Luigi Giovanni sat in his luxurious office, the sprawling city of Milan visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him. His hands rested on the polished mahogany desk, but his mind was far from the documents and reports scattered across its surface.
Instead, he was haunted by the vision of her—the girl in the red dress from the seminar.
Her elegance, her quiet beauty, the way she had slipped into the hall like she didn't know she had the power to steal the breath of everyone who saw her. But most infuriatingly, Nico had been talking to her.
And then there was Nico—Nico, of all people—casually chatting with her as if she were just another classmate.
Luigi clenched his jaw, the memory of his younger brother leaning close to her, smiling, speaking casually. It was obvious they knew each other, but Luigi would rather swallow nails than ask Nico about her. As the elder Giovanni, it would bruise his pride to show interest, especially to Nico, who would never let him hear the end of it.
He shook his head, trying to banish the thoughts. She's just a woman, he told himself. Focus on work.
An Unwelcome Visitor
The sound of his office door opening pulled Luigi out of his reverie. He didn't need to look up to know who it was. The clack of designer heels and the faint waft of an expensive perfume announced her presence before she even spoke.
"Hey, baby," Maria cooed as she sauntered into the room, her tight red dress hugging her figure like a second skin.
Luigi's jaw clenched involuntarily. Normally, he would tolerate Maria's theatrics without much thought, but today was different. The sight of the red dress brought Lily crashing back into his mind. The comparison was stark—Maria's exaggerated attempts to impress versus Lily's effortless grace.
He didn't realize he'd completely spaced out until Maria tapped his arm. "Baby, are you okay?" she asked, her tone laced with feigned concern.
Luigi blinked, forcing himself back to the present. "Yes, I'm fine," he said, his voice steady but detached.
Maria didn't seem to notice—or didn't care. She perched on the edge of his desk, crossing her legs and launching into a monologue about her upcoming birthday, her plans for a shopping spree, and the exclusive party she was expecting him to fund.
Luigi nodded at the appropriate moments, his mind wandering again.
Why can't I get her out of my head? he wondered, thinking of Lily. There was something so unassuming about her, yet so captivating. And the fact that she was a scholarship student under his company's program only added another layer to his intrigue.
As Maria continued to ramble, Luigi's thoughts circled back to the way Lily had glanced at him during the seminar, her eyes wide with curiosity before she quickly looked away.
Who is she?
He didn't have the answer yet, but one thing was certain—he was determined to find out.