Billionaire Unveiled

by J. S. Scott

  Nick nodded toward Gio. “I’d say you’ve already met one.”

  Julia winked at Gio and said, “No, I’m just with him for the sex.”

  Max choked on the sip of coffee he’d just taken. Nick’s mouth fell open, and Luke shook his head.

  Gio’s eyes flew to Julia’s in surprise.

  Julia burst into laughter. “You should see your faces. No wonder you fight so much. You’re all way too serious.” She composed herself, folded her hands in mock contriteness, and said with just a trace of humor, “Even my dad would have laughed at that joke.”

  Gio looked down at Julia, half coughed, then chuckled.

  Julia’s eyes were brimming with laughter, threatening to erupt again. She waved her hands in a plea for him to stop. “Don’t laugh, Gio, because I shouldn’t when I’m still trying to make a good impression.”

  “You have,” Max said and joined in their laughter. “I didn’t think anything could shock Nick, but I believe he’s speechless.”

  Nick said, “I’m just trying to figure out how Gio ended up with a woman who is actually fun.”

  Julia smiled. “I may have scrambled his brains the first time I met him. I hit him with that lamp pretty hard.”

  Luke said, “I believe it was physicist Joseph Henry who said, Great discoveries only take root in minds well prepared to receive them. He needed some scrambling.”

  “Funny, Luke,” Gio said gruffly, raising a hand to his temple as he remembered that blow. “It could have killed me.”

  Conversation was halted while the attendant set trays of food on a table between them. Once by themselves again, Max said, “I want to know why you hit him with a lamp.”

  Julia blushed. “I thought he was breaking into Rena’s desk . . .” As she retold the story, Gio noticed his brothers were genuinely interested, and relaxing for the first time since they’d entered the plane. Julia had a gift when it came to breaking down barriers. As they joked together, Gio was reminded of how he and his brothers had interacted when they were younger. Julia had given him a glimpse of the past, and he wasn’t sure what to do with the way it made him feel.

  The next two hours flew by. Conversation flowed easily, and Julia kept the mood light by periodically reading a new index card to the group. They took turns using the small bedroom in the back of the plane as a dressing room, slowly transforming from casual to party-ready.

  When Julia returned to the main part of the plane dressed in a floor-length navy gown, Gio couldn’t take his eyes off her. She’d styled her hair in a loose bun that made a man want to reach out and release those barely contained curls. The dress fit her snuggly and emphasized her curves so deliciously that had they been alone she wouldn’t have kept it on for long.

  She caught him looking at her, and the smile she gave him knocked what was left of his sanity out of him. In that instant, he didn’t care about anything but having her again. By the way a blush spread up her cheeks, he knew she’d guessed his thoughts.

  The pilot’s voice interrupted and requested everyone fasten their seat belts for the final approach to Isola Santos.

  Gio tensed instinctively as he was slammed back into reality. He looked out the side window and caught his first glimpse of the island. The enormous glass-and-chrome building Dominic Corisi had built still dominated a good fourth of the island. The sight of it made him angrier than he’d expected it to.

  Julia was also looking out the window. She turned and asked, “That’s the island? Wow, that is quite a compound. Did your family build that?”

  “No,” Gio said, hearing the disgust in his own voice. He leaned over her, and as the plane circled before landing, he pointed to a much smaller, stone mansion on the other side of the island. “That’s the Andrade mansion.”

  Luke looked out the window beside him. “It’s been in the family for hundreds of years.”

  Julia innocently continued on with a painful line of questioning. “So, what is the large glass compound? Are they leasing land to a university or something?”

  Max looked at Gio cautiously. “Uncle Victor sold the island when he hit financial difficulties. The new owner built that glass shrine to himself.”

  “Mother offered to buy the island, but Dominic Corisi outbid us,” Gio said bitterly.

  “Your mother?” Julia asked, then looked as if she regretted saying it out loud.

  “Surprised that we have one?”

  “No,” Julia said, wide-eyed. “Of course you have a mother. I’m sure she’s very nice, too. She couldn’t make it today?”

  Max was the first to answer. “She never got along with our uncles. She came from old money and our father came from . . . let’s just say . . . less-refined stock.”

  Nick defended his father’s family. “The Andrades had money. Perhaps not at the Stanfield level, but enough that they summered on their private island each year. And this generation has more than made up for whatever they didn’t have before.”

  Julia interjected, “So, we’re not talking about the completely unacceptable type who would have to work year round. Thank God.”

