The Irresistible Royal Page 12

  A mere inclination of his head and the television screen in the boardroom was flicked on.

  ‘Today, Wycosta is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. After ten weeks of trial, the judge has handed down her decision, demanding the company pay out a record amount to the plaintiffs who brought the class action against the supermarket chain. While the company chairman was not available for comment, I have with me the chief lawyer for the plaintiffs, Counsellor Chloe Salvatore.’

  Marco’s body jerked the second he heard her name. His eyes widened in disbelief as Chloe’s image flashed onto the screen.

  ‘Counsellor, congratulations on your win today.’ It was really her. ‘You must be thrilled to have made the record books with this massive compensation payout Wycosta has been ordered to pay?’

  ‘Thank you, Nancy.’

  Even though she looked extraordinarily tired, it didn’t detract from her beauty, which struck Marco again with the force of a sucker punch. Looking directly at the camera as she spoke, Marco felt as though she was speaking directly to him—looking directly at him. But where his heart raced, she was the picture of cool professionalism and her voice was all confidence.

  ‘This decision sends a strong message to companies all across America. It doesn’t matter who you are and how big you are. If you violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by maintaining recruiting and hiring practices that exclude minority racial groups, women, and the disabled, you will be held accountable. If companies adopt a restrictive marketing image—and adhere to other policies which limit minority and female employment—they will be held accountable.’ Her voice was clear, her whole demeanour passionate while his thoughts were chaotic. Chloe was championing the underdogs and the win indicated she’d championed them very well.

  ‘Counsellor Salvatore, we know you’re employed by a legal-aid firm in the Napa Valley?’

  ‘That’s correct.’

  ‘Yet here you are in Los Angeles, with the biggest class action win in history now under your belt, and your case making national and international news. How did you get involved in this case?’

  ‘A client came to see me two years ago because he felt he’d been discriminated against because of his African-American race. He was well qualified for the position he applied for at Wycosta, however he didn’t get the job. When I investigated, I realised he was more qualified for the position than the white American who was employed in the position.

  ‘My client was denied all five applications he made to the firm for various front-line positions. Then, when he told them he was going to seek legal advice, he was offered a position of employment well beneath his qualifications and one that wouldn’t put him in front of customers. When I began digging, I discovered a pattern whereby Wycosta was continually marginalising minority groups—Latinos, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and females, and that the company didn’t have one single employee with a physical disability. The company also used all white models in their marketing, which we maintained encouraged managers to give preference to white applicants and violated the consent decree. The marketing strategy also deterred non-white applicants.’

  ‘You said you did some digging. You sure did. You ended up with a record number of plaintiffs who joined the class action.’

  ‘Each had a legitimate claim.’

  ‘Please tell us how you managed the resources and manpower to mount such a huge class action—especially in such a relatively short time frame.’

  ‘I was offered a job with the law firm of Miles, Banks, Satoro and Li here in Los Angeles when I graduated from law school. I knew our Napa Valley legal-aid office didn’t have the resources necessary to proceed with this case, so I approached the LA firm for backing. They believed the case was strong and provided us with the additional manpower and resources we needed.’

  ‘And the rest, as they say, is history.’

  ‘Nancy, while it’s helpful my clients have received financial compensation, the important take-home message from this case is that if a person is qualified to do a job and has the desire and integrity to do it, then he or she should be given a chance. The positive that’s resulted from this case is Wycosta being held accountable to institute a range of policies and programs to promote diversity among its workforce and to prevent discrimination based on race, disability or gender. I’d like to see this precedent flow on through all businesses—large and small—throughout our nation. If it doesn’t happen, then employers and boards of directors should know that there are lawyers who’ll make cases against them and ensure justice is delivered.’

  ‘Strong words, Counsellor. Do you expect Wycosta to appeal?’

  ‘I hope they’ll respect the judge’s decision and put their energy and resources into transforming their corporate culture rather than mounting an appeal.’

  Pride flowed through Marco. Pride for the eloquence of Chloe’s speech and for the values she championed—admiration that she’d made this important difference for so many.

  He pulled himself up sharply, questioning his feelings—trying to reconcile this smart, savvy lawyer with the one he’d judged as aiding and abetting Lidia in her blackmailing scheme. Now he needed to reassess his assumptions, because they were incongruous with the actions of the counsellor on the television screen.

  Did all this validate his initial impressions about Chloe?

  ‘An insider has told me you’ve been offered a partnership with Miles, Banks, Satoro and Li. Do you intend to accept the offer and move to LA to practise law?’

  ‘I’m able to confirm that I’ve declined the very generous offer. I’m a small-town girl at heart and the Napa Valley is my home. I can say how wonderfully supportive Miles, Banks, Satoro and Li have been and that we’re keen to work together again if any more large cases come my way.’

  ‘Now, Counsellor, on another personal note... obviously you’re expecting a child—your first, I believe?’

  The camera panned out from the head shot to include Chloe’s midsection.

  Fanculo. There was no mistaking the baby bump.

