His Discarded Bride: Lied to from birth. Manipulated into marriage. Does love stand a chance? (6 page)

It was not the first time she had abbreviated his name taking on a too familiar tone, and there simply was no we. It would be a shame to lose the most efficient assistant he’d ever had. Maybe he’d leave it until his engagement. A public announcement should clarify for her the impossibility of being Mrs Renato Favalli. Besides he had enough on his plate.

“It’s Renato and I suggest you do as I direct unless you wish to be looking for work elsewhere.”

There were a few moments of silence followed by a much meeker, “Yes Renato. Everything will be ready to your standards,”

While he didn’t like taking the wind out of her sails in such a manner, it was important that she knew her place.

Leilani listened to the conversation wishing once again that she understood Italian. It was a lovely feminine voice that sounded very exotic and sexy in Italian. At a guess, it was his girlfriend. She wondered if she knew that Leilani was staying with him. Of course the entire country probably knew by now, it was splashed all over the gossip magazines much to her shame.

Soon they arrived at what she could only describe as a small castle. A tremendous high stone fence with wrought iron gates led the way up a cobblestone path to the magnificent house. The lawns were perfectly manicured with trees all around. The house would easily be three stories high and unlike anything she had ever seen.

“Come,” Renato was at her door and guiding her towards the house. He was used to guests no doubt who took all of this for granted but even if she lived here a hundred years she couldn’t imagine ever getting used to this kind of beauty.

“Is that a cherry tree?” she pointed to the nearby tree that held small red fruit.

“Indeed it is. There will be plenty of time for cherries. First we will unpack.”

“My stuff…”

“Has all been brought here; your luggage is in the boot.”

Leilani thought about Renato going through her clothing, her underwear and hidden away between the clothing was a personal toy for her enjoyment and rosy colour quickly crept up over her face. Surely he wouldn’t have done the packing himself. Even still knowing the maid had unpacked it when she arrived and now repacked it was embarrassing enough. 

Renato watched the delightful glow on her face and wished he had done the packing himself. He wondered what he would have found to cause the bright colour spots appearing on her cheeks. “You can relax I did not go through your belongings.”

She blushed even brighter, so he took away the focus and walked them to the house. He had never brought anyone to his home in Pontelandolfo, and he knew the connotation for the locals and his household staff immediately. He would not be disappointing them.

CHAPTER SIX

Entering the house, Leilani immediately fell in love. The city apartment was opulent, extravagant and oozed wealth. Renato’s Pontelandolfo home was undoubtedly expensive, furnished impeccably with classic soft white leather lounges, designer rugs and traditional paintings strategically adorning the walls. There was one stand-out difference. It felt like a home. Maybe it was the magazines artfully scattered on the hand carved walnut coffee table or the plump beige pillows. Leilani could imagine it in winter, with the log fire warming up the room and a soft chintzy throw rug covering her legs. It was a room one could relax in at the end of a tiresome day.

Renato showed Leilani briefly through the house and left her to freshen up in her room with a directive to meet in the informal dining room in an hour. It would give her enough time to look through her emails and see if there were any updates.

She opened up her Hotmail account and regretted her impatience immediately. Not only was there no update but her inbox was jammed full. It seemed that her email address had been made public. She received offers to disclose sordid details of Renato’s personal life in exchange for ludicrous financial gain. Strangers wanted to know more about who she was, and there was even some hate mail from women who believed she was not good enough for him. It was all rather overwhelming and truthfully more than a little intimidating. She quickly shut it down and made her way to the living room.

Glancing up, Renato was not surprised to see Leilani had not bothered to change. “Take a seat,” he directed sounding sterner than he had intended. She was looking strained, and he was almost tempted to ask how she was feeling. Curbing the gesture he got down to business.

Leilani’s mouth worked like a goldfish opening and closing several times, her face worked through a multitude of differing shades of red. “You want to marry me?” she squeaked.

Renato sat bemused. I want you to marry me under the conditions I have just advised you.”

“Uh, this is a little overwhelming and majorly underwhelming at the same time. Could you please run through the gist of this again and explain to me why I would want to marry you?”

“You will marry me because it is the right thing to do. My ethics have been raised into question at a most inconvenient time to my business. We are in the middle of a very lucrative acquisition and the press releasing this story on us has the potential to unravel my business deal. A deal that I will not lose under any circumstance. You will marry me, and I will reward you appropriately.”

“I’m not interested in being rewarded. I’m not here for financial gain.”

