Cecilia has left the lights on in the guest house. Leaving the kitchen through the back door, she crossed over the patio and out the back gate to her car. Removing her suitcase from the trunk, she pulled it along the brick walkway to the private entrance to the guest house.
She smiled walking into the familiar guest house. It had the same décor and furniture that she remembered. Shutting the door, she left her suitcase in the main living room. She had spent many nights in the guest house with her cousins through her teenage years. Her grandfather’s house had always been a safe haven for pool parties and family gatherings.
Driving out to Berceto’s new location in the morning, Emilia was surprised at how large the shop was. The building was brand new and part of a larger development of commercial buildings. Her car had a security tag so she was waved into the parking lot. Going through an additional security checkpoint, she was allowed accesstoaccess to the main part of the building.
Emilia recognized most of the employees and was welcomed with warm embraces and offers to show her around. She became engrossed in the design work and was surprised when her father came to find her.
He waited until she was finished admiring a long time employee’s work with a diamond pendant.
“Lia, I scheduled a lunch meeting with your uncle.”
She glanced around. “Is Uncle James here?”
“No, he rarely comes into the shop these days. I thought we could meet him in town.”
Emilia found where she had placed her handbag. She wore a fitted wrap-style grey dress with stylish shoes. It was odd to be a visitor in the company that she was helping to salvage. Her design studio in Florida seemed so far removed from the size and scale of the company headquarters.
She would need her own residence if she was going to spend any length of time in California. Living with her grandfather and then coming to the shop each day would feel like living under a microscope. In Florida, she lived a solitary life and didn’t have to consider anyone else’s schedule.
Driving into Los Angeles proper with her father, they used the valet parking in front of Spago and went into the exclusive restaurant.
Why would her uncle want to meet at a high profile restaurant instead of the at the shop?.? Her uncertainties about the future increased.
Emilia wondered at what point would she be photographed and then mocked in the press as the “sheltered and hidden- away daughter.” The media had made her feel like some sort of oddity whenever they ran a piece about her.
Emilia stopped walking and touched her father’s arm. “What does Uncle James want?”
Her father led her into a foyer area by the glassed in patio. “We were fortunate to get a meeting with Alexander Armati. He owns the Armati Auction House, a series of luxury hotels, a company that builds private planes and other smaller ventures.”
Her heart constricted. She knew him more intimately than her father realized.
She remembered dancing with him at his private gala. He had neglected his guests and focused solely on her that evening. A friend had asked her to go to the benefit gala then at the last minute something had come up. Emilia had been at loose ends and had decided to push herself socially and had taken a taxi to the event.
She remembered Alex stepping forward and holding out his hand when she walked in the front door. She had tentatively shaken his hand and he drew her into a conversation that lasted the entire evening. She could vividly remember kissing him in the garden and feeling as if her body melted into his.
She watched in shock as her father stepped forward to greet Alex Armati.
Alex observed the expressions fleeting across Emilia’s face as she acknowledged him. Her shoulders straightened and she turned a pale, set-in-stone face toward him. She had been so elusive that it had been impossible to make contact with her. But making a bid for Berceto had brought her out of hiding.
The elusive heiress said something to her father. Emilia Berceto held her father in the palm of her hand. But handing her the company on a silver platter was beyond her father’s ability at this point. Berceto would be lucky if they were in business in six months.
She had refused any contact with him after that night, which still rankled him. Her parents had shipped her off to parts unknown. He would have insisted on protecting her and suing the tabloids.
He could feel his chest tighten as he remembered her spell. At the gala, he could barely keep his eyes off of her. She tempted him in a way that no other woman had and then left without a backward glance.
But he had made a mistake with her. He hadn’t known how sheltered and out of her element she had been. She had been kept hidden from view and overly protected so the press didn’t even have her on their radar. He had been shocked when he found out several days later that their moment of passion had been caught on film.
Now the Berceto empireEmpire was rumored to be short on cash and hurting for sales. The surprising element in all of this was that Emilia, instead of being merely a spoiled rich kid, possessed a hidden talent for design and the determination to succeed in her own right.
Alex stepped closer and shook her father’s hand before turning his gaze on her.
“Emilia.” He let gaze rake over her and noticed she took a slight step back.
Her face was exquisite with the barest application of makeup. She no longer had shoulder-length brown hair; instead it had been replaced with shocking red hair reaching her mid-back. He noticed her slim build and the feminine shape of her hips and breasts. She had lost some of her shyness but still seemed self-contained and elusive.
Peter Berceto said, “I didn’t realize the two of you had met before.”
She held his gaze. “We haven’t officially.”
“Alexander Armati, I would like to introduce my daughter, Emilia Berceto.”
She held out her graceful hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Armati.”
Alex could feel an awareness pass through him as he felt the touch of her hand. Banishing the memory of their past encounter from his mind to stay focused.
