Chapter 138 A meeting in San Diego

Chapter 138 A meeting in San Diego

Carlino’s POV

Moving to New York had been one of the hardest decisions I had ever made. Not because the city was unfamiliar or because the work was heavy, but because staying here meant staying away from Lina. From Tesoro. From the only place that had ever felt like home in a way I could not explain even to myself.

I had forced restraint into my bones like it was something permanent. I did not look her up. I did not ask questions about her. I did not let Aiden slip her name into conversations unless it was absolutely necessary. It was the only way I could keep myself from breaking every promise I made to leave her life untouched.

The house Aiden got for me sat high above the city, glass walls overlooking the restless lights of New York. Everything inside was designed for function, not comfort. It had everything a man like me would need—office space, security systems, silence thick enough to drown thoughts.

But it did not have warmth. It did not have her. It had only been a couple of hours since I moved in here, and I was already in office.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the pile of files on my desk. Months of neglect turned into organized chaos. Aiden had been managing everything in my absence—restaurants, hotels, real estate, every expanding branch of my empire in New York. He had done it without complaint, without hesitation.

That alone should have reassured me. Instead, it only reminded me how much I had abandoned. My fingers pressed into my temples as I shut my eyes for a moment. The silence in the room felt heavier than noise. I could almost hear thoughts I did not want to hear.

A knock broke through it. “Come in,” I said flatly.

The door opened and Aiden stepped inside. One look at his face and I already knew. Something was wrong.

“There’s a problem on ground, Carlino,” he said carefully, like each word weighed too much to be spoken quickly.

I didn’t move. “Spill it.”

He exhaled slowly. “The land we were supposed to buy for the shopping mall construction… the owner is refusing to sell.”

My jaw tightened slightly. “Refusing?”

“Yes. And it’s the only viable location for the project. If we lose it, the entire blueprint shifts. Costs will increase. Timeline will double.”

I stood slowly, walking toward the window instead of looking at him. “Then fix it.”

“I’ve tried. He won’t agree to meetings with the team. He insists on dealing with someone personally.”

“Then I’ll meet him.”

Aiden hesitated. That hesitation irritated me more than the problem itself.

“But Carlino—”

“We won’t discuss this,” I cut in sharply, turning back to him. “Set the meeting. I don’t care where it is or how far I have to go. We get that land.”

He exhaled again, but nodded. “There are other people we can assign for this.”

A cold smile touched my lips, but it wasn’t warmth. It was something closer to disbelief. “Other people?”

Aiden’s eyes flickered.

“People I already pay to do their jobs but couldn't do it?” I continued, voice lowering. “People who are supposed to handle negotiations and close deals without dragging me into it but instead failed to fulfill their assigned jobs?”

Silence.

My tone sharpened. “Get them for me.”

Aiden didn’t argue this time. “Okay.”

He left the room, and I sat there longer than necessary, staring at nothing. Somewhere between silence and thought, Lina slipped in again. Not her name. Not her face. Just the feeling of her.

And I hated how easily it still reached me.

\~~~

They stood in front of my desk, shifting uncomfortably, trying to explain delays, miscommunication, missed calls, failed negotiations. I listened without interruption.

When they finished, I leaned back slightly. “You were paid to make decisions,” I said calmly. “Not to give me excuses.”

One of them tried to speak. “Sir, if we had more time—”

“You had time,” I interrupted. My gaze didn’t move. “You wasted it, you couldn't convice him. If I have to be the one to do your jobs for you, then I don't need you all in this company anymore.” The room went still, I could feel the tension that was brewing inside this place.

I slid a folder forward. “Your termination letters will be sent to your emails. Security will escort you out.”

The firings was clean. No raised voices from my side. No emotional breakdowns from theirs. Just cold professionalism that cut deeper than anger ever could. And the sounds of people realizing too late that they had already been replaced in the system I controlled.

When the door closed behind them, Aiden remained standing near the side, watching me carefully.

“You didn’t hesitate,” he said quietly.

I picked up another file. “Hesitation is expensive.”

He didn’t respond after that, neither did I. He simply just sighed leaving.

\~~~

The day passed faster than I expected. One meeting bled into another until my entire schedule became a blur of discussions, reports, and decisions. By the time I finally left the office, a dull ache had settled behind my eyes, and my head felt heavier than it had that morning.

Darkness had already swallowed the city when I arrived home. The house welcomed me with the same silence it always did. No laughter echoed through the halls. No voices drifted from another room. Nothing. Just stillness.

I loosened my tie as I walked inside and eventually dropped onto the edge of my bed. My body was exhausted, every muscle begging for rest, yet sleep remained frustratingly out of reach.

For a long time, I stared at the ceiling. One hour became two. Two became four. Eventually, I stopped checking the clock altogether. Time lost meaning as I lay there in the darkness, trapped with my thoughts.

