Page 28 of His Two Hidden Masks

“Guests today expect options that work for their palate and their dietary needs: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, pescatarian, nut allergies.” James smiled. “I know that some of this goes against the Italian way, but people today know a lot more about the foods and diets they need to stay healthy.”

“Street Properties has built a reputation of creating spaces that are an oasis for our clients, spaces where their every need is met with ease. It is effortless elegance and value that our customers will pay for.

“We are looking to join you as partners as we acquire your company as a marquis hospitality brand inside Street Entertainment. We bring with us an injection of capital that will allow Uzano to elevate its portfolio of properties to a level that loyal Street customers have come to expect.”

I hated to admit it to myself, but James was polished. He exuded confidence and power. His dark eyes moved across the table connecting with all of the voters. He was smooth. He knewour business. He spoke like a man who was used to telling people what to do.

He spoke about the Mia Sorella as if we were a gem that needed polishing to reveal the grade and complexity of the stone. Yet, he had seemed underwhelmed by our hotel the night before.

There was no mention of his vision for my family’s business as he lifted my body in the air and lay me down on the bed naked before him. What would he have done last night if he had known he was about to fuck the daughter of his future business partner?

My pulse raced, and I hoped my burning cheeks went unnoticed. My thighs tingled when I remembered the rush of his touch, the waves of pleasure he stirred up inside. He had stroked and massaged my body until my release uncoiled, shattering me in waves. Lissa had intimated that my screams of passion had awakened the whole building.

Roberto sat beside James, his hands folded under his chin. He nodded along in unison as if they had choreographed their mutual approval for each other. Roberto was in on this deal. It seemed everyone was in on this deal, but me. My disappointment over my father’s outright rejection of Bella Baci morphed into frustration and anger.

“James, may I add something,” Roberto said, standing.

Great. That is what we all needed, commentary from Roberto. My face hot, I wished I could jump out of my chair and escape this farce of a board meeting. James did not miss a beat.

He stepped back as I prepared to listen to my former fiancé pontificate.

“I want to thank James for sharing his vision and also Umberto for being open to this kind of change.”

I seethed watching my ex-fiancé establish his dominance.

“This deal is good for our family,” Roberto stumbled. “I mean the Uzano family.” And, there it was, the reference to mybetrayal. If I had married Roberto, he would officially be a part of the Uzano family.

I took a handful of caramels and shoved two into my mouth at once, chewing. The rush of sugar and chocolate calmed me. Damn, my candies were good.

“I have done the due diligence, Umberto,” Roberto said. “Our firm has represented your financial interest for years, and I want to ask the board to approve this acquisition and allow the Uzano portfolio to evolve and grow.”

My father looked up and down the table. “This deal is good. It allows us to expand and we keep control at fifty-one percent. If you had told me that one day I would welcome outsiders to our table, I would have said you were wrong. But here we are. Sometimes you need more than family.”

Roberto’s family had money, not as much as Street Entertainment, but if we had married, it would have solved a major cash flow problem for my father. We wouldn’t need to be acquired.

This was all happening because I had dared to walk away from Roberto. In my father’s eyes, this was all my fault.

“Thank you,” James said, nodding as he stood beside Roberto. “I appreciate the time you have taken to transparently help me and the team to understand your business.”

My father stood. “Shall we prepare for a vote? Maria?” He nodded toward my mother.

“All in favor of moving forward with the Street acquisition, say ‘aye.’” My mother led the vote, moving around the table one by one.

A rounding chorus of “ayes.”

Sitting beside me, Auntie Aurora gave her vote.

“Aye,” she said softly.

My mother paused, pointing to me.

“Nay,” I said, my voice low and steady.

I feared my vote would be viewed as childish or defiant, but I no longer cared. I knew that selling almost half of our family business to a stranger was not something I could stand behind without information and consideration. I deserved a seat at the table, a real seat.

My mother shook her head and continued the vote. I was the only dissenting vote, which meant it was a useless protest, but still, I stood my ground. Without a unilateral vote, the board would need to reconvene again to formally accept the offer.

I hadn’t stopped anything. My protest added a symbolic delay. Unless I was able to convince a majority of the family to shift with me, the vote would be notarized without incident and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

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