𝟽. "... 𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛"

TRAVIS'S P.O.V

The double doors were pulled open, and the entire room fell silent. Conversations halted, heads turned, and all eyes landed on us.

I paused at the entrance, taking in the grand hall, the polished floors, the gleaming chandeliers, the sea of expectant faces. The weight of old promises settled on my chest—I had sworn never to step foot in this building again. And yet, here I was, breaking my own vow.

At the podium, the man of the hour faltered. His speech came to an abrupt stop, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. A muscle in his jaw ticked, his fingers tightening over the edges of the stand. I sucked in a breath, smoothing out my blazer as I strode forward, unfazed by the attention. The shock in the room was almost palpable—none of them had expected me to come.

From the front row, my mother shot me a pointed look, disapproval etched in every line of her face. Raquel, on the other hand, offered a knowing smile. I made my way up the steps, settling in the row behind them, Silvano and Rafaelle flanking me on either side.

Unbuttoning my blazer, I turned my gaze back to the stage. Trent, still standing at the podium, scrambled to recover. We had cut him off mid-sentence, throwing off his practiced rhythm.

Clearing his throat, he forced a smile, masking his irritation beneath a veneer of professionalism. "Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, his voice steady but eyes burning with unspoken words, "my brother, the one and only, Travis Ferrari."

The room erupted into applause, a sound that barely registered. I remained seated, arms resting on the chair, my expression unreadable. I didn’t acknowledge the ovation. Trent and I were past pleasantries.

He pressed on, knowing better than to expect a reaction from me. "Alpha 3 is set to reach unprecedented heights, backed by increased investments and groundbreaking advancements. We are confident that the progress ahead will exceed your expectations."

Another round of claps, nods of approval, murmurs of agreement. That’s it? That’s how he convinces them? That’s how he keeps the shareholders in place?

They seemed satisfied, but I wasn’t impressed.

I checked my watch, barely masking my boredom. I had no intention of staying longer than necessary. As Trent wrapped up his speech with a polite bow, the applause swelled once more. Finally. This charade was over.

Leaning slightly toward Rafaelle, I issued quiet instructions. Without hesitation, he rose and slipped away. Around us, the crowd began to disperse, investors lingering to exchange a few final words with Trent.

I remained seated, watching, waiting. This was just the beginning.

I got up and headed down the stairs. "Uncle Travis!" Nico called out at once, running from his mother's arm. "Nico" he ran to me and I ruffled his hair.

"You're wearing a suit" I commented and he chuckled, looking down at himself. "Momma insisted, I hate the event, it was so loooooong... " he drawed.

"Nico!" She hushed him and Silvano chuckled behind me. He gets it. "It's necessary and you look fitted for it" I commended him.

"I want to be like you! " he beamed and I paused, nodding slowly. "Scelta sbagliata di modello da seguire  (𝚆𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚕)" Rosa muttered under her breath and I turned to her.

"Buonasera, madre (Good evening, Mother)" I greeted. "What convinced you to show up today?" She asked, shooting me a look and I glanced back at Trent who was still conversing with his associates.

"Definitely not for the crappy speech" Raquel murmured, causing me to smirk. "You both should be happy for him, would you have him revert back to his old ways?" She questioned and we both exchanged looks before shaking our head.

She scoffed in disbelief, walking away from us while muttering under his breath. "I'm glad you came" Raquel said, turning to me.

"I had to support him in a way" I answered, "You've supported him in every way, and he definitely doesn't deserve this one" she replied, glaring at him.

"Mama!" Nico drawled, pulling her arms. "I'm so hot in this" he complained, pulling his tie and I chuckled. "Why do you punish him with this events?" I asked and she grinned.

"Just giving him the basic Ferrari training, remember how it used to be at events. Father once made you give a speech at one of his alumni events, you remember that, right?"

The memories gnawed at the back of my mind and I looked away, a small smile on my lips. "I was 8 then"

"Then he should get used to it" she replied, pinching his cheeks and he groaned. "Boss... " Silvano called from behind, reminding me of where I needed to be in the next minutes.

I shot him a court nod before turning back to Raquel, "Every day, new henchmen" she muttered. "You haven't met Silvano, I should introduce-"

"I don't want to get involved" she immediately cut me off before taking her son by the hand. "See you in Italy" with that she headed out with Nico who still protested.

I watched them with as they exited the room, history was indeed repeating itself. "Brother!" Someone called from behind and I let out a breath, how could I forget this guy?

Trent appeared in front of me, a wide smile on his lips but I wasn't having it. That permanent scar slashed across his brows, reminding me of who he once was.