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘I’m told you’re eighteen weeks along and we know you had to leave the courtroom several times early on because of morning sickness. How are you holding up?’

  Eighteen weeks?

  Merda. Chloe had been pregnant when she’d been in his office and the time period supported her assertion that she’d fallen pregnant around the time they’d been together. Who the hell was the father? She must’ve gone straight from Marco’s bed to some other guy, or been pregnant when she was with him. Perhaps she was a schemer? The possibility stung all over again.

  ‘I’m coping well, but I’m pleased this case is over. It’s been a harrowing time for my clients, and I’m looking forward to spending the next couple of weeks at my desk rather than on my feet in the courtroom.’

  ‘Okay, that’s the news on the court case,’ Sarah said with finality, and pointed the remote towards the television to turn the broadcast off.

  ‘Wait.’ Marco ordered

  ‘Will you be continuing to practice law after the baby’s born?’ the interviewer asked.

  ‘Absolutely. I have a great family support network and it’ll be important to me to continue to fight for cases I believe in.’

  ‘And the baby’s father?’

  ‘Is a topic not open for discussion.’

  The reporter looked a little miffed about Chloe’s reticence to comment, but pressed on, ‘We’ve reported through the case that you and your team of lawyers have received some death threats during the last several weeks of this case and have been under police protection, but you’ve refrained from comment. Can you comment on those threats now the case is over?’

  Marco’s blood ran cold and for the first time in a long time, fear trickled down his spine.

  She’d received death threats?

  She, a pregnant woman, had been living under police protection because she’d had the guts to stand up to a corporation w
ho weren’t applying equal opportunities for employment of minority groups?

  Dio. Was she safe now?

  ‘There are some matters which are in the hands of the police. I’m still not in a position to make comments at this point. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to attend a debriefing meeting with my clients.’

  Adrenaline surged through him, and his first instinct was to ensure she was safe. He had no time to stop to analyse or question his reaction. His need to protect her was instinctive, even though he knew it was irrational. She was expecting another man’s child for Christ’s sake. The role of protector should fall to the father of her child.

  ‘Thank you for your time, Counsellor.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  ‘And there’s the small-town lawyer who’s made history today—Counsellor Chloe Salvatore. Just repeating the news that Wycosta has been forced to pay a record—’

  ‘Heard enough?’ Sarah asked.

  Marco nodded and the vice-president switched the screen off, but he hadn’t heard nearly enough. It was impossible to reconcile that Lidia Stewart’s daughter—her pregnant daughter—was making international news as a defender of people’s basic human rights. She’d been on her high horse, no less, and championing the rights of the worker after winning a legal battle against a corporate giant. Those weren’t the actions of an avaricious schemer.

  The need to know more rocketed through him, right before he was struck by another explosive thought. If he had misjudged her... Could he also have been wrong in believing the child she carried couldn’t possibly be his?

  Abruptly, he pushed his chair backwards and stood. Pointing a finger toward the head of security, he said, ‘Finn, find out everything you can about Chloe Salvatore.’ He regretted not having had her investigated earlier. ‘I want to know her likes, her dislikes, who she sleeps with, her friends—’

  ‘The colour of her underwear?’ Finn asked with a wicked smile.

  Gesù. Marco didn’t even want to be reminded of her underwear or the delight he’d known when he’d helped her out of it.

  He cleared his throat. ‘Everything there is to know and I want it yesterday. Assemble a team, use any resource you need and work through the night if you have to.’ He glanced at his watch and did a rough calculation—six in the evening London meant it was ten in the morning LA time. That was good. It meant his team would be able to access people and records in the United States immediately.

  ‘I also want more information on the death threats that’ve been made and where the police are with their investigations.’

  Sarah frowned at him. ‘Why the interest in the lawyer? If the case does go to the higher court on appeal, she won’t be the one representing the class action. They’ll need someone more qualified. She’ll be relegated to second counsel and assisting the new lawyer.’

  It had nothing to do with bank business. This was purely personal and he’d reimburse every last shilling of the costs incurred in the investigation, but he wasn’t about to explain himself. ‘I have my reasons,’ he told the vice-president. ‘Don’t forget to organise those documents on the branch in Glasgow as soon as possible, Sarah. I’ll be working late.’

  ‘I’m on it. I should have them to you in the next couple of hours.’

  ‘Good.’ Focusing on work would stop him thinking about the exceedingly unlikely possibility he may have to explore.

  As he turned on his heel and exited the room, the walls seemed to close in on him. He needed some space to re-evaluate his take on Chloe. Finn had better come up with the report quickly. So much didn’t add up about Lidia Stewart’s daughter.

  Lidia Stewart’s pregnant daughter.

  Eighteen weeks pregnant.

  Merda. Surely it couldn’t be his baby?

  ***

  Finn’s report came through Marco’s email box shortly after two am, London time, and it was extensive. Everything was there, from school reports to a detailed list of her friends, and inside information from the police that they had a lead on the person who’d made the death threats and an arrest was likely in the next twenty-four hours.

