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“I suppose you expected to find Bradley.” Black glanced at Nicolo. “My nephew and Aimee’s cousin.”
Aimee didn’t answer. She was stunned by the presence of the stranger she’d slept with. Why was he here? And what was he going to say about that night?
“Aren’t you curious as to why Bradley isn’t present, Aimee?”
A good question. Bradley would never miss the chance to see her reaction as control of SCB was placed permanently in his hands.
Aimee sat up straight. Finding this—this man here had driven logical thought out of her head and she could not let that happen, not if there was the slightest chance of talking sens
e to her grandfather.
“I am curious,” she said. “Knowing Bradley, I’d assume he’d want to be here to gloat.”
James chuckled. “As you can see,” he told Nicolo, “my granddaughter believes in being frank.” He turned his attention to Aimee. “But Bradley has nothing to gloat about. I am, as you can see, in control of things again and after examining the records of the past three months, I can see that I was wrong to put Bradley in charge.”
Aimee put her hands in her lap and clenched them into fists.
“I’m glad you realize that, Grandfather.”
James nodded. “It’s the reason you’re here today.”
“Excuse me,” Nicolo said with barely concealed impatience, “but I would like to be let in on what is happening here, Signore Black. What has this woman—”
“My granddaughter. My own flesh and blood.”
“What has she to do with our agreement?”
“What agreement?” Aimee said, looking from her grandfather to Nicolo.
“Aimee believes she should take over as head of Stafford-Coleridge-Black, Prince Barbieri.”
Nicolo’s mouth twitched. A woman, this woman, in charge of a private bank worth billions? He would have laughed, but the old man’s expression was serious.
At least now he understood why Aimee Black was in the room. Her grandfather wanted her present for the announcement of his decision to sell the bank to Nicolo. Was it because he thought she’d take the news better than hearing it another way? Was it because Black thought, as he did, that her hope to head SCB was laughable?
Nicolo didn’t give a damn.
For weeks, he’d imagined all the ways in which he could get even with this woman but what was about to happen was better than anything he’d considered. Her shock when she learned that he, of all people, was going to get what she so obviously—so foolishly—wanted, was more than he could have hoped for.
Sometimes, he thought, sitting back in his chair, sometimes, a man got very, very lucky.
“My granddaughter worked here summers for many years.”
“How nice,” Nicolo purred.
“She studied finance, economics and business.”
Nicolo tried to look impressed. Amazing, what they taught rich girls in boarding school these days.
“She knows how I felt about keeping SCB in the family.”
Nicolo nodded. “Unfortunately,” he said politely, “fate did not cooperate.”
“No. Not until now.”
Nicolo frowned. Even a prince could smell a rat when it got close enough. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Signore Black.”
James looked at Aimee. “How badly do you want to keep Stafford-Coleridge-Black in our family?” he said softly.
