Page 4 of Pregnant and Stolen by the Tycoon

He dropped his hand and Genie felt an odd disquiet that he hadn’t pushed for a handshake. ‘I’m not a random visitor, Miss Merchant. My people have been trying to set up a meeting with you for weeks.’

‘Then that should’ve been a firm indicator that I wasn’t interested in whatever this is about.’

He shoved his hand into his expensive coat pocket, the action widening the gap between the lapels to show the bespoke suit he wore underneath. The dark navy shirt threw his deep olive complexion into strong focus, emphasising every masculine feature he possessed. ‘If I were in the habit of allowing every small hurdle to stop me, I wouldn’t be where I am today.’

Genie wasn’t sure whether she bristled at the ‘small’ or the ‘hurdle’ part.

Before she could respond, he continued, ‘Besides, I have it on good authority that your initial short list has been a total failure. Perhaps you should rethink the parameters of your selection.’

‘I don’t need advice on how I conduct my business, Mr Valente.Mypeople will be compiling the next list. Feel free to speak with them, although I can’t guarantee you’ll be successful next time either.’

He sauntered past her as if she hadn’t spoken, prowling to the very window she’d been staring out of a few minutes ago. After a charged minute—which she spent far too engrossed in his riveting profile when she should’ve pressed the button for her security to escort him out—he turned to her. ‘You’re running out of time. Are you going to waste more by dismissing Valente Ventures’ bid without even hearing what I’m proposing?’

Valente Ventures.

The very name screamed predatory capitalism with a capital C. ‘Everyone I’ve met with so far has been a great fit.’ On paper at least.

‘And yet you’ve come up short. Zero out of five as of ten minutes ago?’

Another unpleasant jolt careened through her. ‘How do you know—?’

‘I do my homework, Miss Merchant. And I’m extremely thorough with it.’

‘And does that homework include spying on my company?’

He angled his head at her in a way that made her feel...inadequate. A feeling she’d experienced...rarely. And only where it pertained to her relationship with her late parents. She was dealing with that bolt of unnerving surprise when he answered.

‘Come on, now, don’t be naive. If companies went around wilfully blind to each other’s activities, there would be no healthy competition. Besides, didn’t I hear you say just now that you’ve fallen short of your goals?’

Genie pursed her lips, reluctant to hand him the win. ‘That still doesn’t mean I’m willing to meet with you.’

He watched her with those far too intense eyes for a minute. If he hoped to make her squirm or uncomfortable, he was going to be disappointed. She was used to being an oddity. A creature people whispered about, sometimes within earshot. She’d long since thickened her skin against being distressed by such things.

‘You’re accustomed to thinking outside the box, are you not?’

‘I am but I don’t need to with you. You’re firmly in thenobox, Mr Valente.’ With a neat pirouette, she turned towards her desk to summon her assistant, and her security, if need be. As she did, she was struck by the odd desire to see this man grapple with her guards, perhaps even best them. He might be adorned with the trappings of power and influence, but she sensed that, underneath it all, Severino Valente could be ruthless when he needed to be. From her recollection of his people, Cardosians were proud and formidable.

And why on earth was she thinking all this?

She reached out her hand to her intercom.

‘You want your algorithm to help people. I have a whole country in desperate need of something brave and bold to change their lives. Surely you won’t deny them that because the body seeking that help falls under the umbrella of venture capitalist?’

She froze. Turned her head to meet his gaze over her shoulder. ‘What people?’

‘Mine,’ he answered, his tone grave and powerful. ‘Cardosia is in the middle of an ecological and economic crisis. The predictive precision of your algorithm for things like weather patterns is nothing short of astounding but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that. It could change the fortunes of an ailing nation. We’re not quite teetering on the brink yet but it’s only a matter of time. If you think I’m exaggerating, I’m sure you can find out the truth for yourself with a few keystrokes.’

She dropped her hand. She wasn’t changing her mind. Not by a long chalk. ‘How do I know this isn’t a ploy just to get your hands on my intellectual property? If you’ve done your homework as you say, then you’ll know that two of the entities I met with today outright lied about their true intentions for my algorithm.’

A flash of furious affront whipped across his face and the hairs on her nape stood up. Not because she was afraid of his reaction but because she was riddled with curiosity as to the depths of his passions.

Another hugely troubling first.

She really should’ve let her business director act on her behalf, saving her from this disturbing interaction. But again Genie felt the oddest sensation in her belly. The one that rejected the idea of missing this...whatever it was.

‘I’ve never needed to lie my way into getting what I want, and I’m not about to start with you. But I’m willing to accommodate a measure of oversight if that will sway to selling your algorithm to me if that’s what it takes.’

Oversight.

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