  Not for the first time in his life, Marco appreciated what could be achieved when one had money and power. Finn said it’d been a great time to ask questions about Chloe because he’d sent American investigators into the Napa Valley who’d posed as reporters, keen to get the background story on the small-town lawyer who’d made international news headlines. Apparently the locals had been full of pride and more than happy to talk about any detail of her life.

  For the next twenty minutes, Marco sat at his laptop so he could read and re-read the investigative report.

  Everything suggested Chloe led a model life. She’d been raised by her father and hadn’t had any contact with Lidia for twenty years until she’d flown to London recently.

  The details Chloe had told him about her life working as a legal-aid lawyer, doing her MBA and helping her father at his vineyard had been verified. No current lovers, and confirmation that her only relationships had been with two steady boyfriends.

  What was even more interesting was all that Chloe hadn’t told him.

  For starters, Chloe had never been out of the USA before her trip to London. The report painted her as a young woman who was well liked and respected in her home town, and who enjoyed a quiet life. There were statements gathered where people had likened her to her father, Luis, saying he shunned the limelight he could’ve enjoyed as a top wine producer and preferred a quieter existence.

  Chloe had achieved honours in her arts-law degree, and currently had a High Distinction average in her MBA course. She’d turned down lucrative job offers with top law firms in Los Angeles to return to the Napa Valley and work in her present position. Long days put in at the office and a record of winning difficult cases for down-and-out clients had brought her to the attention of several major universities. The report indicated she’d been offered a position as a research fellow and tutor at Harvard University, and when she’d turned it down, the guy who’d been her boyfriend at the time had snapped it up.

  Marco leaned back against the plush leather of his executive chair and frowned.

  He could see no reason a seemingly ethical lawyer, who’d turned down higher profile and more lucrative job opportunities, would break the law and be complicit in her mother’s scheme to blackmail him. If she was interested in wealth, she’d be working for one of those companies in LA and be earning a lot more than she did as a lawyer for legal aid. She would surely have accepted the partnership offer with Miles, Banks, Satoro and Li.

  Everything in the report indicated Chloe’s personality was squeaky clean. Reading every detail objectively, he gave credence to the nagging doubts circling in his subconscious mind. It didn’t gel that she’d be part of her mother’s scheme to blackmail him unless she’d wanted so badly to establish a relationship with Lidia that she’d acted completely out of character.

  His gut twisted as he replayed all his memories of her words and expressions of horror when her mother had walked in on them. The cynic in him had labelled it fabulous acting.

  Now it seemed the cynic had been a fool.

  His heart stalled as he read and re-read one aspect of the report. One of Chloe’s colleagues had given a statement off the record, saying nobody knew the identity of the father of the Chloe’s baby; all she’d said was he was a foreign business executive who was no longer in her life and wouldn’t be playing a part in the baby’s upbringing. The colleague said it was all very mysterious, especially because it wasn’t like Chloe to have had a brief liaison. All that was known was Chloe had thought she was pregnant before she returned from London, then she’d decided she couldn’t be. But as the weeks passed and her sickness had continued, her doctor had insisted she have a pregnancy test. That’s when she’d found out she actually was expecting a child.

  Marco read and re-read the section about Chloe’s pregnancy.

  Father unknown.

  He thought over the
statement that the baby’s father would have no role in its upbringing.

  Marco knew it didn’t compute, but he pulled out his phone and—uncaring of the time—called one of his closest friends.

  ‘Marco? What’s wrong?’ Damien asked sleepily after the phone had almost rung out.

  Now he was about to voice the words, they seemed ridiculous. Pushing past his hesitation, he gripped the phone tighter and said, ‘The vasectomy I had... Could it possibly have been unsuccessful?’

  ‘You were supposed to come back for a test,’ Damien said, obviously biting back a yawn, ‘but you weren’t in any state to worry about the result after all that happened soon afterwards in Paris. I didn’t push the issue because I didn’t think it mattered too much anymore.’

  ‘So it may not have had the desired result?’ He held his breath as he awaited his friend’s response.

  ‘Possibly.’

  ‘Merda.’

  ‘It’s unlikely, but statistically, there’s a one in six hundred chance that the procedure could’ve reversed itself.’ His friend sounded wide awake now. ‘You have concerns?’

  ‘Yes. I need to see you immediately. I need to know whether it’s possible I could’ve fathered a child.’

  ‘Immediately as in now?’

  ‘There’s a woman—’

  ‘God, Marco. You sound tortured. Be at my surgery in half an hour and I’ll be there for you.’

  ‘Thank you.’ He let out a long, grateful breath as he disconnected from the call.

  Even as a boy, Marco’s royal status had always made him wary of those who wanted to form friendships with him. He may only have a handful of friends, but those he had were the absolute best and he knew how damned lucky he was.

  At four am Marco sat with Damien in the surgery, totally shell shocked as he looked through a high-powered microscope and saw the evidence of his fertility.

  Acting on automatic, he delivered short, sharp instructions over the phone to his pilots, to his driver and to Rose. Then he gave his lawyer an early wake-up call.