Paper-thin Betrayal

Even though the Hawthorne jet wasn't even technically Luca's, his access to it had significantly increased ever since he extended his one-year contract with Mrs. Hawthorne to a seven-year agreement.

They had both settled on the understanding that if everything went smoothly during those seven years, an indefinite contract would follow.

Luca couldn't see any reason for things to go wrong between him and Mrs. Hawthorne, so in his mind, he was already a permanent part of her empire.

Recently, a certain family had approached him through Mallow, offering a deal identical to the one he had with Hawthorne. However, Mallow had rejected it outright.

Accepting such an offer would have been akin to being sponsored by competing firms in the same industry, which would completely strip away the exclusivity and prestige that came with being backed by one.