part of the game."
The words hit home. Luca knew all too well how the world worked. Annabelle's outburst wasn't just about the past or her accusations, it was about control.
Behind them, Annabelle's curses continued to echo, but they were growing fainter as the guards led her further away from the hall.
"You did the right thing," Miguel assured him. "Let her rant and rave. It won't change anything. You're focused on the empire, and that's what matters."
Luca looked around the hall, the murmurs of the crowd filled his ears. Business people and guests had already begun to return to their conversations, though a few curious glances were still thrown his way.
"You're right," Luca said, trying to make himself feel better. "This is just a distraction. I have bigger things to deal with."
"Exactly. Let's get back to work." Miguel said softly.
With that, Luca straightened his suit, then he mingled with the crowd.