Lucca had done his work preparing for this presentation. All the details were there and Cezar should have been proud his son had been able to put together such a well thought out business proposal. He'd taught him well but this was a path he thought had been dropped. His son had grown quiet about it. He understood why now. He was getting everything he needed and putting Cezar in a position that made it hard to argue. The other men were going through the business packets and Shou was looking over to Cezar, wondering how he might take all of this.<br/><br/>There were a few reasons Cezar didn't want this for his son. It was too much, for one. Too easy for people to jump to conclusions. A lot of fashion designers were gay, and while he didn't care that his son was, he didn't want any attention drawn to it. That was meant for privacy and in Brazil rates of violence were high against gay men without already being tied up with less than upstanding individuals. Lucca could do what he wanted, but he needed to keep quiet about it. Starting his own fashion line, even something refined like Cezar knew he wanted just wasn't a good choice. He needed to focus instead on the family business and to be ready to take over. He had to be careful of his reputation. People needed to both respect and fear him. He wasn't sure Brazil was ready for a gay, fashion designing crime lord.<br/><br/>“Lucca, since you've come to me with a matter of business that is how I'm going to treat this. Not as if you are my son,” Cezar started. He'd closed the packet.<br/><br/>“I see this as a conflict of interest. This will take up a lot of your time to do it right and I already have much more investment into your<i>other </i>endeavors.” The family business. “I don't want this pulling your involvement from what is more important to me, so no, I'm not interested in this investment.” Cezar turned his gaze over to the others and most of them seemed a little unsure what they should say. Lucca was still Cezar's son but the name was still in charge, and he'd just said no quite plainly.<br/><br/>“I am in agreement with your father,” Shou said, eyeing Lucca warily. He hoped without the encouragement he would drop this. He understood Cezar's concern, and being close family, he also knew of Lucca's proclivities. Their world was dangerous but a life of crime was something they understood. It was better this way, and Cezar was getting older. Lucca didn't need distractions.<br/><br/>“I think that we've concluded our own meeting, boys. Go ahead and enjoy the beach for the rest of the evening. I'll have Luiza bring you all refreshments.” It was a dismissal for all of them besides Lucca so that he could speak to his son privately. He was not happy though he didn't show it outwardly, Shou could tell. Cezar's brother in law left everything where it was on the table, going to tell their housekeeper that their guests would need accommodations out on the patio and by the beach.<br/><br/>Once everyone had started filing out he told Lucca to sit, leveling him with an even gaze. Paulo was sent out when that look fell upon him without any words needed.<br/><br/>“I do not like that you didn't come to me privately with this. Did you think one of them might disagree with me, or that you would force my hand because you had an audience and a convincing set of numbers?” Cezar asked, shoving the packet off the table and into the floor. He leaned back in his chair, brow knitting together in irritation.<br/><br/>“We've talked about this, Lucca. I already told you, there are much more important things to focus on. I do not understand your obsession with this. I've built this for us, for our family, and you want to put your talent into something inconsequential. I do not understand. You are getting older, Lucca. This is not the time to play around with<i>hobbies</i>. You need to get serious about taking up my position. I am getting older too. Your mother is going to divorce me if I do not agree to retirement soon.” At least as close to retirement as Cezar would probably ever get, anyway.<br/><br/>"I let you do what you want in a lot of things. This is not the time for distraction. Maybe when you were eighteen I wouldn't have cared for you to play around with a bit of my money, but timing is poor, Lucca. You need to get serious." He motioned towards the papers scattered on the floor. "This is not going to take you anywhere. This is beneath a man of your status. You already have so much more. I have worked hard to make sure of that."