Gina hadn’t really thought past getting away from the office and perhaps giving Matthew time to think. But now the game was up and very soon he’d know her true identity and gone would be the opportunity to get any sort of retribution for what he’d done. But at least once he knew the truth he’d have no reason to believe she was working for Ben Carlotti.
“The sitting room is on the first floor,” she said leading the way up the staircase. He followed her up and into the large, comfortably furnished room. Grace Deverell was sat on a window seat reading and as she looked up at the pair her eyes widened in surprise. This wasn’t part of the plan so Grace realised immediately that something must have gone wrong.
“Mrs Deverell,” Matthew greeted her politely watching her put her book down. “I think one of you owes me an explanation, don’t you,” he asked puzzled and looking from one woman to the other.
”If Grace is your step mum then your name is Deverell and not Haddon,” he put to Gina. “Obviously that’s another lie and yet more subterfuge to muddy the waters. Although quite what you’d gain, Gina from pretending to be someone else is lost on me.”
“It’s not really a lie, Haddon was my mother’s maiden name,” she retaliated. “And anyway you wouldn’t have given my application a second glance if you’d seen the name ‘Deverell’ on it,” she told him pointedly.
“Sit down Mr Dark,” Grace invited seeing Gina’s angry look and realising she needed to try and calm her down. “I’m sorry the first time you’re a guest in my house it’s under such circumstances,” she apologised. “I can guess why you’re so annoyed with Gina. But, believe me whatever she’s done it was for the very best of intentions,” Grace told him gesturing for him to sit.
“Gina has stolen important information from me. I think I know well enough what her intentions were, Mrs Deverell, an attempt to sabotage my operations in this country. And I cannot allow that to happen.”
So he knew, Grace realised and this whole escapade of Gina’s had gotten out of hand as she’d predicted. It had escalated from the realms of wild gossip to having Matthew Dark seriously on her case and all in the space of less than two days. That was some going even for Gina.
“Gina I think Mr Dark has every right to be angry and you do owe him an explanation. Perhaps now you’d better just tell him why you did this and what your problem is,” she said looking at her grim faced step daughter. “She never really meant to harm anyone or your business, Mr Dark” Grace tried to reassure him.
“Oh yes I did,” Gina responded sharply. “It’s highly probable that you don’t even realise the full extent of what you’ve done,” she levelled at him, her eyes full of the pent up anger she’d felt for days now. “You appear out of nowhere and destroy my father’s business then you just swallow it up into your own and then, if that wasn’t enough, you throw his workforce out onto the streets. And you know very well that because of their age most of them will be very lucky if they ever work again,” she added with derision. “So if you are looking for a reason why I’d steal your plans then you’ve got one. So believe me it has absolutely nothing to do with Ben Carlotti or Planet,” she confirmed vehemently. “But make no mistake if I thought for one minute he could help me then I wouldn’t hesitate, I’d take what I know straight to him.”
When her rant was finished Gina flopped down on a sofa and took a deep breath, her cheeks flushed in temper and her limbs shaky with emotion. But it had been said, Dark could be in no doubt now, he knew exactly how she felt. Then she reached over to the coffee table snatched a pile of papers from it and threw them at him.
“Take them, take them and go.”
So that was it. This sorry mess was down to her being a disgruntled member of the Deverell family and wanting some sort of revenge. Matthew found this very much at odds with James Deverell’s behaviour, the old MD, had simply accepted the fat cheque he’d been paid and gone off to holiday in the sun. He’d voiced no concerns at all.
“Have you discussed any of this with your father?” Matthew enquired. “Because if you had you’d realise that he got a very good deal from me,” he pursed his lips and watched her. She didn’t flinch. “Deverells’ never went into administration,” he confirmed. “I took the company on debts and all. But that meant I had to compromise somewhere, Gina. There was a great deal of money owed to various suppliers and I had to completely reorganise the way the place operated in order to get it back into profit. And yes, there was redundancies, there had to be. But not until your old workforce knew the score and were offered the opportunity to transfer to one of my subsidiaries or take a generous package.”
“You can sit there and make out you’re ‘Mister nice guy’ but I don’t believe you. I think you are far more devious than that,” she spat at him. “A lost order here, bills that can’t be paid there and suddenly there you are money in hand and ready to pounce. The truth is you wanted that business and you made damn sure things went your way.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Gina. Your father approached me with a proposition and I did need premises in London so I went along with his ideas.”
“So now you’re blaming my father for all this, that’s rich coming from you. You’re a crook and deserve everything you get.”
“OK Gina, I can’t change your opinions about the deal I struck with your father but take my word for it they’re totally wrong. But I will accept that you didn’t steal my plans to sell them to the highest bidder,” he allowed. Then shaking his handsome head he continued. “But essentially that doesn’t really change much, does it?”
“You have the papers back, you know I’m not an industrial spy, so you can go now knowing your new development’s safe,” she told him.
“It’s not that simple though, is it,” he replied watching her nervously winding a lock of blonde hair around her fingers. “You see all that might be true but these documents will still be on your computer,” he continued. “And you know what my plans are for and, more importantly you must have worked out what makes the product different,” he paused watching her mouth the word ‘price’ and nodded.
“So that, plus all you’ve just told me means I can’t trust you, Gina. What guarantees do I have that Carlotti isn’t still an option you’ll go for the minute my backs turned?”
“You’ll just have to take my word for it,” she emphasised, her eyes blazing at him. “I don’t lie, so if I say I won’t discuss this with anyone else, then I won’t.”
“But you do lie, Gina, you have already lied to me, many times in fact, about your name for a start, when you applied for the job. I need much better odds than that,” he told her firmly. “And frankly, right now you are not convincing me that I have them. This entire development and the launch have cost a great deal of money and it’s just too important for me to leave any loose ends behind.”
So now she was nothing more to him than a ‘loose end’, how very flattering!
“So what now, just how do you plan to ensure I won’t continue to wreak havoc behind your back? You can hardly take me captive and hide me away somewhere,” she scoffed.
“You’re very perceptive, Gina. You see I’ve had all morning to think about this and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
END OF PART ONE
Dark Demands - Taken for His Captive Page 9