“Everyone has a price Leilani. Even if it is not monetary.”

“Well, I don’t require a reward. You are very melodramatic, and I’m sure you will not lose the deal once the situation blows over,” she stated emphatically.

“You do not understand. I have gone to great lengths to improve my public image specifically for this acquisition. Generally I couldn’t care less about public opinion but because of today my integrity is being questioned, and I do not lose,” came the steely reply.

“I’m sorry about your deal, but that does not mean I’m going to marry you.”

“You are happy to lose your self-respect so publicly?”

“I’m a nobody, Renato. I’ll be yesterday’s news within twenty-four hours.”

“Don’t be too sure about that. The press is merciless for details on my life. They will hound you, pester your family and friends, and this will not end anytime soon. Here,” he reached for his phone and dialled a number.

“Who did you call?”

“Hello,” warily, but it was the familiar voice of her mother.

Leilani scowled at Renato as she stood up and took the call. “Mum…”

“What has that man gotten you into,” launched her mother.

Leilani spent another fifteen minutes on the phone trying to explain the situation carefully, with as limited detail as possible. God only knew how she’d ever complete what she came her so secretly to do with the eyes of the world now upon her.

“So, what did your mother have to say,” he looked so self-righteous.

“It’s as you said, the press have camped outside her door and she is too stressed to leave the house and to make matters worse my mothers’ boss is thinking of terminating her. Apparently some journalists have made such a nuisance of themselves outside of her workplace that they are driving away customers. I can’t believe the impact of all of this, but how will marrying you help the situation?”

He had her on the hook and with a bit of finesse he would now reel her in. She was agitated and clearly upset, and he had no qualms in using that to his advantage. Slowly, with deliberation he walked towards her and took a hold of her wrists. “Look at me Leilani?”

She raised her wary blue eyes to his. “By marrying me we will take the newsworthiness out of the story. It will no longer be a sordid affair. I will organise security detail for your parents until the media circus dies down which it will after we marry next week.”

“Next week!” she cried out in alarm.

“Think rationally Leilani and stop looking at me as if I am sending you to your death. Most women would jump at his offer.”

“I’m not most women. I’m me. I want a choice in the matter. I don’t care about your wealth or status. In fact, it’s because of who you are that we are even in a situation. Had you just been some ordinary guy none of this would have occurred,” she cried out.

“Regardless, the situation is as it is, and we need to tackle it appropriately. Do you have a better idea in mind?”

“With all of your money surely there has to be another way?” she pleaded.

Renato gave no alternative and waited for her to work it out. She hated the idea of having a celebrity status and no privacy. The press was already making a mockery of her. She wouldn’t be able to cope in that environment, her confidence was already low, and the press did not view her in a favourable light. She had no wealth, no looks or skill worth crediting her.

“Fine if I am to marry you how long do we keep up this farce?”

“Forever. I do not fail Leilani and neither will I fail in marriage,” Renato was resolute in his decision making.

“How on earth do you expect me to make such a commitment? This whole idea is insane. I barely know you, yet you want me to make a lifetime commitment to you?” It would mean never knowing true love.

“Arranged marriages have succeeded on much less. Remember you will want for nothing. Your parents need not continue working,” he saw her pause for thought at that and continued to press for an advantage. “How old are your parents?”

“Mum is sixty and dad just a few years older.”

“Yet they are still working?” at her nod, “Are they in good health?”

“They have their aches and pains,” she understated chewing her lip.

“Make your decision Leilani but choose wisely. You would want for nothing. Money, clothes, jewels, cars, the finest dining and every resource you could imagine suddenly available to you.”

Finally, he got through to her. Yes everyone had a price but hers was not what he would have thought. Money and resources would, of course, help her cause.

While she pondered on that he shocked her with his forcefulness and in a lowered voice, “Leilani I’ve given you all the positive reasons to marry me. Do not put me in a position of forcing the decision on you.”

“What does that mean exactly?”              

“I’m a very wealthy and powerful man. It is within my ability to make your life extremely difficult. You seem like a lovely lady so let’s do this the nice way hmm,” gripping her chin between his thumb and forefinger he tilted her face towards him.

Leilani thought of her parents and thought of her predicament. She didn’t stand a chance against a man who would no doubt use unscrupulous tactics to get his way. She didn’t need too much of an imagination to figure out her options. “Fine,” she relented between gritted teeth.

