Copyright © 2014 by Athena Heart
"Elena is her father's sole beneficiary. That means the controlling shares of The Peridot and its franchises are in her hands. After Tino's embezzlement was found out, William had the will amended, so that the shares will be eventually under the control of the man Elena marries. We all know who that is since the marriage was planned when both of you were kids." Twenty - eight-year-old Louise Cali tapped his Parker pen on the papers in front of him.
"But I hold the Advisory rights?" Dean asked removing a cigarette from his lips.
"Yes. When Gloria signed the contract, Elena was just a few days short of turning twenty - one. If Gloria had signed the contract after Elena became twenty - one, it would have been worthless. But when Gloria agreed and signed the contract, she had handed the Advisory right ship to you, Dean. That means not a penny moves in and out of The Peridot without your permission." Louise waited, to study the expression on Dean's face.
The eagle - like eyes looked back at him, with a certainty of a plot forming in his head. Louise swallowed down the lump in his throat. He disliked being alone with the young Don. Dean had a way of making people nervous around him. The power emitting from his presence had a potency about it that made people choose their words wisely.
"When you marry her, those shares will officially be in your control. In other words, you get to decide if The Peridot stays up or will be torn down and each single matter pertaining to its operations would need your approval." Louise paused to look at his notepad, glad that he had something else to look upon rather than the Don's cold and expressionless face. "Elena will still hold the controlling shares together with you. In other words, you hold the power, so long as you remain husband and wife."
Dean snubbed the cigarette in the ash - tray. The chair swirled and he looked at the sunset. A year ago, two weeks before Elena's twenty-first birthday, Gloria had called the Bishops. The Peridot was on a titanic - set course, sinking into an ocean of debts thanks to the former general manager.
Answering the distress call, Dean and Leo had secretly flown to Florida. Rolphe Equinox, who had been secretly working with The Triglias, had taken hefty sums of loans with banks using The Peridot as a co - guarantor, faking Gloria's signature. Very craftily, he had sneaked small amounts of thousands on regular basis to The Triglias' Swiss bank accounts.
Enraged, Dean had pulled the trigger and Leo dumped Rolphe's cheating carcass into the ocean's depth. The Triglias had been smart. They had used different aliases to have the funds deposited into each of those accounts. A Swiss bank account would be untraceable. Left with no other choice, Dean had stepped in and paid for every single debt from his own pockets.
He had pulled The Peridot out of the quicksand and set her on concrete ground, free of debts. The Bishop Empire's businesses' shares were held and kept within only the male members of the family. Nonno Alessandro refused to let outsiders hold any number of shares in the Business Empire, not even the close-knitted circle of Associates. That was something Nonno had taught his young grandson, "The little foxes always spoil the vineyards. At first, they will be seemingly friendly and helpful. But then they will get hungry and begin to crave for bigger bites of the grapes."
Dean and his uncles were on a high pay scale. And he earned extra income from managing his father's business. But none of the Bishops, from Dean to his uncles and cousins, not one of them could sell their shares. That meant everything the Bishops had were private owned. Even Leo was not given a share though he was made a legal son to Roberto and Liza Bishop. However, like Dean he earned a high pay. And it was from this high income that Dean had paid every single debt The Peridot owed. All 2.7 million.
Due to his shrewd business traits, Dean had recovered what he paid for within a year. As the Don in-charge he had a high percentage profits salary from the Bishop Empire's businesses.
"Dean, there is however, a clause. You know that don't you?" Louise leaned forward on the table, his face twisted in seriousness.
The young Don swirled the chair around and faced the young Consigliore.
"If anything happens to Elena," Louise paused, taking in a deep breath. "If anything happens to her, like death before she is married, The Peridot's shares will be sold for profits which in turn will be donated to a children's charity chosen by the American government."
"Nothing will happen to her, Louise. Go ahead and prepare the contract as we've discussed earlier. Once the wedding ceremony is over, I want that contract in my hands." Dean tapped his fingers on the table.
Louise nodded. He was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. It opened slowly and a familiar head popped out. Louise smiled at his sister. The door fully swung open and Leila Cali stepped into the office, smiling at her older brother but eyes quickly shifted to the object of her desires and affections.