"Is Mother and Raquel leaving because I was approaching?" He asked, glancing back. "Yes" I answered and he chuckled, assuming I was joking.

"Sono felice che tu sia venuto (𝙸'𝚖 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚒𝚝)"

"And I'm leaving" I turned to walk out but his hands shot to my shoulder, stopping me, my gaze snapped to him immediately and he slowly lowered his hands and Silvano stepped forward to him. "Step away"

His gaze moved to his before moving back to mine, he mustered up a smile and did as he was ordered. "I thought we were gonna talk"

"I don't have the time"

"This is your first time paying heed to my invitation" he reminded and I nodded. "And you should be grateful, this is the last"

His smile slowly died down and I watched his eyes darken, now this is the side I knew, the side I wanted to see, not the other one —this is the real side. He glanced down, trying to hold himself back.

"You said if I proved myself, you would revoke my membership card and-"

"Brother" I interrupted, tapping his shoulder with a smile on my lips and he glanced down at my hand. "You still haven't proven yourself. You could deceive them with your...manifestos and all " I then chuckled, stepping forward to him.

"...Ma non mi hai convinto, puoi fare di meglio di così ( 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗'𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚎, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚍𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜)" I finished and his gaze met mine, they were ignited with a burning fury 𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚍, I was satisfied by his reaction.

"See you in Italy"

➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫➫

All this time, I've spent my life raking through leads and chasing whispers, combing through every city, every corner of the globe I could reach. I had carefully mapped out every possibility, following trails that led nowhere, interrogating shadows, only to come up empty-handed. And yet, all this time, the answer was far closer than I could've ever imagined.

She's been in Italy. Italy. Right under my nose. A place I hadn't thought to look, not because it didn't make sense, but because it made too much sense. She always had a way of hiding in plain sight. How could I have missed it? Out of all the places in the world she could've chosen, all the places she could disappear to, she's there. It shouldn't surprise me, but it does. It always does when it comes to her.

I placed the file down on the table, its weight feeling heavier than it should have. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind as I reached for the glass in front of me and took a long, deliberate gulp.

She never did anything without a reason. That was who she was now, who. I sensed she'd be-calculated, precise, always three steps ahead. Everything she's done over the past few years must've had a purpose, some larger scheme that I'd yet to piece together.

I didn't know what to feel. Relief? Or dread? After all this time, I wasn't sure I wanted to face her again. The memory of her had already carved itself deep into my brain.

I could still recall the last we met, we talked, we argued-no, not just saw her. Encountered her. She wasn't just someone you noticed; she was someone who altered you, rewired something in your very being.

And yet, back then, I hadn't really met her. Not the real her, at least. That came later, and when it did, it was both the best and worst thing that had ever happened to me.

Now, here she was again, tethering herself to my reality in a way I wasn't prepared for. There was too much I couldn't make sense of. Why was she working for RedCo? What game was she playing at the summit? And most of all, why now? What was her endgame?

I sighed heavily and stood up, pacing toward the floor-to-ceiling glass wall of my office. The skyline stretched out before me, cold and distant, much like how I felt in that moment. I pressed my palm against the glass, letting the cool surface ground me as I stared into the void.

What would I even say to her if we crossed paths again? What could I say after everything that had happened? The memories of how it all ended were like an open wound that refused to heal, and I couldn't decide if I wanted to confront her or keep my distance.

Did she remember? Did she remember the way it all unraveled? The way we unraveled? Or had she managed to do what I couldn't-forget?

Because I couldn't. No matter how far I ran, how many distractions I sought out, how many years I tried to bury it, I couldn't erase her. She was inescapable, an echo that followed me everywhere.

Every road led back to her, no matter how much I tried to reroute it. Every face I saw became a pale imitation of hers, and every moment I tried to move on was haunted by the shadow of what we once had-and what we lost.

And I know I don't look it, I came to be a different man but there was still...particles of the past.

I've been everywhere trying to escape her. Everywhere but there. I've avoided LA like a plague. It was the one place I couldn't bring myself to go, the one city I knew would break me if I set foot in it. But now, it was inevitable. I would have to face it and the pieces of my past I've spent years trying to ignore.

What would it be like without her? What had it become without her? The thought twisted in my chest, leaving me breathless. I wasn't ready to find out, but I didn't have a choice anymore.

As I stood there, staring out at the cityscape, I felt the weight of her presence, even in her absence. Italy, LA, RedCo-it didn't matter. No matter where she was, she'd always be here. With me. A ghost I couldn't exorcise, a memory I couldn't escape.

And I knew that no matter how this ended, whether I faced her or let her slip through my fingers again, I would never be the same.

I couldn't be.

Not after everything.