now. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded. “You don’t need TH. Dantes will still be a success without it.”
“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 long been a hallmark of the Dante legend. “Timeless Heirlooms belonged to us. Because of my father’s own capriciousness, I had 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 I am responsible. 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 acknowledging fact.
“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, a spark 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 Nic’s assessment of the situation, yes.”
“It’s a rotten thing to do, Sev.”
Pain sliced across his face. “I’ve been forced to make far more difficult decisions, decisions that have had disastrous impact on people’s lives.” His voice dropped, landed in some dark, desolate place that echoed through his words. “I’ve had no choice. There was no one else to make those decisions. And I don’t doubt there’ll be other occasions when I’m forced to make still more.”
She could see the truth in his eyes, see that he’d made an uncomfortable home for himself between that proverbial rock and a hard place. She could also sympathize with him, up to a point. Because from now on she’d have to make difficult decisions as well, to stand on her own without Sev at her back. Well, she’d been there before. She’d lived most of her life with no one beside her when times grew tough. She could do it again. She needed to be strong, to refortify the barriers she’d created years ago to hide her vulnerability and weakness. And she would. There wasn’t any other choice.
“If I agree to work with you, I have one request.” She didn’t allow herself to consider that her statement as good as conceded defeat.
“Name it.”
“The Fontaines are to receive full price for TH. I want it in my contract. I won’t lift a finger to help Dantes otherwise.”
He gave it a
“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 long been a hallmark of the Dante legend. “Timeless Heirlooms belonged to us. Because of my father’s own capriciousness, I had 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 I am responsible. 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 acknowledging fact.
“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, a spark 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 Nic’s assessment of the situation, yes.”
“It’s a rotten thing to do, Sev.”
Pain sliced across his face. “I’ve been forced to make far more difficult decisions, decisions that have had disastrous impact on people’s lives.” His voice dropped, landed in some dark, desolate place that echoed through his words. “I’ve had no choice. There was no one else to make those decisions. And I don’t doubt there’ll be other occasions when I’m forced to make still more.”
She could see the truth in his eyes, see that he’d made an uncomfortable home for himself between that proverbial rock and a hard place. She could also sympathize with him, up to a point. Because from now on she’d have to make difficult decisions as well, to stand on her own without Sev at her back. Well, she’d been there before. She’d lived most of her life with no one beside her when times grew tough. She could do it again. She needed to be strong, to refortify the barriers she’d created years ago to hide her vulnerability and weakness. And she would. There wasn’t any other choice.
“If I agree to work with you, I have one request.” She didn’t allow herself to consider that her statement as good as conceded defeat.
“Name it.”
“The Fontaines are to receive full price for TH. I want it in my contract. I won’t lift a finger to help Dantes otherwise.”
He gave it a
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