An Inheritance of Shame - By Kate Hewitt Page 0,35

if she didn’t, he’d surely break her heart.

‘It’s painfully clear that the Corretti empire is falling apart.’ Angelo gazed steadily at each shareholder in turn, watched them fidget and squirm, their uneasy gazes sliding away from his. ‘The Correttis simply aren’t capable any longer, and the world is noticing.’

More squirming. None of the shareholders at this meeting were related to the Correttis, yet they’d always been loyal. Angelo knew he was taking a risk asking them to switch their loyalty to him, a Corretti of a different kind. He’d called this meeting of shareholders of Corretti Designs in Palermo, knowing that Luca was out of the country. He didn’t think it would take too much to nudge the rest of the shareholders into a vote removing Luca as CEO and putting him in his place. They were like dominoes, waiting to fall. And another piece of the Corretti pie would be his. ‘The price of Corretti Designs’ shares have fallen three per cent in the past week alone,’ he continued, knowing that hard facts might sway them more than sly innuendo. ‘And it will continue to fall while the Correttis scramble, mired as they are in their own scandal.’

One of the shareholders, a banker from Milan, met his gaze. ‘What do you propose?’

‘You make me CEO on a trial basis,’ Angelo answered swiftly. ‘If the share prices improve—’

‘The shares have gone down because of the cancelled wedding,’ a sharp-looking woman objected. ‘It’s been all the talk. They’ll bounce back in time.’

‘Scandal usually boosts share prices of glamour industries,’ Angelo replied coolly. ‘Yet Corretti Designs’ shares have fallen.’

He saw the doubt enter the woman’s eyes, felt the mood in the room shift. They might be loyal to Luca Corretti, but all that mattered was the bottom line. ‘Six weeks,’ he said firmly. ‘Give me six weeks and I’ll turn this company around.’ He held each person’s gaze, saw doubts turn into certainties, and triumph surged through him. ‘Shall we call a vote?’

‘Am I interrupting something?’

Angelo stiffened, then turned his head to see Luca Corretti standing in the doorway of the boardroom, his steely gaze arrowing in on him. He smiled and lounged back in his chair. ‘So good of you to join us,’ he drawled, and saw a flicker of something almost like admiration in Luca’s eyes at his sheer audacity.

‘So good of you to invite me,’ Luca answered dryly, and came into the room. Angelo felt an answering flare of respect for a man he knew he should hate. Luca Corretti was his cousin, the second son of Benito, his own father’s brother. He’d lived in a palace, had grown up with every privilege and luxury. Angelo had hated him on principle for most of his life, yet now he couldn’t help but respect the man’s steely authority.

He might have been able to buy up the flagship hotel in Matteo’s absence, but it appeared taking over Luca’s fashion enterprise was going to be a little bit more difficult.

Luca set his briefcase on the table, his gaze moving slowly around the room, pinning every uneasy shareholder in his or her place. ‘Now,’ he said pleasantly, and Angelo heard the unmistakable undercurrent of authority in his voice, ‘where were we?’

Twenty minutes later the meeting had ended and Luca was still in charge. Angelo slid his papers back into his attaché, affected an insouciance he didn’t really feel.

Luca glanced at him coolly from across the table. ‘Foiled this time, Angelo.’

Angelo gave him a hard smile. ‘I don’t think we’ve actually ever been introduced.’

‘And yet you seem determined on snatching as much of the Corretti empire as you can.’

‘Snatching?’ Angelo raised his eyebrows. ‘It’s business, Luca. It always has been.’

Luca closed his briefcase with a decisive snap. ‘Business?’ he repeated with a shake of his head. ‘I don’t think so. Not for you.’

Angelo felt everything in him tense as that familiar rage flashed through him. He hated the other man’s mocking tone, that superior sneer. ‘Trust me,’ he answered evenly, ‘it’s business.’ Without another word he stalked from the boardroom, felt the adrenalin course through him as he took the lift down to the street. Once outside he decided to walk off his anger. He headed towards Pretoria Square, his mind racing along with his heart.

He could certainly do without Luca’s fashion house. Buying out the Correttis’ flagship hotel had been far more a significant coup and he wasn’t going to concern himself with a few dresses. And yet he couldn’t keep the resentment