Chapter 279: It’s Already Trending!

"Huh?"

Michael covered his mouth in surprise.

"Luca, you really don’t know what the Adams family represents, do you?"

To him, it was almost unbelievable.

Luca and Harvey were practically best friends. They had a close relationship, yet Luca apparently knew almost nothing about Harvey’s family.

Michael quickly explained the Adams family’s position within the government and the influence they held in Capital City.

Luca listened quietly.

He had suspected for a while that Harvey’s background was connected to the government. That much had been obvious from certain things he had said and done.

What Luca hadn’t expected was the sheer level of influence behind him.

Federal and State level.

If Michael hadn’t explained it, Luca probably wouldn’t have imagined Harvey’s family had connections at that level.

The door to the tea room opened shortly afterward.

Harvey stepped out with a broad smile, his pace brisk and his expression relaxed.

The meeting had clearly gone well.

"Mr. Hernandez, I’ll return and report everything to my family. Someone else will come over within the next two days to discuss the details with you."

Phil nodded.

"Of course. Then I look forward to our cooperation."

The two shook hands once more.

Harvey was already eager to return home and report the results. As he passed Luca, however, he suddenly stopped. His expression became serious.

"Luca, thank you." He placed a hand on Luca’s shoulder. "If you ever run into trouble in the future, just let me know. I may not be able to solve everything, but in Capital City and New Orleans, i still have some influence."

His tone was unusually solemn. Harvey knew exactly why the meeting had gone so smoothly. Without Luca, he might not have even gotten the opportunity to sit down with Phil, let alone establish a direct line of communication with Hernandez Finances. And if the cooperation ultimately succeeded, Luca would deserve a large part of the credit.

Luca’s smile widened. "Then I’ll be counting on you, Harvey."

If Luca hadn’t just learned how powerful the Adams family was, he probably would have treated Harvey’s promise as nothing more than friendly courtesy.

But now he understood. This wasn’t an ordinary promise. It came from a family with influence at the provincial and ministerial level.

The highest-ranking official Luca had personally dealt with before was a mere town mayor. The difference was staggering.

Harvey gave Luca one last pat on the shoulder before leaving in a hurry. After watching him disappear, Phil walked over.

"Luca, it looks like I’ll be staying in Capital City for a little while longer."

"That’s fine. Why don’t you stay at my place?"

Phil smiled and shook his head. "Thank you for the invitation, but we’ve already booked a hotel. I hope you don’t mind."

"Of course not." Luca waved dismissively.

Afterward, he and Phil spent some time discussing matters related to Hernandez Finances. It was the first time Luca had gotten a proper overview of the conglomerate’s current operations and the Hernandez family’s position within it.

By the time their conversation ended, Luca had gained a much clearer understanding of what his own company had been doing behind the scenes.

About an hour later, Luca and Arabella drove away together. Arabella sat in the back seat with her head resting against Luca’s chest.

After staying quiet for a while, she finally looked up.

"Luca... you and Hernandez Finances?"

Luca hadn’t hidden his conversation with Phil from her, so she naturally had questions. She had already been suspicious when she saw how respectfully Phil treated Luca at Jack’s engagement party.

But today, his attitude had been even more obvious. He had looked at Luca almost the same way the Windsor family’s employees looked at Arabella. With complete respect.

Luca smiled and gently patted her head. "Just like you thought. Hernandez Finances is mine."

Arabella fell silent. Guessing was one thing. Hearing Luca confirm it was another. Although she didn’t show much on her face, her emotions were difficult to describe.

She suddenly understood what Vivienne had once meant.

’The more you know him, the more you realize how much you don’t know.’

It seemed that the saying couldn’t have been more accurate.

...

By the time Luca returned home, news of what had happened at Jack’s engagement party had already spread throughout Capital City’s upper circles. Headlines and posts appeared one after another.

"Windsor and Halloway Families Break Ties with Maison Premier!"

"The Mysterious Mastermind Behind Northstar and Summit Capital!"

"Hernandez Finances Heirs Leave Maison Premier on Bad Terms!"

"Stones Group Heiress Runs Away from Her Own Wedding!"

Videos secretly recorded at the banquet were also spreading across social media. Naturally, people began questioning the more outrageous claims.

@Ishowmeat119: "Is this fake?"

@jamesharrington: "Luca was already the president of Hale-Viv Conglomerate. Now you’re telling me he’s also the person behind Northstar Real Estate and Summit Capital? How is anyone supposed to believe that?"

Others focused on the more immediate scandal.

@dictatormbappe221: "The Stones family’s heiress running away is probably real. I’m staying at the same hotel as the Stones family. They’re practically tearing the place apart looking for her!"

Before long, the rumors were given an official answer.

Northstar Real Estate Company and Summit Capital simultaneously released statements announcing that they were terminating all cooperation with Maison Premier. The Windsor family and Halloway family soon followed. The internet exploded.

@Ishowmeat119: "No way. They’re actually serious?"

@dictarormbappe221: "What exactly did Maison Premier do to offend this many people at once?"

@jamesharrington"Forget Maison Premier for a second. Shouldn’t everyone be talking about how terrifying Luca is?"

@DoctorofThuganomics: "I can only say that the Windsor family’s daughter has incredible taste. She actually managed to find herself a treasure like that."

@CapitalcityCitizen203: "Compared to Luca, Vincent’s title as the ’Heir of the Capital Circle’ suddenly doesn’t sound very impressive."

The discussion continued long into the night.

...

Several Mercedes-Benzes rolled into the estate.

As Luca and Arabella stepped through the entrance hand in hand, two girls immediately came running toward them.

"Bro! You’re so incredible!" Trish’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Vincent’s face almost turned green when you threatened him!"

Luca raised an eyebrow. "You saw it?"

"Of course!" Trish immediately pulled out her phone and opened a video.

The first clip showed Luca confronting Vincent at the banquet. The incident hadn’t even happened half a day ago, yet the video had already surpassed a hundred thousand likes.

Trish stepped forward and grabbed Luca’s hand. "Are you going to make a move against Maison Premier?"

"Why are you so interested in this?" Luca rolled his eyes.

’She’s even more enthusiastic about this than I am.’

Maison Premier had been entrenched in Capital City for decades. Even the Windsor family couldn’t casually crush them on its own. There was a reason a family like Maison Premier had managed to survive and thrive for so long.

So far, Luca only knew that Vincent’s technology park was struggling with funding and progressing slowly. Beyond that, he knew very little. A business war couldn’t be won simply by making threats.

"I’m just concerned about you," Trish said with a grin.

But Luca knew that wasn’t the whole truth. She was still holding a grudge against Jack. If Luca and Michael hadn’t been with them at The Elysian Club that day, Trish and Rachel could have ended up in a terrible situation.

Even after Michael intervened, Jack had still sent people to investigate Luca’s background. And that investigation clearly wasn’t about seeking revenge against Luca.

Jack’s real target had been Trish and Rachel.

If Luca hadn’t been the president of Hale-Viv Conglomerate, someone with enough influence to make Jack think twice, Trish was certain he wouldn’t have simply let the matter go. And someone who could behave that way so casually probably hadn’t done it only once.

That was what bothered her most. She and Rachel had powerful families behind them. But what about the other women? What happened when someone like Jack decided they were an easy target?

Trish wanted him to learn a lesson he would never forget. She wanted him to regret what he had done for the rest of his life.

Luca crouched down and gently pinched her cheek. "These aren’t things you need to worry about."

He smiled. "I want you to enjoy yourself. Leave everything else to me. I’ll handle it."

Trish grinned. "Hehe. Then Rachel and I will just wait for your good news!"