Lyna gasped. “You can’t do that.”
“I assure you I can.”
“Only the board can do that.”
Geno smiled at her—a predator’s smile. “You seem to forget we own the school. My brothers and I not only own the studio and theater, but we make up the majority of the board as well at the moment. You don’t read the fine print of the contracts you sign, Ms. Marchel, but you’re more than welcome to take the contract to a lawyer and they’ll do it for you. Please pack your belongings and vacate the premises immediately.”
He turned his back on her, clearly dismissing her. “Have you called the student’s parents? She can leave as soon as her parents get here.”
Jenny shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t do anything. She’s lying.”
“You would like me to believe my fiancée is lying to me?”
Jenny paled. “Your fiancée?” she whispered.
Behind him, Lyna gasped. “What? No wonder she’s so sure of herself. I suppose I should have slept with you, and I could have gotten my way,” she declared in a sneering voice. “Girls, let that be a lesson to you. Sleep your way to the top.”
Jenny giggled.
Geno let his breath out in a long slow hiss of displeasure. “I would have let you leave with full pension, insurance for life, retirement, everything, but not now. You’ll find yourself with nothing when I’m finished with you. Get out before I have my men throw you out.”
His voice was pitched low, but so scary, Lyna turned andrushed out of the studio. Amaranthe laid her hand very gently on his forearm. She could feel the anger coiled hot and bright in him. Not only in him but in his brothers as well. Strangely, she felt that same anger emanating from his personal protectors on her behalf. They hadn’t liked the accusations Lyna Marchel had raised against her in front of her students any more than Geno had.
Don’t alarm the students or give Jenny any more fuel for gossip, she cautioned.These people want to alienate your family from all the businesses in your territory. This is exactly the kind of thing they can use.
We can turn the tables on them, he countered.
Amaranthe ignored Jenny and once again turned on the music so the girls would have something to begin their stretches to.
“Let’s get to work, girls. Get back into your groups and begin stretching. Drama’s over. We still have time to work on our basic positions,” she announced.
How do we do that?
The girls quickly hurried to their mats. She took the youngest group to the bar.
Someone will contact Jenny. She seems to want to engage with them rather than fear them, Geno said.
It was true, Amaranthe had to admit.She feels powerful. In her family, she feels out of control. Those using her haven’t sprung it on her yet that she won’t get her photographs back. She likes being a bully and having others afraid of her. A part of her believes she can bring the great Ferraro family down.
Nicoletta weighed in.I understand her way of thinking, unfortunately. When you’ve felt small, without any control, and you suddenly have power, you might be willing to do anything to keep it.
She has choices, Lucca said.She knows she’s hurting people. She doesn’t have the kind of life you did, Nicoletta. She’s an entitled brat.
How can you know that?Nicoletta asked.Just becauseshe comes from a wealthy family doesn’t mean she isn’t abused either physically or emotionally.
Amaranthe had to agree with Nicoletta. She’d investigated more than one family considered to be beyond reproach and found very dark hidden secrets.
Jenny’s family is very entrenched in the social circles, Salvatore informed them.They hold quite a few fund-raisers. They sat on the boards of many charities with our parents.
I’m aware, Geno acknowledged.I’m also aware, one misstep and they can fall out of favor. They’re aware as well. Their daughter hasn’t learned that lesson. She doesn’t appreciate the privileges she has from being their daughter. All the money spent on every interest she has. The education she receives. The clothes she wears. The vacations she takes. She acts out because she thinks she’s restricted at home when they say no to her. I’ve heard her mother talk at the board meeting to some of the other mothers asking what to do.
When Jenny began acting out and her mother asked for help, we had the investigators check their family out to ensure Jenny wasn’t being hurt in any way,Salvatore explained.She wasn’t, Nicoletta. She craved attention all the time, and if her parents told her no, she threw tantrums. Big ones. She would lie about her parents to anyone who would listen to her. Unfortunately, they bought her way out of trouble instead of allowing her to suffer the consequences. That just reinforced that she could do whatever she wanted.
Amaranthe helped the youngest girls go through their positions while the other two groups stretched on the mat. She ignored Jenny who took turns glaring at her defiantly and trying to flirt with the Ferraro brothers and their personal protectors.
The youngest hopeful ballerinas were very cute and clumsy, making the others smile as they did their best to get their feet and hands into the right positions when Amaracalled them out. The familiar music, the scent of the essential oils, the act of stretching accompanied by the sight of the little girls attempting to do their best at going through each of the classical ballet positions, helped to drive away much of the ugly atmosphere in the studio. Without Lyna Marchel to fuel Jenny’s gossip and bullying, it was much more difficult for the teen to spread her ugly attitude to the other girls.
That girl is looking to stir up trouble, Lucca announced, watching Jenny.
