Chapter Twenty-Seven
Matteo’s knee bounced underneath the conference table. He’d been in meetings all day in preparation for the opening of the new track. This was the last one of the day which included six of his biggest investors. He should be paying attention. Instead he kept glancing toward the hallway in the direction of Genevieve’s office. He’d seen Raphael make his move a few minutes earlier. The fucker had been smart. He waited until the most important meeting, the one he couldn’t possibly excuse himself from to do his investigation.
Raphael was Alessio’s right-hand man… and for good reason. The man was a human lie detector. He had a special way of asking someone a few poignant questions to detect their intent and inner personality. He could make a warlord cry. He could convince a dictator to spill confidential material. He could make a nun give up her vows. Matteo had known Raphael for nearly two decades and he’d only ever witnessed two women see through his facade.
“Mr. Accardi?” Bella, his PR rep, said, interrupting his nervous train of thought.
“Hm?” Matteo kept his gaze on Gen’s open doorway.
He felt a hand on his thigh. That was enough to jerk his gaze away from the hallway. He could feel his expression hardening as he sent her the iciest glare he could muster. She withdrew her hand while a blush crept over her cheeks.
“Uh, Mr. Ludwig was asking you a question,” she said, brushing her hair behind her ear and moving away slightly.
“What?” he practically growled, his attention back where it needed to be.
Mr. Ludwig chuckled. “That’s quite alright, Miss Kennedy. It’s been a long day for us all. Perhaps we should wrap this up?”
Just then Raphael emerged from Genevieve’s office with a cheek-splitting grin. Matteo’s fists clenched on the table in a painful way that brought him some relief. He could hear everyone around the table discussing the next time they could gather. His breathing halted as he waited for Raphael to round the corner. As he did, Raphael looked up. He lifted his hand and gave Matteo a thumbs up. Matteo breathed in so sharply it caught the attention of everyone in the room. His eyes snapped back toward Gen’s office only to find her glaring back at him with her arms crossed. He didn’t care. He couldn’t.
Matteo stood up and started shaking hands with everyone in the room, thanking them for their time. All he wanted was to get them out the door so he could seek her out and explain. He turned away from the windows to collect his remaining paperwork. Beside him a throat cleared. He glanced to his left to find everyone in the room had left… Except for Bella.
“What is it Bella?”
“I just wanted to apologize…”
Matteo stood to his full height and stepped closer in a show of intimidation. “We have discussed this in the past, Miss Kennedy. Our relationship will never be more than professional. Especially now. The next time you lay a hand on me, you’ll be fired. Do I make myself clear?”
Matteo could see her visibly swallow. Her wide eyes batted nervously as she nodded. “Sorry again, Sir.”
Bella turned to flee but came up short when she noticed Alexander and Genevieve standing in the doorway. Matteo tried to decipher Gen’s complex expression. She seemed almost giddy, yet anger sizzled just below the surface.
“Oh, hello, you must be Miss Sinclair. I’m Bella, it’s nice to meet you,” Bella said, extending her hand.
Gen smiled tightly as she shook Bella’s hand. “Pleasure,” Gen returned while casting a glance at Matteo.
Bella finally managed to sidestep the two people when Alexander walked further into the room.
Alexander spoke, breaking the thick cloud of tension, “Mr. Accardi, that was the last meeting for today if…”
“He has one more meeting,” Gen informed him, her gaze locked with Matteo as she cocked her hip and crossed her arms.
“I…” Alexander started frantically flipping pages in his notebook.
Matteo couldn’t help but smirk at the poor man. “It’s fine, Alexander. I’ll speak with Miss Sinclair alone. You may head home for the day. Thank you for your diligent work, as always.”
“Right,” he said, sending a suspicious look between his boss and the new accountant.
Matteo and Gen remained silent as Alexander left. When the door closed behind him, Gen huffed. “I would like to speak with you.”
“So I gathered,” he said. He walked closer to her and leaned back against the table.
She looked around and glanced into the hallway where Alexander was gathering his things. “Is there somewhere we can speak where people can’t watch us?”
Matteo lifted a brow in amusement. “There’s one place. Come with me,” he said, gathering his paperwork.
He held the door open for her and gestured for her to head toward his office. He followed behind, admiring her figure in the tight dress she’d chosen to wear. She had her hair in a classic updo that showed off the slender curve of her neck. He shook himself off and overtook her so he could stand in front of his office door. She gave him a dubious look before she stepped inside. He closed his door and headed for his desk while Gen started looking at the various paintings, certificates, and accommodations hanging from the walls. He found the remote he was looking for and switched the glass walls to tinted. Geneveive pivoted and it was her turn to raise a brow in question.
“Doesn’t look like it’s very private,” she observed as she watched Alexander grab the rest of his belongings and head for the elevators through the now darkened glass.
Matteo chuckled. “We can see out but no one can see in.”
“Hm.”
Matteo sat in his chair to keep from pinning her to the wall and held his hand out toward the other seat. “Have a seat, Gen. How was your first day?”
Genevieve sighed and did as he suggested. She took a few moments to situate herself. “Busy.”
“In a good way?”
He noticed her jaw clench and when her eyes finally met his, the anger she’d stifled reignited. “Where the hell do you get off sending that man in to badger me with questions?”
Matteo leaned forward and intertwined his fingers. “I didn’t, actually.”
“So he just wandered up off the street?”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “My cousin, Alessio, sent him. He’s worried about my headspace and wanted to make sure you weren’t a plant.”
“A plant?” she asked, furrowing her brows in a cute display of confusion.
“We’ve been having a lot of bad luck in my… other endeavor. He was just trying to look out for me. If I hadn’t been with investors, I would have come in there to drag him out but, as I’m sure you discovered for yourself, Raphael is a formidable adversary. He planned his arrival out perfectly.”
Genevieve seemed to accept his answer as she sat back in the chair more relaxed. “He’s a fucking asshole,” she quipped making him laugh. A satisfied smile pulled at her expression. “What was my report? Did I pass?”
“With flying colors, apparently,” he told her. She sat straighter, enjoying the praise at passing one of the mafia’s tests. “He didn’t…” Gen looked up, waiting for his question. “He didn’t touch you, did he?”
Genevieve shrugged. “No more than any other creep would. He kissed the back of my hand,” she said with another shrug.
Matteo’s relaxed hand suddenly fisted. “What?” he hissed.
Gen’s eyes widened. “It’s okay, it was nothing.”
“Not to me. I’ll take care of him,” he vowed.
Gen sighed and stood up. She paced around the room quietly as if she were debating something. She stood at the window watching the employees closing up the office in the building next door. Matteo stood and moved beside her. He shoved his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t reach out for her.
“You asked me how my day was.”
“Yes.”
“It was awful,” she said with a sigh. She shook her head and took a deep breath. “I could feel you watching me. I kept wondering if the next person to walk in was going to be you. When it wasn’t I was… disappointed. I kept wondering about that lady… Miss Kennedy?” Gen guffawed. She uncrossed her tight arms and wiped her cheeks as if to cool them before covering her entire face. “I kept wondering if there was something going on between you two.” She laughed behind her hands.
Matteo turned to face her. “Genevieve…”
“I can’t do this.”