Chapter 294 Trouble for Giorgio!
“Miss Stefanelli, it would be best for both of us if you delete that message. I believe sending it won’t do either of us any good,” the voice was warm but laced with a threat, and actions followed quickly.
Anna, however, had anticipated this and deftly pocketed her phone. “Mr. Vittorio, you might delete it once, but you won’t delete it again. The best solution is to do as I say.” Stubbornness radiated from the girl. She was resolute. Her delicate face held a pride that refused to be belittled.
Giuseppe had never seen a girl so unyielding, so bold as to confront him despite her apparent lack of strength and support. He retracted his hand. “Miss Stefanelli, you’ve got spirit. Three minutes, was it? What I need to tell you is that I didn't make the official announcement. All of my personal accounts have been locked, preventing me from issuing any kind of statement. My grandmother is behind this. If you can persuade her, I’d be forever grateful.
“And let me offer a friendly word of advice. Whether it’s the Stefanelli family or the Vittorio family, with their power, they will not allow you to do what you intend; even if you go through with it, they will manipulate the facts to suit their narrative, and no one will believe you. In the end, you’re only going to hurt yourself and those you care about. A smart girl like you should understand this.” Each word was seemingly friendly yet carried a weighty threat.
Indeed, Anna had seen the extent of Viviana’s manipulations and had experienced the cold ruthlessness of Christoph Stefanelli and Dylan Moore. If she did anything against their interests, they would likely excise her like a tumor.
Moreover, she dared not actually send out the message; it was more of a bluff. But she hadn’t anticipated it was Viviana who was pulling the strings. Anna knew all too well that sometimes, even Giorgio couldn’t counter Viviana’s decisions, let alone Giuseppe.
Was she to become a casualty of their power play?
Seeing Anna’s silence, Giuseppe continued, “What I mean is, we maintain our stance and await the storm's passing before we devise a plan. In the meantime, you can make any request you deem necessary.”
“Hah. What do you mean?” Anna’s cold and mocking retort came, “Do you expect me to play pretend like I did before, taking Katherine’s place, only in name, as your girlfriend? To go along with your charade?
“Mr. Vittorio, are you too naive, or do you think I’m easily bullied? I might look young and fresh, but I’m not a pushover, am I?” Her implication was clear.
Giuseppe was silent. Was she indirectly insulting him? He found her roundabout method of rebuke quite amusing.
Anna didn't wait for him to speak. She firmly said, "I won't agree to such rude conditions," and then she turned and walked away.
Giuseppe sat in his car, watching her proud figure walking away, his eyes darkening under the rim of his gold-framed glasses, a storm churning behind them.
She really was an extraordinary woman.
No wonder, no wonder Giorgio was interested in her...
"Giuseppe, what do we do? If she doesn't cooperate and decides to speak out, it could have a bad effect on you," his assistant said anxiously.
Giuseppe adjusted his glasses with a meaningful tone, "Not cooperating? Then we'll create the conditions for cooperation."
"Huh?" The assistant looked perplexed, and then a second later, it clicked, "Oh, I get it."
They started the car and headed to the company.
It was eight o'clock, prime time for the workday rush.
As fate would have it, when the elevator doors opened, Giorgio stood tall, abstinent, and exuding nobility from every pore.
Although both were executives, Giorgio's kingly aura set him apart, making others feel inherently inferior.
Giuseppe's eyes gave a quick flicker, and then, with an easy grace, he stepped into the elevator, greeting smoothly, "Giorgio, what a coincidence."
"Hmm," Giorgio responded coolly, his demeanor as indifferent and icy as always, sparing with his words.
Giuseppe glanced at Giorgio's unflappable expression and continued, "Charlie's with the Stefanelli family? I just went over to see Anna and saw him there."
The casual remarks appeared to be about Charlie, but the subtext was clear – he was signaling his visit to Anna.
Giorgio's posture remained rigid, his eyes fixed ahead, still no sign of emotional fluctuation.
He dropped a cold 'hm' and continued to sport his indifferent façade.
The elevator was not exactly cramped and was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Giuseppe was wrestling with deep emotions beneath his calm exterior.
He had thought that mentioning Anna would elicit some kind of emotional response from Giorgio or some reaction toward him, but his calmness was almost terrifying, utterly inscrutable.
Giuseppe was about to say something else when the elevator 'dinged' and the doors slid open.
Giorgio walked out without a backward glance, his aristocratic figure disappearing from view within seconds.
Giuseppe stood there, pondering... What did Giorgio's reaction – or lack thereof – mean?
Had he overestimated Giorgio's feelings for Anna, or was Giorgio just too deep, keeping his care concealed?
In the CEO's office.
Morning light streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, the glass sparkling brilliantly while the indoor plants thrived with vigor.
Giorgio removed his suit jacket, placed it neatly on the rack, and gracefully sat at his desk to review some documents.
His movements were fluid and untroubled by external emotions.
However, the eyes that reviewed the pages were pitch black, deeper than the deepest ocean.
Impatient to meet someone? Just went to see Anna?
Heh.
Knock knock—the sound of knocking echoed through the office.
Tony rushed in, his visage a tapestry of alarm. "Mr. Vittorio, we've got a major problem. The New Sea project just collapsed, dozens of workers are trapped, and their fates are unknown. It's already sparking a lot of discussion."
What? Giorgio's thoughts snapped back to the present, his expression becoming grave and serious.
Giorgio never allowed himself a moment's laxity in his professional life, nor would he permit such grave errors to occur.
Tony continued, "The details are still unclear; an investigation is ongoing. I estimate it won't be five minutes before reporters swarm the downstairs lobby, and the news will be everywhere. Mr. Vittorio, should we try to manage the press a bit? Maybe get the people out first and then take control of the narrative?"
Giorgio had no time to worry about how the reporters would cover the story. He said, "Trying to suppress news of this magnitude would only backfire on the Vittorio Group. No need to manage that. Immediately coordinate all available rescue efforts; saving lives is the top priority. Also, push back all other project documents. We're heading to the site."
He spoke deliberately, with clarity and precision in his arrangements.
At all times, he possessed the calm in the face of a crisis, like a mountain's peaceful stature undisturbed by the crumbling earth at its base.
"Yes." Tony, seeing Giorgio's unwavering stance, felt his own panic subside. He quickly led the way out of the office.
As they exited, Giuseppe hurried toward them, "Giorgio, you've heard the news? Are we going to the site now? Let's go together."
"Mhm." With no further comment and devoid of any personal emotion, Giorgio strode purposefully into the elevator, heading swiftly to the scene.
...
With such a serious incident, the news quickly escalated to the top of every trending search and national report. Everywhere online, through text messages, the news was inescapable.
"The latest report. A major collapse has occurred at the New Sea project overseen by Giorgio, with dozens of workers trapped, their conditions unknown. It is reported that the Vittorio Group has launched a top-level rescue, moving fast to aid in the efforts. The Vittorio Group's CEO, Giorgio, arrived at the site personally within twenty minutes. Stay with us for more detailed coverage..."
Anna had just dropped her two kids off at the kindergarten's entrance when she heard the breaking news from her car's radio.
Her face turned pale.
Giorgio's project had a problem?
Was he personally rushing to the scene?
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