“Francesca, Ididn’t seduce you in order to tempt you away from Timeless.”
Liar! “You actually expect me to believe that?”
“It’s the truth. Imade you a legitimate job offer for two reasons. First, you’d be an incredible asset to Dantes. You’re the best designer I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying a lot.”
“And second?” Not that she needed him to spell it out. She alreadyknew.
“Second, having you leave TH makes them more vulnerable to a Dantes’ takeover.”
Did he really think she’d find his reasoning appropriate? That A plus B equaled acceptable in her book? He had a lot to learn. “Maybe if you only wanted me because of my talent, Icould somehow justify it. Somehow. But that’s not thecase. You want to take down Timeless Heirlooms and you want to use me to do it. Ican’t allow that. Ican’t allow you to do anything that threatens Tina and Kurt.”
“Because Kurt’s your father.”
The breath escaped her lungs in a heady rush and her vision blurred. One minute she stood staring at Sev in utter betrayal and the next he pressed her into one of the nearby chairs. He disappeared from her line of sight for a moment, then returned with glass inhand.
“It’s just water, though I have something stronger if you prefer.”
She shook her head without speaking and downed the water in a desperate gulp.“How?How could you possibly know that?”
“Nicolò hired a private investigator.” Sev cupped the curve of her cheek and for a brief, insane moment she relaxed into his touch. The instant she realized what she’d done, she jerked back and his hand fell away. “Before we met at Le Premier I arranged to have each designer investigated. Marco and I attended the showing in order to collect names. By the time Nicolò called the next morning, the PI had matters well underway.”
“You’re going to blackmail me now, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes. Oh, God. He made it seem so simple. So obvious and acceptable. “You’re a total bastard, you know that?”
“When it comes to taking care of my family, you’re right.” She could literally feel the change come over him as he shifted from lover to adversary. “I’d rather you come to us of your own free will. But I’ll do whatever necessary to restore Dantes.”
She looked at him, searching his face for some sign of the man she’d taken to her bed. If he still existed—if heeverexisted—he was lost to her now. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded. “You don’t need TH. Dantes will still be a success without hurting Tina and Kurt.”
“Their business is failing.” She hated the compassion gleaming in his burnished gold eyes. Hated him all the more for being right. “Bloom might revitalize it for a short time, but Tina is too capricious to keep the business going for longer than a few years. She hired three designers, two of whom are worse than mediocre. The fact that she also hired you is more dumb luck than true discernment. The only reason the company hasn’t gone under before this is thanks to Kurt’s business acumen.”
“So now you’re the hero? You’re going to rescue Timeless Heirlooms?”
He gathered himself, exuding an uncompromising determination that had longbeen a hallmark of the Dante legend. “Timeless Heirlooms belonged to us. Because of my father’s own capriciousness, Ihad no choice but to sell it off. Now I’m in a position to right that wrong. Do you expect me to walk away without recovering what I lost?” Regret colored his words. “That isn’t going to happen and you know it.”
“Because you feel responsible for Dantes’ fall from grace?”
“Because Iamresponsible. You know why I feel that way.”
She remembered the night he’d explained it to her, and how sympathetic she’d felt. Not anymore. Not when he demonstrated such ruthless disregard in order to achieve his goal. “So, you’ll do anything to return the company to its former glory. No matter who gets hurt. No matter who gets in your way or who you have to steamroll over.” She wasn’t asking, but acknowledgingfact.
“No one has to get hurt. The Fontaines will be in a far better position if they sell out to us now than if I’m forced to collect the broken pieces after their fall.”
“Very generous of you, I’m sure.”
For the first time, aspark of anger flared to life in his eyes. “It’s time to negotiate, Francesca.Will you come to work at Dantes of your own volition?”
“What happens if I refuse? Will you tell Tina that I’m Kurt’s daughter?”
For the first time he didn’t give her a straight answer. “I don’t want to do it that way.”
“But you will if you think there’s no other option. You will because you know that the news will devastate Tina, since she and Kurt were married at the time of my conception. Knowing how volatile she is, she’ll throw him out. And even if they eventually reconcile—which they will since they truly love each other—the damage will have been done. Their neglect will hand you TH.”
“That’s Nicolò’s assessment of the situation, yes.”
“It’s a rotten thing to do, Sev.”