Every time I closed my eyes, Italy appeared. The Italy stained with blood, betrayal, and power struggles. The Italy where family loyalty meant nothing and enemies often shared your last name. The Italy where I had been forced to kill my own brother. The Italy where I was forced to end my father as well because of his inconvenience.

My eyes snapped open. I sat upright immediately, my jaw tightening as the familiar weight settled heavily in my chest. Some memories never faded. Time could dull many things, but certain scars remained untouched no matter how many years passed.

The sharp ringing of my phone shattered the silence. I grabbed it from the bedside table and glanced at the screen before answering.

"Niel," I called out.

"You sound terrible," he responded.

A humorless laugh escaped me. "I haven't slept properly."

"Well…" he replied. "Then you're already prepared for what's coming."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "What happened?"

A sigh traveled through the phone. "The investors are threatening to leave."

The exhaustion vanished instantly. "What?"

"The company is drowning."

That got my full attention. I stood from the bed and walked toward the window, staring into the darkness beyond the glass. "Explain."

"The acting CEO..."

I already knew. The moment those words left his mouth, I knew exactly where this was heading. "He's stealing?"

"Yes."

Anger settled heavily in my chest. Years. I had left for just five year's. Years of trust. Years of responsibility handed over to someone I believed could handle it. Somehow, that bastard had found a way to rob me blind while hiding behind the position I gave him.

"You need to come to Italy," Niel said.

My gaze remained fixed on the dark city outside. The thought alone made me sick. Italy wasn't home anymore. It was a graveyard. A place filled with ghosts, regrets, and memories I'd spent years trying to leave behind. Unfortunately, business didn't care about emotions.

"When?"

"As soon as possible."

I released a slow breath. "I'm coming now. Would board a flight."

\~~~

Italy looked exactly the same. For some reason, that irritated me. The streets were unchanged. The buildings stood exactly where I remembered them. Even the atmosphere felt untouched, as though time had refused to move forward while I was gone.

The moment I stepped out of the car in front of the company headquarters, memories struck harder than I expected. I remembered arriving here years ago as a younger man. A more dangerous man. Back then, people feared me because I was a king.

Now they feared me because they remembered what kind of king I had been.

The board meeting began less than an hour later. Investors filled the room, their expressions tense and impatient. At the front sat the acting CEO, wearing the confidence of a man who believed he was untouchable.

That confidence disappeared the second I had walk through the door. Interesting. Perhaps guilt had finally caught up with him. Without greeting anyone, I took my seat at the head of the table.

The room immediately fell silent. One investor leaned forward.

"Mr. Lacentra." I met his gaze. "We've been waiting years for this meeting."

"I'm here now."

"Can you guarantee the company's future?" Another investor spoke.

Slowly, I looked around the room. Every face carried doubt. Every face carried frustration. And honestly, I couldn't blame them. Then my gaze settled on the acting CEO. I reached for the file I brought along with me and slid it to the acting CEO.

His hand froze.

"What is this?" he asked carefully.

"Open it, Leo."

The moment he did, every trace of color drained from his face. Silence spread through the boardroom.

"What happened?" one investor asked.

Nobody answered.

Leo couldn't as well. Every page inside contained evidence. Every stolen fund. Every hidden account. Every unauthorized transfer. Every lie.

I folded my hands together and leaned back in my chair. "You're fired."

His head snapped upward.

"Sir—"

"Security."

The door opened almost immediately as two guards entered. Leo stood abruptly, panic flashing across his face.

"You can't do this."

"I already did."

The guards moved toward him. For the briefest moment, I almost felt sorry for him. Then I remembered the damage he'd caused, the trust he'd abused, and the company he'd nearly destroyed.

The sympathy disappeared.

The investors watched in silence as the guards escorted him from the room. Only after the door closed behind him did I rise to my feet.

"I left because I believed this company could survive without me," I started, nobody interrupted, nor argued. "I was wrong." The room remained silent as every eye stayed fixed on me. "But that mistake ends today." I looked around the boardroom slowly. "I built this company." My voice remained calm, but every word carried weight. "And if I have to, I will rebuild it from the ground up."

I noticed relief appearing on several faces, for the first time since I stepped in.

The meeting continued for nearly two hours.

By the time it finally ended, the investors had agreed to stay. A competent manager had been promoted to replace the acting CEO, emergency measures had been approved, and the worst of the damage was finally under control. The company felt stable again, at least temporarily.

\~~~

The moment I had fully convinced the investors, and made sure things would be in order, I immediately left Italy. The same day, I was back on a flight to New york. I didn't have any reason to stay back there again. And the moment I came back, I was back into motion again. I stepped out of the car at the New York office, Aiden was already waiting.

“Everything is set,” he said immediately. “Meeting confirmed. The land owner has agreed to see you.”

I adjusted my cufflinks, eyes narrowing slightly. “When?”

Aiden checked his watch. “Now.”

Fuck. Did it have to be today?

“We leave immediately,” he added, after carefully analyzing my face. I stared ahead for a moment.

“Where is it?” I questioned.

“In San Diego.”

“What?”