Luca sat at his desk reading over the reports of each department in preparation for the monthly executive meeting with the directors of each department. Everything seemed to be status quo. He didn't expect to see too many changes. However, the domestic marketing report made him raise an eyebrow at the supplemental international marketing report prepared by Nadia Coleman. Shola's international investments had been stagnant since the creation of the department a few months ago. He expected this, but since Nadia started a little over a month ago, there has been some sizable movement.

He read over the projections for the second quarter and they'd all seem to have been given a swift kick in movement. The projections she calculated had Shola recouping their initial investments and making profit by the third quarter.

Luca frowned, scrolling through her reports and how she came to this conclusion. Her marketing plan for the companies were pretty robust. She'd worked with a few companies to reduce their product offerings and refocused them on the products that would sell which have produced some growth in a few percentages already.

A smile tugged at his lips at the well presented report. He didn't understand how someone as clumsy as Nadia could be so meticulous in her work. He's watched her trip and stumble over invisible cracks in the immaculate floors, she's bumped into walls and people. The woman was an absolute disaster on her feet. Yet, she knows exactly what she's doing in the international department. He couldn't deny that he was impressed with her work. It just unnerved him that she's so damn clumsy. Why couldn't she pick up her damn feet or look where she's going?

Chuckling softly, Luca closed her report. It was kind of cute that she's so clumsy and she wasn't unpleasant to look at either. He was intrigued by her smooth brown skin, her curly auburn brown hair that's usually braided in a crown around her head. But it was her eyes that nearly made him choke on his words when she first crashed into him. They were sea green and so full of life.

A blush burned over his cheeks, it'd been a long time since he'd found a woman attractive like this.

He cleared his throat and shook his head, he shouldn't be thinking like this. It was none of his business that she's incompetent at walking. As long as she kept doing good work like this he could care less.

His phone and watch buzzed simultaneously, he tore his eyes away from the report to look at the name scrolling across the screen.

Ciara Nichols. He sighed, pressing ignore. It was his extremely possessive ex-girlfriend. They hadn't dated in years –three years to be exact, but she'd been messaging him ever since Nadia started working at Shola.

He's blocked her number countless times, but she just gets a new one or she starts emailing him and calling his office. Luca sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. She also happens to be the director of customer relations. He hasn't been able to get rid of her and their situation is the reason he hasn't bothered to let himself feel anything for another woman.

He's always able to brush off his feelings or dismiss the many lustful looks he's received from women in the office or out on the street. Ciara has certainly cured him of ever wanting a relationship with anyone. He's got the wounds to remind him, it's just not worth it.

"Luca! Have you seen the reports?" His father asked as he burst through his office door. He's the only one his assistant allows to interrupt him like this without an appointment.

"Yes, I was just looking over them. What are you doing here anyway?" He asked, watching his bubbly father take a seat in front of his desk. He usually leaves everyday business to him now that he's retired from being the CEO. Everyone loves when he visits the office, he instantly raises everyone's mood with his boisterous and joyous attitude. He used to be like that, before he learned to keep his emotions to himself.

"Well I had to come meet the new International PR rep at the executive meeting. I'm so pleased with these numbers so far. Plus, your mother wanted me to have lunch with you. She said she hasn't heard from you in a few days and she's worried."

He chuckled, shaking his head. His mother is always worried about him now, ever since the incident with Ciara. "I'm fine, but I wouldn't mind having lunch with you. I want to talk to you about some of these new investments - "

"Luca." He laughed. "We're not going to talk business. I want to talk about you and what's going on in your life. When are you going to get out there again? It's been a while since you've had someone in your life."

Luca groaned and rolled his eyes, "If that's what this lunch is about I'm not going. I'm fine being single. You of all people should know that."

His father sighed and held up his hands, "Alright, alright, fine. We won't talk about that and you can tell me all about your concerns about those investments."

"Thank you," He sighed, grabbing the reports on his desk, "Do you want to chair the meeting? I'm sure everyone will appreciate that."

"Sure, I don't mind coming out of retirement for that." His father chuckled, following him out of the office.

They walked the short ways down the hall to the conference room. As they neared the room, they heard a startled cry, a loud thump and the laughs and cries of 'are you okay' from the meeting attendees.

Luca sighed and shook his head. He didn't even need to look through the glass windows of the conference room to know who caused the commotion. His father stifled a laugh next to him as they entered the room.

"Is that our new International rep?" He whispered.

Lucas's lip twitched, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yes, that would be her."

"I-I'm fine! I'm fine!" She laughed as Cameron and a few other directors helped her up and back into her chair, "Well, at least I didn't spill my coffee." Her bubbly voice giggled.

"Goodness, what am I going to do with you?" Cameron chuckled, sitting next to her.

Lucas's father turned to him as they took their seats, "I like her," He grinned and looked down the table at the young woman putting her papers back together, "That was quite a spill, Ms. Coleman. I hope you're alright?"

Luca watched her eyes grow wide as she nodded. "Oh, yes I'm fine, thank you Mr. Shola."

He caught Ciara glaring daggers at Nadia from across the table. She tut her lips and rolled her eyes as she tapped feverishly on her phone. Luca's watch immediately buzzed on his wrist and he sighed. His father was paying too much attention to the new girl and Ciara didn't like it. He didn't need to read her message to know what it was about.

"Right, let's get this meeting started," Luca grumbled, "For those of you who don't know this is Philip Shola, retired CEO and owner of Shola Enterprises."

Philip grinned, slapping his hand on Luca's shoulder, "And Luca has kindly offered to let me Chair this meeting for old times sake, I hope you don't mind?"

"Of course not, Mr. Shola. You know we love it when you pay us a visit." Ciara chirped and smiled sweetly at his father.

Luca fought the urge to roll his eyes. She's still looking for a way back into his life and her too sweet reply to his father was just a stab at trying to gain his favor again. But that will never work, his father was one of the people who supported him to get out of that toxic relationship.

He took random notes, while his father took over the meeting. Luca was thankful for this. He didn't find much joy in chairing these. He found them boring and a waste of time. Every director sent him a report, he didn't see the point of having a meeting for them to discuss the same information they provided.

He looked up from his notes and couldn't help his eyes drifting to the beautiful clumsy woman sitting next to Cameron. She was carefully sipping on her coffee and jotting down a few notes as she listened to Heather, the director of Human Resources provide her report.

Another buzz on his watch made him grimace as he looked at the name scrolling across the screen. He looked at Ciara, she slowly shook her head at him. He sighed, sitting back in his chair. And his father wonders why he doesn't date anyone.

He's still being abused by the very woman his family tried to save him from. He doesn't understand why none of them understand this. He may have gotten out of the relationship, but she still has her claws in him.

He refuses to go down that dangerous path again nor would he ever want to drag someone down it with him. He's better off alone.