What she didn’t expect was the victory light to appear so immediately in his eyes. Without thought, his mouth came down on hers. She parted her lips in surprise, and he deepened the kiss. Her world tilted, and she could no longer think. She gripped onto him and lost herself to the moment giving into pure sensation. She was enveloped in the warmth of his breath while his hands caressed her back.

Renato was the one to break off the kiss but not before she saw a fleeting look of uncertainty or maybe surprise on his face. “We have a lot to arrange. However, we have an undeniable passion that is a great sign for us.”

Blushing furiously Leilani was thankful that Renato didn’t look back once as he walked out with long, purposeful strides. She couldn’t think straight. Only moments prior to the kiss he had threatened her with marriage and not only had she succumbed but she had then fallen into a passionate kiss without any resistance. She had just confirmed that she had a price, and now he no doubt thought that she was his for the taking whenever he chose. She clearly needed to set some rules for the man.

Renato felt dazed at his reaction and lack of control. He felt no attraction to the woman. It was obvious that his recent lack of female companionship in his bed had gotten his hormones into overdrive. Damn the woman. She was lucky to be getting a proposal out of a man like him looking as she did. It was going to take some doing to get her presentable and ready to socialise. He would need to have that dealt with quickly given the frequency he attended and held events. He would call Camilla and have her sort it out. One thing he could guarantee is that his personal assistant would sort out a menial situation with ease.

With any luck, Camilla would lose any fanciful romantic notions she had about him and resume her usual professionalism once the announcement of his engagement to Leilani was made public and official. He placed the call and attempted to work up until dinner.

Arriving in the dining room, he noticed that Leilani sat with her back ramrod straight in the chair. It certainly made a difference from the usual slouch. She glanced his way and held his stare. So it appeared she might have some backbone after all. Good, she would need it to survive the next few months with him. “Leilani, good evening,” he stated formally.

“Good evening, Renato. I wanted to…”

“I hope you have not been waiting too long?” he cut in.

“Ah, no, but I wanted to clarify a few details.”

“Si, but first may we allow the staff to serve us or shall we work through these details as a team?” he raised a mocking brow.

The man was infuriating and right. She had worked herself up into a frenzy preparing her speech, her list of demands that she hadn’t even taken note of the fact that they weren’t alone. “Yes, of course.”

The staff hovered served the meal discreetly course after course until Leilani felt she would burst from holding in the food and what she had to say. “May we talk now?”

“We may and I will go first. You are now my fiancée, as such you will wear my ring,” Renato pulled out a gold band that glittered with an enormous two-carat oval diamond nestled amongst a bed of rubies. He slipped the ring on her finger and of course it fit perfectly. She wasn’t a woman who coveted more than she could afford. In fact, she had never thought herself a materialistic person at all. The ring was stunning yet cold and heavy on her finger symbolic of the feeling in her heart.

“I didn’t need something this flashy,” she stated. “But, thank you,” she mumbled not wanting to sound completely ungrateful.

Renato was not surprised at her reaction. The woman was the utmost in understatements. Anyone watching would have thought that he’d just passed her a toy ring from a vending machine for her complete lack of enthusiasm. “Yes, it’s clear that you don’t care about appearance,” she could make of that what she wished. He would clear it up in a moment regardless.

“Aside from the ring you will need these,” he passed over a designer wallet filled with cash, credit cards in her name and room passes that she held up in question.

“They are gate passes to this house and the apartment.”

“I didn’t need a gate pass when we were staying at the apartment though,” she stated.

“That’s because whenever you left the apartment one of the staff let you out, even when you thought you were sneaking out early that morning,” he emphasised.

“I’m sorry for the trouble that caused.”

“You can show how sorry you are by paying attention to what I have to say. I need an acceptable wife, a hostess and someone who doesn’t need attention every minute of the day,” Leilani seethed, he was treating her like a two-year-old. “I expect you to use those cards.”

“I would feel odd using them to be honest.”

“I don’t have time to pander to your insecurities Leilani. First thing tomorrow Camilla will be picking you up. By the time you finish your shopping spree together, you will be a different woman. You will be presentable and ready to make an appearance by my side at the Favalli Ball.

Leilani felt a rush of anxiety but kept her concerns to herself. He was already showing signs that her insecurities were tedious to him. However, she’d never been to a ball in her life. She would stick out like a sore thumb of that she was convinced. Maybe she would get sick, or she could feign a headache. Renato would probably drag her along regardless of ill health. It would appear that he wasn’t one used to any rejection or disobedience. Dreading the following day she made her way to bed and fell into a fitful sleep.