She was a true - blooded Italian with an attractive face and a sylphlike, sensuous body, abounding with promises. Dean had enjoyed those lucrative promises on the nights he had been alone and weary from a day of heavily burdened responsibilities. Again, and again, she had let Dean know in obvious ways that she was available to bring him whatever pleasures he wished, whenever and wherever he desired them. As any man would, Dean had taken what she had to freely offer. A constant companion, Leila wanted more than just sex. She wanted to own the Bishop name, to make it a part of hers. He wasn't interested - he only saw her as a woman willing to take the space in his bed, just like the other women he had slept with. As far as Dean was concerned, Leila was nothing exceptional.
As she moved closer to the desk, Dean could sense the musky smell of a wild animal in heat. He wasn't in the mood. Sitting still, he eyed Leila with a repugnance. She knew very well that he didn't like being disturbed when he was in a meeting, especially with her brother. His eyes warned her to leave.
There were business issues he had to discuss with her father and brother. Peter Cali, had been sloppy of late in his dealings, making some Asian business partners angry with the high hand manner he dealt with them. Peter had always considered himself superior to others and worthier of becoming a relation to the Bishops. His daughter's interest in Dean further served this purpose and he encouraged Leila's relationship with Dean though the Calis were very much aware that Dean would eventually marry Elena Cruise.
"Baby Dean," she purred in a voice laced with seduction, unashamed that her brother was present. Whenever she laid eyes on Dean, all she saw and could think about was Dean's buff body entwined with hers. She longed for his strong hands to grip her waist when he kissed her. He was a man in very sense of the word and he had the organs and the techniques to prove it.
She leaned down, making sure he had an eyeful of her cleavage. Dean was a boobs and ass man. They've had very kinky foreplays where she had gotten topless for him and let him fondle her assets as much as he wanted.
"I missed you so much." She whispered into his ear and planted a kiss on his earlobe. That was the signal to Dean that she wanted more. Her lips turned towards his.
Dean turned his face and she got his cheek instead. He knew what she wanted from him at that moment. Leila was like that. Showing what she needed, wanted without any inhabitation. He had liked it at some points how she was so raw and sensual. Fucking Leila was like taming a hungry tigress. More than once, she had clawed his back and he had laughed in amusement at her desires for him.
When Dean turned his face away, Leila sucked in an irritation. He could be cold at times, never linking up with her emotionally. They had made love countless times but he never lingered around long in bed with her. Once the deed was over, he would get up in all his naked glory, shower, get dressed and leave.
As always, he kept his heart at a distance from her. No matter how much Leila tried, she had never been able to capture even a tiny space in his heart. He would have sex with her and leave without a word, not even a goodbye. The next time they meet, they would end up in bed again, satisfying each other. Still, she remained just a sexual occupation to him.
But she had gone as far as to dream a life as Mrs. Dean Bishop. A title she had been coveting much. And that was the only reason she worked so hard alongside her father; building up the businesses they were in-charge of. She did all to win Dean's heart. To show how dedicated she was and how capable she could be. A perfect wife for him.
Leila knew the wedding was drawing nearer and Elena had been staying in his parents' Italian residence. Elena, was not allowed into the grand Bishop Manor for Nonno Alessandro had not approved of the union between Dean and Elena. Leila knew everything about Elena, having fished the information from her brother who was the Bishops' current Consigliore. Elena was competition.
Dean arose, buttoned his jacket, and walked to the door. There was no point discussing The Peridot in Leila's presence, though Dean knew that she would get the information from her brother. The Calis were a sneaky bunch as he had seen how they worked, quickly killing off rivals without a second thought.
The Calis followed and Leila hurried after him just in time as the elevator doors opened. When the elevator doors closed, she leaned into Dean's shoulder and whispered to him. "I miss you baby. It's been a month since we made love. How about after dinner, we head back to the penthouse, hmmm?" He had left her cold after Elena and Mel had left the Chez Zara. Leila was very much aware that Dean had deliberately brought her to Florida and arranged a lunch right next to Elena's favorite table in her favorite café.
Dean remained quiet, only looking at the silver elevator doors. Leila was a good fuck. With Elena now by his side and the wedding approaching, he had no need for Leila. A fact he had maintained from the start of their wanton relationship.
Ding!
The doors opened and Dean stepped out. That was his answer to Leila.
Leila swallowed the bile that arose from her stomach. His coldness was getting a tad too unbearable and she attributed it to Elena's presence. She determined there and then, she would do all it takes to make Elena's life miserable with all that she could come up with. Dean belonged to only her.