Corrupted Queen - Nicole Fox Page 0,39
that simple, Vito. She betrayed me.”
“You are too harsh on her.” He meets my gaze. “Should the situation have been reversed, you would have done the same, no?”
The protest is immediate. “I would not.”
“How do you know? She was just trying to find out more about her father’s murder and doing what she thought was right for her and Harry. Would you not do what you think is right for Harry?”
I ignore his question because it makes a little too much sense.
“She was manipulating me,” I argue. “If there’s one thing I learned from my father, it’s not to trust manipulative women.”
A light of understanding flicks on behind Vito’s irises. “Ah, so this is a Felicity Huffman thing.” He shakes his head. “Gabriel, you can’t liken Alexis to the woman who controlled your father. The situations aren’t comparable. And the two of them have nothing in common.”
“In both situations, a Belluci was manipulated. How is that not comparable?”
“Because Felicity was never your father’s family.” Vito’s gaze is sharper now. “Alexis is. You and her share a common interest in doing what is right for Harry, it’s just that your opinions for what that entails differ slightly. Besides, she’s a good woman.”
I have thought of Alexis and Harry as my family before, but I had never thought of Alexis alone as that. I suppose she is. Whatever happens between us, we will forever be linked through Harry.
“And I hope you will not condemn me for saying this,” Vito continues, “but family comes before business. Always.” He leans back, lifting his drink. “As a bonus, however, family men are always well regarded in business. We have that unfortunate societal advantage over women, who the public often see as weaker if they have a family. It’s massively unfair, really, but the prejudice is to your advantage.”
He drinks, and I digest his advice. Family before business. My thoughts stray to my father, who is a prime example of how I have never toed that line before. When it came down to it, I put the business over my own father, and I have no regrets about doing so.
But could I so easily toss Alexis and Harry to the side?
I shift uncomfortably in my chair, thoughts of the upcoming interview weaving with the threads of business still dangling in the back of my mind. I glance out the window, tracing the outline of the skyscrapers on the horizon, and then look back at the interviewer, a polished blonde in her forties wearing a crisp white blouse and no-nonsense mauve lipstick.
I don’t want to be here.
Carmen labeled this interview nonnegotiable after the catastrophe at the press conference. Considering I will need to announce the cut in more funding to the rehab program soon, for once we are in agreeance. My public image has never been a priority for me, however, I need to rehabilitate it a little or else risk further issues down the road.
The interviewer, Polly Hawkins, sets up in a chair beside me. I can feel her excitement like a shiver through the air and I don’t blame her. Not only is she getting a taped interview with a notoriously reclusive billionaire, but this interview comes just over a week after the disastrous press conference. Carmen has assured me that she and Polly have negotiated the extent of the questioning and this interview is almost exclusively for the sake of redeeming me in the public eye.
I study Polly as she shuffles her notes, wondering if she will stick to their agreement.
“Okay, I think we’re ready.” Polly flashes a dazzling smile and gestures to the cameraman, who is set up across from us. “Mr. Belluci, are you ready to begin?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” Her smile climbs higher up her cheeks, if that’s even possible, and Polly turns to the cameraman, who counts her in.
“Good afternoon, and thank you for choosing Channel Five. I’m Polly Hawkins, and today we have a special interview with Gabriel Belluci, CEO of Belluci Inc, one of New York’s powerhouse corporations whose portfolio stretches from real estate to gambling and everything in between. Thank you for joining us, Mr. Belluci.”
“Thank you for having me,” I say, donning a charming smile.
The transition into CEO is seamless, and I hope for the sake of the camera it looks a lot more natural than it feels.
Polly and I sit and chat like old friends at first. She asks about my company and its history, and I tell her how my grandfather started the entire enterprise over sixty