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CHAPTER TEN
HE WAS CRUEL beyond measure. Rachel’s throat ached and her eyes burned. “I am nothing to you,” she said quietly. “I am as insignificant as a bug, or a twig on the ground. You have no problem stepping on me, crushing me.”
“That is not true.”
“But my life and my dreams, they do not matter, not when you compare my needs to yours.”
“I am responsible for a huge corporation. My decisions impact hundreds of people, if not thousands.”
“You believe what you’re saying, don’t you? You
’re a demigod in love with your power.” She hoped he heard the scorn in her voice. She hoped he was offended, because she was disgusted and appalled. There was nothing about him she admired.
“You are so consumed with your business. It seems to be the only thing that matters to you.”
He leaned forward, narrowing the distance between them. “I have never put business before people. The various Marcello enterprises are made up of people, and not just my family, but hundreds of people, hundreds of loyal employees, and those people matter to me a great deal. The best businesses treat their employees like partners...family. Or, if you come from a seriously dysfunctional family, then hopefully you treat your staff better than family.”
He’d inherited his family’s business at a point when the company family seemed irreparably broken. The company was losing money, and his father had decided that he’d rather live with his mistress than his wife. Antonio was in America, working for a business that was not their own, determined to get as far from their father as possible.
Gio envied Antonio, because Gio couldn’t escape, not as the eldest, and he was surrounded by the family drama, ensnared in it as Father’s mistress was none other than his secretary, and the affair had been going on for years, with Father and secretary enjoying numerous “business” getaways and long private lunches behind locked doors.
Italians loved a good drama, especially when it was about sex and a beautiful young woman, a woman young enough to be Giovanni Marcello Senior’s daughter.
Gio knew but couldn’t convince his father to fire the secretary or end the relationship, nor would his mother divorce his father. Every day was grueling and Gio tried to focus on work, not wanting to be pulled into the middle of the family drama more than necessary. Gio, like his grandfather before him, had a sharp mind and a love for engineering and practical design. He disliked the endless conflict that had marked his childhood and adolescent years, and the only reason he’d agreed to work for Marcello Enterprises was because he loved the construction company his grandfather had founded.
But now, suddenly, the construction company, the Marcello holding company and even the family itself, was teetering on collapse. Gio was livid. He’d had enough, and he put his foot down. Either his father left, or he’d leave. That was all.
His father thought it was a joke, but Gio was furious that the company was being drained dry for selfish purposes when there were hundreds of employees that depended on the Marcellos. He’d never forget that last big battle with his father.
“We owe our employees a solvent company. They shouldn’t have to worry if they will have a job tomorrow, or a way to pay their bills. If you don’t care about the future of a company that has been around for over one hundred years, get out now before you ruin the Marcello name.”
And to Gio’s surprise, his father left, abandoning ship, leaving his oldest son to save what he could.
That huge fight had been over fifteen years ago, and Giovanni had headed up the construction division and the holding company ever since. It had been a massive struggle to turn the floundering corporation around, but he had. And so, yes, he was protective of the business, and even more protective of those who worked for him.
“The company is not one thing,” he said. “It’s not a bank account. It’s not an office building. It’s not equipment or real estate. It’s people, my people. And I’m determined to do what is best for them. You see, they all have a vested interest in Marcello’s success because each employee is gifted stock each year on the anniversary of their hire date. The longer an employee is with the company, the more stock they hold, which also means they become deeply invested in the company’s success. When Borgo Marcello goes public in two weeks, my employees will have the opportunity to make some very good money. We’ve never done this before. Until now, all our companies have been privately held, but by going public, a number of my employees should make some good money. And that’s what I want for them. This isn’t about me. It’s about rewarding those who have been loyal, when even my own family was not.”
She exhaled slowly, staring out past Giovanni to the narrow street.
She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to do with the information he’d just told her. In some ways she was relieved. But she was also more worried, because if what he said was true, he had very valid reasons for being so protective and proactive about his company.
She didn’t want his employees to lose out on an exceptional opportunity. She’d never been offered stock at AeroDynamics, but Rachel did have friends who worked at high-tech companies and owning stock was huge, especially if a company was close to going public.
“There has to be some middle ground, though,” she said after a moment. “Something that could protect your company and employees, and also protect me.”
He looked at her and waited.
She swallowed hard. “Why does it have to be a real engagement, and a real marriage? Can’t we just pretend until your company has gone public?”
“Pretend to be engaged...for an entire year?”
“A year? Why so long?”
“The first year a company goes public is quite volatile. I have no desire to add risk, or damage credibility.” He paused, drummed his fingers on the table. “And Michael? What about him? A year from now he’ll be eighteen months and walking and starting to talk. Will we want to tear his world apart right when he’s becoming confident and secure?”
“He wouldn’t know. He won’t understand.”
“He would if you suddenly left Venice.”