“Alex, please.”
The maître d’ seated them in the glassed-in patio area and placed a wine menu on the table. Peter Berceto excused himself to call his brother.
Glancing at the menu, he ordered a bottle of chardonnay for the table. The server nodded politely and moved away.
Meeting her gaze, he said, “You and I have unfinished business.”
Emilia sat up straighter, twisting the cloth napkin in her hands. “I don’t want to talk about the past. My only concern is the future of Berceto Designs.”
He didn’t understand her avoidance. He had thought about her for months and months after their brief encounter. But she had refused every one of his calls. “Does your family know that I was the man in the photographs captured in the garden?”
She panicked. The last thing she wanted was for her parents to be reminded about her past mistakes and the shame it brought on the family. She needed to prove to her family that she was capable of running the company. Why did he care?
“I would prefer that you not mention it.”
The waiter arrived with the bottle of chilled Chardonnay and went through opening the wine and presenting a small sample to taste.
After taking a slow sip, Alex said, “The past can only torture us if we try to bury it.”
She waited for the server to move away. “It was an unfortunate incident, but rehashing it won’t benefit anyone.”
Alex looked at her intently for a moment before saying, “You refused all of my calls at the time and then went into some type of exile.”
Emilia could feel her confidence slipping away. “My father will return any moment.”
He looked at her with open disapproval. “If you agree to meet me this evening, then I’ll let it rest for now.”
Emilia realized that he would not be easily dismissed or put off. She merely nodded as her uncle and father joined them.
The conversation remained stilte
d as the waiter took their order and poured wine for her father and uncle.
Her uncle lifted his glass to her and said, “Welcome home, Emilia.”
She nodded. “Thank you. It’s wonderful to be home.”
Her uncle said, “Alexander, we appreciate you taking the time to meet with us to discuss a possible acquisition or investment in Berceto Designs.”
Emilia spilled her glass of wine, and for a moment chaos ensued as the hovering wait staff attempted to wipe up the wine.
When order returned to the table, Alex said, “The value behind Berceto Designs is the family name and reputation. Part of the negotiations will include a discussion of the continued involvement of the family, in particular Emilia.”
She couldn’t believe the nerve of the men at the table. If they thought that she would continue working in a business no longer owned by her family, then they were mistaken. She kept her face neutral and didn’t allow herself to show her distress. But she wouldn’t give up her family’s legacy without a fight.
“While the business may be facing certain challenges, I don’t think we are ready to seek such a large investment.” Her eyes met his and instead of seeming irritated by her outburst, Alex looked ready to go to battle.
She heard her father’s indrawn breath, but her gaze moved to her uncle, who said, “Emilia, I realize you have been away for an extended period of time, but you hold very little stock in the company. The decision is not yours to make.”
“Nonno will never agree to sell such a large block of shares. He put his heart and soul into this company to build it for future generations.”
Her uncle said, “If the company doesn’t have sufficient cash flow to move forward, it will go bankrupt. That would not benefit future generations.”
Alex interrupted her uncle. “We could put off this discussion for a few days to give Emilia time to explore other options.” He held her gaze. “But if you were to seek my involvement, then you would need to sign an exclusive contract lasting a minimum of five years for me to move forward with this deal.”
Her uncle answered, “More time is not needed. My brother and I have decided. Emilia is too young and inexperienced to run a company. And with a scandal looming in her recent past, she wouldn’t be taken seriously. She will sign whatever is needed.”
Emilia wanted to crawl under the table. Her voice was shaky as she said, “It was four years ago.”
Her uncle said, “You are not ready to run a company on your own.”
Emilia looked at her father and saw defeat.. The shame around the incident penetrated her body and made her feel ill. She wanted to get up and escape the meal but forced herself to remain. She needed to face this issue.
Alex took a sip of his wine, and said quietly, “James, you are giving far too much power to a tabloid piece.”
Her uncle continued his rant. “The coverage disgraced our family and hurt the reputation of Berceto Designs. It was a huge embarrassment.”
Alex took a bite of his smoked salmon. “I disagree. Negative publicity can be as beneficial as positive publicity to a company’s bottom line. The larger issue is that the Berceto family is seen as antisocial and reclusive. This will have to change.”
Her uncle threw his hands up. “The family has no intention of seeking the limelight. The company was built on old-world values not superficial, attention-seeking behavior.”
Her father added, “While living in close proximity to Hollywood, we never wanted to be drawn into that culture. Instead we wanted to project the image of tradition and value.”
Emilia knew how her family viewed the business but was surprised by Alex’s open disagreement with them.
Alex continued eating his meal. “It’s possible to be more accessible and interesting to the public while adhering to your old-world values. For the company to succeed, the profile will need to be raised.”
“Emilia has developed a huge following among celebrities and the profit from that area is significant for the company.” Her father defended her.
