Chapter 144: You’re replacing him

Luca had accepted the position as Karlo’s right-hand man because he believed he was capable of handling every dangerous deal his boss got involved in. He covered Karlo’s tracks, erased every trace of suspicion, and willingly became the shield that stood between his boss and death.

Yet somehow...he had been reduced to a delivery boy.

Staring at the ridiculously long list of dishes in his hand, Luca couldn’t help twitching an eyebrow.

"How can someone so petite have such a terrifying appetite?" he muttered under his breath.

Still, he let out a defeated sigh. If buying food was the only way to keep the troublesome woman quiet, then so be it.

Luca barely knew anything about the woman except that her name was Claire. Yet in the few hours she’d been there, she had already started ordering him around as if she owned the Crimson Crest itself.

"I just hope the boys managed to keep her occupied," he mumbled while carrying several bags of food.

Taking a deep breath, he returned to the Crimson Crest and stepped into the private lounge.

"Ha! The food’s finally here, boys!"

Luca froze mid-step. His jaw nearly hit the floor.

The once elegant and dignified lounge looked like a battlefield. Cushions were scattered everywhere, a deck of cards lay across the coffee table, and every one of Karlo’s supposedly fearsome men was sitting cross-legged on the carpet... playing cards with Claire.

The moment she spoke, every head turned toward him.

Silence filled the room. For a second, Luca genuinely questioned whether these were the same ruthless men he had personally trained. Instead of looking like cold-blooded enforcers, they looked like a group of children happily gathered for game night.

His eye twitched. Then his face darkened.

"What," he said slowly, "is going on here?"

His stern voice echoed through the room.

The men instantly scrambled to their feet, hiding the cards behind their backs before lowering their heads.

"Boss... we..."

"No excuses," Luca snapped. "I trained you people to eliminate enemies, not compete over who gets the Joker!"

One of the men instinctively shoved the deck into another’s hands.

"I lost three rounds, Boss," another muttered sadly.

Luca stared at him in disbelief.

"You... actually kept score?"

The man quickly lowered his head as if he had personally offended his boss.

Claire on the other hand frowned before rising from the couch.

"Hey! Why are you scolding them?" She folded her arms and glared at him.

"I was the one who asked them to play."

Only Claire knew how much convincing it had taken to make the intimidating guards join her game. At first, every single one of them had refused, standing stiff as statues. Eventually, after endless pleading—and a few dramatic sighs—they had reluctantly agreed.

Now they were acting like they’d been waiting for card night their entire lives.

Luca looked from the guilty men to Claire, whose sharp gaze made him instinctively straighten his posture.

"I-I wasn’t scolding them," he said awkwardly. "They’re security guards, Miss Claire. Playing cards isn’t exactly part of their job description."

Claire raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Then whose job is it to look after the guest your boss personally invited before disappearing without a word?"

Luca opened his mouth only to close it.

"I was bored!" Claire continued. "Should I have stared at the ceiling for hours? Besides, your men looked even more bored than I was."

"They were on duty..." He said.

"They looked miserable." Claire countered

"They were being professional." He reasoned.

"They looked constipated." She told the truth.

Several guards immediately coughed to hide their laughter. It felt like they were enjoying commentary before them and somehow the lady was defending them while scolding their boss.

Luca shot them a deadly glare.

’oh no we are getting fired’

The room fell silent again. However before Luca could utter a word Claire pointed at the food bags in his hands.

"Good. You brought the food." Her eyes sparkled in delight. Only she knew how much she had to coax her stomach to hold on before the food arrived.

Luca and everyone standing there were left stunned. The way she smiled innocently at the food left them speechless.

’Was she that hungry?’ he couldn’t help but think.

"Now stop glaring at everyone and come deal the cards. Since you interrupted our game, you’re replacing him."

She pointed at one of the guards. The poor man looked ready to volunteer immediately.

Luca could only purse his lips. Karlo still hadn’t returned, and somehow... his peaceful day had become even more exhausting.

***

"Come on, Luca! You can do it!" Claire cheered, clapping enthusiastically for the man who was once known as Karlo’s most trusted right-hand man.

Unfortunately... that same legendary man had now lost five card games in a row.

"Boss," one of the guards said proudly while shuffling the cards, "I honestly thought you’d be better than this."

Another chimed in with a grin.

"I’ve defeated you three times already. Should I start calling myself the captain now?"

Luca’s eye twitched. His fists clenched under the table.

No, Luca... stay calm.You can’t lose again. If you do, they’ll never respect you as their boss.

Across from them, Claire happily bit into her burger while reaching for another handful of fries. She had even shared the food with the guards, who were now eating between rounds.

Everyone...except Luca.

He had stubbornly refused to touch the food, insisting that he would win first.

Claire lazily took another bite before glancing at him.

"Remember, Luca," she said with a teasing smile, "if you win this round, you’re allowed to eat."

Luca let out a scoff.

"I don’t need your food."

"Oh?"

"I’ll win this game first. Then I’ll eat."

The men immediately set down their burgers, sensing the intense determination burning in their boss’s eyes.

The atmosphere suddenly became serious.

Claire, on the other hand, merely shrugged and continued munching on her fries.

"Suit yourself."

Crunch.

"I’ll finish everything before you do."

Luca smirked confidently.

"As if I’d let that happen."

...

Five minutes later...

"Full house."

"..."

Luca stared blankly at the cards on the table.

"I... lost?"

One of the guards silently reached over...

...and stole the last chicken wing from Luca’s untouched plate.

Another grabbed the final burger.

Claire wiped her hands with a napkin and smiled sweetly.

"Well..."

She held up the empty food box.

"I did warn you."

Luca looked at the empty table, then at the satisfied faces surrounding him.

His stomach growled loudly.

The room fell silent.

A second later, every guard burst into laughter.

Luca slowly covered his face.

This...was officially the worst day of his career.