Mistakenly Yours: Contract Marriage With The Billionaire-Chapter 79: His reserved wife

Chapter 79: His reserved wife
Michael lowered the morning edition of the newspaper with a slow, deliberate movement. A deep, heavy frown immediately carved lines into his forehead, shadowing his eyes.
Vinni, watching his reaction with cool, detached intensity, smoothly lowered herself onto the adjacent seat on the breakfast banquette. She leaned in, her gaze drifting to the bold headlines on the front page her husband had just been scrutinizing.
"Sara has pulled our son into her family’s mess again," Vinni stated, her voice quiet but laced with corrosive judgment. "Do you still, truly, believe she is the right woman for Luca?" she taunted, allowing a hint of triumph to color the question.
"That," Michael countered, his tone clipped, "is Sara’s personal family affair."
Vinni maintained her perfectly calm facade. "And when exactly are you going to finally see that the girl is merely using Luca, and his considerable influence, to polish her own tarnished image? Everyone knows what she did to the Falcone Industries stock value. Now, she’s conveniently managed to deviate the public’s attention entirely, shifting the blame from herself to her step brother."
Michael didn’t respond immediately. He took the newspaper, folded it with sharp precision, and set it decisively on the polished marble table, pushing the negative narrative out of sight.
"Luca didn’t involve himself in this simply for a ’mere business’ advantage, Vinni," he finally explained.
"He has always been secretive about everything he does, always operating in the shadows, just like his grandfather. I don’t want him to create distance from us. And Sara is the one, the only one, who can bring him back closer. She is the anchor who can stop Luca from following the same dangerous path my father ultimately took."
Vinni shook her head slowly "I don’t think I can agree with your assessment, Michael," she stated. "I gave birth to Luca. And because I remained obsessively focused on my career during those initial years when I should have been focused entirely on him, he ended up being profoundly influenced by his grandfather."
Her eyes held a flash of pain and self-reproach. "He doesn’t just tolerate that life; he finds a strange kind of pleasure in that work. He won’t simply change his nature just because Sara decides she wants him to."
Michael decided to pivot, dismissing her deep-seated anxieties with a sudden, forced cheerfulness.
"We haven’t planned a single gesture for them since their wedding," he suggested, his face brightening with a paternal smile. "Let’s invite them to stay here with us for a few days." He rubbed his hands together. "Then, we can organize a small, intimate party, just within the family, and formally introduce Sara to the rest of the circle."
"Don’t forget the core detail, honey," Vinni gently reminded him. "They are in a contract marriage."
"But they did have an official wedding ceremony, Vinni, in front of everyone who matters," Michael countered. He leaned in eagerly. "Just call Sara now. Tell her it’s time to act like a De Augustino daughter-in-law and ask her to come stay here with Luca for a few days."
Vinni looked at her husband and nodded once, choosing to indulge his hope rather than prolong the argument.
~~~~
Sara put down the comb on the dressing table and picked up the lipstick when her phone rang. She rose to her feet and went to the bed. Grabbing it, she found the call was from Vinni.
Quickly, she answered the call and brought it to her ear.
"Good morning, Mother," Sara greeted her. Last time when she was in her in-laws house, Michael told her to call them ’Father’ and ’Mother’.
"Morning. How are you doing?" Vinni asked from the other side.
"I’m well," Sara replied awkwardly. "What about you, Mother?"
"I was all good until I read the first headline in the morning," Vinni remarked.
Sara stopped blinking, wondering what was Vinni referring to. ’Is it about the last night?’ she the. thought.
"Well, let’s meet later. When will you be free?" Vinni asked, breaking her thoughts.
"I-I will be free at any time. You should tell me when I should see you," said Sara humbly.
"Hmm. Then, let’s have lunch together. I will inform you via message about the restaurant," Vinni asserted.
This continuation moves the focus back to Sara and introduces a new, playful tension with Luca, highlighting the distance in their contract marriage.
"Okay, Mother," Sara answered.
"And Sara," Vinni added, "Don’t tell Luca." Then, the line went dead.
Sara slowly lowered the phone, her mind immediately beginning to dissect the exchange. "Don’t tell Luca... What does she want to talk about over lunch that requires secrecy?" she murmured to herself.
A voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Sara, please. Can you hand over the towel? The cabinet in here is unexpectedly bare," Luca requested.
Leaving the phone on the bed, she moved to the linen cupboard. She pulled out a clean towel, walked to the washroom door, and tapped lightly. Luca opened the door just a crack, and extended a bare arm and hand.
She held the towel out with caution, ensuring her fingers were just beyond his reach. This was an old, classic move she’d seen in countless films where the husband would use the towel handover as an excuse to pull his wife into the washroom.
Luca attempted the same. As his fingers brushed the fabric, he tried to secure his grip on her wrist, but Sara was faster. She instantly took a sharp step back, maintaining the required distance.
The towel fell to the floor.
"Pick it up yourself," Sara said.
"You really want me to step out here naked just to grab a piece of cloth?" Luca challenged, a smirk audible in his voice.
However, the only response was the deep silence of the room. He waited a few seconds, then swiftly peeked out the door. The room was empty. Sara was gone.
Luca chuckled softly, running his fingers through his damp, dark hair. He reached down for the towel, and walked confidently into the bedroom in his trousers.
He had intended to tease her, to push the boundaries of their arrangement, but his reserved wife hadn’t given him the chance.