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12
“Thank you for agreeing to see me,” Luc said, after he’d been ushered into Samantha’s impressive office. A bronze statue of an airplane measuring about five foot five occupied the center of the space, and an enormous picture of Mr. Antoine Fraser in a suit adorned most of the back wall.
Luc had called for the entire week since he’d returned from France, but she’d been thwarting his every attempt. Of course he’d used the excuse of wanting to buy one of her properties—if he flat out told her his real reason, he’d be putting himself at risk.
He’d hired a corporate private investigator to dig some dirt on her. No scandals and no evidence of wrongdoing was found. Before her husband’s death, she worked alongside him, albeit in the financial department of the empire. In fact, she had a pristine reputation.
“You’re a hard man to ignore,” she said, giving his hand a quick shake. “I tried.” She gestured at the sitting area in her exclusive office, and he sat on the leather sofa. She followed suit. “And decided to tell you face to face I’m not selling the Central Park duplex regardless of your offer. Call it sentimental value.”
“I understand, and won’t press you anymore.”
“Good,” she said, tilting her head to the side, with a skeptical look on her face. “This was a lot easier than I thought.”
He smiled. “I’m here because I hope to appeal to a different kind of value… and another type of deal.”
She drummed her fingers on her desk. “What is it?”
His pulse quickened. He had her for more than five minutes now, and he had a chance. If she goes to him about it, I’m done. He popped his knuckles, weighing his options. “Don’t do business with my father.”
She stopped drumming her fingers and leaned onto the desk, narrowing her eyes. “Why not?”
He pointed at the picture of her husband on the wall. “Your former husband was a noble man, I hear. He left quite a legacy behind. I’d hate for it to be in the middle of a nasty family drama. Perception is everything these days.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ve been playing nice, but if I give an interview about what my father really did—left my mother with two young children to follow the American woman he was having an affair with to the US. When my brother died, he knew I was alive. He acted otherwise, but the bastard knew—didn’t even write a card when he found out about my brother’s death. He left us for dead. My mom was never the same. She never fully recovered.”
“So this public reconciliation has been a lie?” she asked under her breath.
“Yes.” He tucked the resentment away, to a part of his brain he’d deal with later. Now, he needed to stay focused and explain to her why a scandal would be bad for business. “Think about the consequences. Stocks for France Air would plummet. Social media would be in an uproar. Who knows what my father has done, or if he betrayed other women the way he did my mom? They could quickly come out and accuse him. Your decision to merge with a CEO so controversial would stain an otherwise squeaky-clean reputation.”
“Why would you do this? I mean, it’d look bad for you as well. To have lied to the public when—”
“I didn’t lie. I didn’t give any interviews, and my father and his PR team took over. I simply tried to give him a second chance, then realized I couldn’t forgive his past mistakes.”
“You thought of everything, didn’t you?” she asked, a trace of admiration in her voice.
“Someone had to. I couldn’t let what he did to my mother go—”
“I’m sorry,” she said, her facial features softening. “But… revenge. Do you think it’ll bring your family back?”
Nothing would bring his family back. The happy days, when he’d play with his brother outside until it was time for dinner, or when his mother read them stories before they went to sleep. “This isn’t about bringing them back. It’s about him paying for what he’s done. Money is the only thing that matters to him. Not just money, but this deal.”
She shook her head. “You realize I could tell him that you told me all this?”
Apprehension clogged his throat. Right now, he had to feign confidence at all costs. If he wanted her on his side, she had to believe him. “You’re a smart person. I know you’ll do the right thing.”
“Which is?”
“Back off the airline merger.”
She let out a sarcastic chuckle. “So you come to me and offer me a problem.”
“A solution. I, along with a few other trusted investors, will be happy to be part of the merger. Of course I’ll be the main shareholder, but I can send you their names if you—”
“You don’t have any experience in aviation industry.”
“They do. The team I brought together will impress you. They have passion for it. A passion, I assure you, my father can’t match,” he said.
