The CEO's Disgraced Husband Is the Sea God's Commander

5

Ginevra finally pressed the call button, putting her expensive phone to her ear. The loud, gruff voice of the maritime rescue captain boomed through the receiver immediately.

"Are you completely out of your mind?!" the captain roared, his heavy voice thick with raw frustration. "You’re calling us now? Three full hours after your luxury yacht was hit by a rogue wave?! Do you have any idea how dangerous the sea is tonight? Why on earth did you wait this ridiculously long to report a missing person? Do you actually want your husband to die out there?!"

Ginevra gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. She glanced at Luca, who was sitting upright on the hospital bed, calmly buttoning his crisp suit jacket despite his sprained ankle.

"I had an urgent medical emergency to deal with first!" Ginevra swallowed hard, forcing her tone to sound commanding. "Just deploy your search boats immediately and stop lecturing me!"

The captain slammed the receiver down. Ginevra grabbed her designer purse, turning toward the door, intending to drive straight to the stormy shore to monitor the search herself.

Luca stood up, leaning lightly on his crutch. He didn't stop her. Instead, he gave her a reassuring, professional smile.

"Ginevra, go ahead," Luca said calmly, his tone completely composed and understanding. "Dante was angry on the boat, but his safety comes first. Don't let my foot delay you. I'll take a cab back to the office to handle the lingering contracts."

Ginevra froze, looking at him in disbelief. "Luca, you just twisted your ankle, and your doctor warned you about exhaustion!"

"It's fine," Luca replied with a quiet, polite nod. "Dante is an experienced man. He spent years outdoors—he knows how to survive a little storm. He’s probably landed safely on some bank by now and is just taking time to blow off steam. He’s always been... passionate and impulsive like that. You don't need to feel guilty."

Ginevra’s eyes softened instantly. Look at Luca—even after being shoved around during Dante’s reckless steering, he was still analyzing the situation calmly and giving Dante the benefit of the doubt. Meanwhile, Dante was acting like an unhinged, petulant child, risking everyone’s lives just to throw a jealousy-fueled tantrum!

"You are not taking any cab," Ginevra said firmly, her tone hardening into complete contempt for Dante. "Dante knows every inch of those waters. He’s playing missing on purpose to punish me and make me panic. I am driving you straight home to rest."

She signed the discharge papers and drove Luca straight back to her private villa.

Once inside the master bedroom, Ginevra placed her keys on the nightstand. The faint pull of anxiety made her reach for her winter coat again. "I’m going to drive down to the docks for twenty minutes, just to clear my head."

Luca didn't cling or make a scene. He simply sat on the lounge chair, pouring her a glass of warm water and handing it over with steady hands.

"If it puts your mind at ease, go," Luca said gently, looking up at her with clear, untroubled eyes. "I know Dante holds a lot of resentment toward me. He thinks I’m taking your time away from him. If my presence causes this much chaos in your marriage, maybe I should step down as your assistant after this project wraps up."

He leaned back, letting out a faint, composed sigh. "I just don't want to see a brilliant leader like you being dragged down by constant emotional blackmail."

Ginevra felt a violent surge of anger—not at Luca, but at Dante. Dante’s childish jealousy was almost driving away the most efficient, level-headed assistant she ever had!

"Don't say that," Ginevra said immediately, taking the glass and sitting on the edge of the chair. "You’ve done nothing wrong. Dante is the one who needs to grow up. Stay here. I'm not going anywhere tonight."

Exhausted from the harrowing boat trip and the storm, Ginevra leaned her head against the headboard. Within half an hour, her eyelids grew heavy, and she fell fast asleep right beside his lounge.

Luca sat quietly in the dim light. He looked down at her sleeping face, a subtle, razor-sharp smirk playing at the corner of his lips. He picked up her phone, turned off the vibration, and slid it face-down onto the coaster.

Hours passed. The storm outside violently hammered against the double-paned windows.

Suddenly, the phone screen lit up brightly with a call from Maritime Rescue.

Luca reached out, picked up the phone calmly, and tapped the reject button without waking Ginevra. He leaned back into the leather cushion, swirling his warm water, watching the silent screen fade back to black.