Alex met her gaze, before saying, “I’ve seen the financials and it is impressive. But by itself, it won’t save the company. There needs to be streamlining of the production lines, lower costs negotiated for raw materials, and a coordinated marketing push.”
Emilia didn’t want to entertain the idea of selling a block of shares but asked, “If you invest, how much of the company will you expect?”
He held her gaze. “A majority share. Fifty percent. I don’t get involved in projects that I don’t control. I’ve found it is not worth my time or effort. And for the company to thrive, you will have to step into the limelight and become the face of Berceto.”
Her stomach muscles clenched. Why were her father and uncle encouraging Alexander Armati’s interest? He would take over and the family business would be unrecognizable.
How dare he demand control over a family business that had been in existence for nearly seventy years? She couldn’t understand why her father and uncle were giving up. But she knew it would be wiser to speak with her father in private.
Emilia looked at Alex. “So you intend to purchase the majority shares of Berceto Designs and transform it into something completely unrecognizable?”
“No. The value is in the name. But the company has been mismanaged.”
Her father spoke first. “Alexander, the family could stay involved in the management and the design work, but we would not be willing to expose ourselves personally to the media.”
Alex stood up. “You need to discuss this further as a family. If you intend to stave off bankruptcy, then my terms will include Emilia continuing to design exclusively for Berceto for five years and she would need to step into the limelight.”
Her uncle and father stood as well.
Alex met her gaze and Emilia could feel a shock run through her body. She would never give him fifty percent. And she had no desire to allow the media to photograph her. It was too painful.
Alex handed her a business card and said, “I’ll expect you at six tonight.”
Emilia stood up and took the crisp card from him. Her hand trembled slightly as his fingers grazed hers.
Alex shook hands with her father and uncle. “We’ll talk soon.”
She watched as Alex intercepted the bill from the hovering waiter on his way out.
She hadn’t agreed to meet him but knew if she defied his order he would tell her family. What could he possibly gain by acknowledging that he was the man in the photographs? What would her family say? At the time, her parents demanded to know who the man was in the photographs so they could demand that he marry her. They felt that the man had compromised her reputation and that it would hinder her ability to find a husband.
But she was older and wiser and couldn’t be forced into an engagement or marriage to lessen the embarrassment of her family. Her parents had speculated that the man in the compromising photographs wanted to be linked to the Berceto fortune. Four years later, they were looking for someone to bail them out. If they knew it was Alex Armati in the photographs, then they would no doubt approach him with the demand: you put my daughter in a compromising position now fix it. It was even more complicated than four years ago.
Embarrassment or public humiliation was the worst fate for her fearful, uptight parents, but in fact there were worse outcomes. Having Berceto go bankrupt would be infinitely worse. It would break her grandfather’s heart. And everything she had worked toward would be lost.
Her uncle spoke first. “It’s not appropriate for Emilia to meet with him alone.”
“James, he has met with us several times. He is interested in finding out if Emilia will work for the company if he owns a large percentage. He would need a family member in a position of authority for both the staff and the company’s reputation.”
Her uncle said, “She is too young and inexperienced.”
“Emilia has won some of the most sought after commissions in the last few years. Without her talent and the profit
from her designs, Berceto would have already have fallen.”
Emilia watched for her uncle’s reaction. “I don’t like Alexander’s reputation with women. Emilia should have a chaperone.”
“Uncle James, it is not the Victorian era. I can handle Alex Armati, but I don’t think we should give away a large percentage of Berceto. It should remain as a family-owned business. There has to be a different way.”
Her father said, “We are out of options. The company doesn’t even have enough cash to properly fund the launch at the trade show. Without that, sales will be dismal for the coming year.”
Emilia looked at her father. “Can you mortgage your house to fund the company?”
He shook his head. “Your mother won’t allow it. She feels that we could lose everything if we put a lien on our personal assets.”
Her mother was right. If the business didn’t make sweeping changes, they were doomed to make the same mistakes again.
“Couldn’t Nonno help?”
Her uncle said, “Over the last five years, he has gone through most of his liquid assets to cover the shortfall, but nothing has changed and the stress has been too much for him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me how bad it had gotten?” she asked them.
Her uncle said, “You’ve been in your ivory tower in Florida. You haven’t had to deal with the day to day issues facing the company.”
“That is not fair.”
Her father interrupted. “There was nothing that Emilia could have done. It’s a waiting game. If we can wait until the price of the raw materials fall or demand for jewelry increases then Berceto will be fine.”
Both her father and uncle were wrong. Berceto couldn’t afford to wait for something to magically improve in the economy.
“I think it is more complicated than that. Berceto needs to re-invent itself and create excitement with new designs to increase sales. And there must be ways we can cut costs, starting with finding a smaller commercial building.”
The Exiled Jeweler: a contemporary romance novel (The Rosa Legacy Book 2) Page 3