  All four brothers turned to look at her. Julia merely raised her eyebrows and waited. Luke laughed and turned to Gio. “I do believe your girlfriend is just what this family needs.”

  Julia gave them each a cheeky smile that removed the sting from her words. “Just calling it like I see it.”

  Gio watched his brothers melt before her charm. I keep telling myself what Julia and I have is nothing more than a physical attraction. She doesn’t belong here. But what if I’m wrong?

  His stomach twisted painfully at the thought.

  Blissfully unaware, Julia looked out the window again and said, “So, the new owner is letting your cousin get married on your old island. That’s nice.”

  Max shook his head. “Stephan is marrying the sister of the man who bought the island. Corisi intends to return the island to Stephan as a wedding present. So, it looks like it’s back in the family.”

  “Not our family,” Gio said harshly. He regretted voicing those words as soon as they were out. In a heartbeat his brothers’ expressions closed, and tension once again crackled in the air. Julia reached out and took his hand in hers.

  The tires of the plane touched and bounced on the island runway.

  After descending the stairs, he paused. Julia’s eyes were round with wonder as she took in the manicured grounds, the visible security everywhere, and the party that was spilling out of the glass building and onto the lawn in front of it. In the middle of a group of adults, dressed in formal gowns and tuxedos, children chased each other, their laughter ringing out above the music of a live band.

  The level of joy bubbling out of the house filled Gio with intense and conflicting emotions, holding him immobile even as his brothers began walking toward the house.

  Julia tugged on his hand until he looked down at her again. She went up on her tiptoes and whispered, “What are you thinking?”

  He studied the monstrosity of glass and chrome with disgust. “Only someone with a complete lack of appreciation for the beauty and history of the island would have built such an atrocity.” He shared his thoughts aloud. “I want to throw a hundred rocks through those glass windows.”

  Julia made a funny grimace. “That wouldn’t be my first choice of how to start the evening.”

  His breath came quicker as adrenaline rushed through his veins. He smiled down at her. “I’m angry. Furious, in fact. I haven’t felt like this in years.”

  Julia’s eyes widened again. “And that’s a good thing?”

  He tried to find the words to explain it but couldn’t. “Yes, I believe it is.” He’d held it in so long it had made him numb to everything else. Suddenly, he felt more alive than he had in years. Like he could finally breathe.

  “Come on.” Instead of heading toward the party, he led Julia toward a path leading to the other side of the island.

  “Where are we going?” Julia asked as she lengthened her strides
to keep up with him.

  “There’s something I want to show you.”

  The island was small enough that she didn’t have to wonder about their destination for long. A ten-minute brisk walk brought them to the steps of the building he thought he’d never see again. “This was my father’s house.”

  “Is it locked?” she asked.

  He lifted a pulled a loose stone from the foundation of the house, took out a key, and said, “Not for long.”

  “Are you sure we can go inside?”

  He spared her a quick look before swinging the door open. The home’s classic Mediterranean style gave it a timeless quality. Its white walls, accented with intricate tile work, could easily have been the result of a renovation, but they were original to the home.

  Gio led Julia down the hall, into what had once been the study. What little furniture remained in the room was covered with white cloths, making the room seem abandoned and oddly preserved at the same time. He stood there, feeling as if he had one foot in the present and one in the past. “I always thought this house would one day belong to me. It has been passed down from the oldest son to the oldest son for generations.” He walked over to the mantel of a large fireplace and ran his hand across the dusty marble. “When my father died and it didn’t come to me, I was furious. The sale of it was a final slap in the face.” He walked to a bookcase and took down a book that had been left behind. “I was twenty-five. I’d been struggling for a year to fill my father’s shoes at Cogent. I didn’t confront my uncles. Instead, I put all my energy into what I could change, and that was the profitability of my family’s company.” He turned to Julia and said, “I should have fought for this place. I should have made it mine.”

  Their eyes met and Julia’s heart thudded in her chest. She shook her head. He was finally opening up to her. She wanted to tell him how much it meant to her, but she knew he needed to be left uninterrupted.

  He left her side to search the remaining items on the surrounding shelves. He ran a hand over the molding.

  “What are you looking for?” Julia couldn’t contain her curiosity.

  “Something that probably isn’t here,” Gio said as he continued pulling old books from the shelves and flipping through them.

  “What?”

  He walked to where a desk had once been and looked around the room. “The truth.”

  Julia followed Gio out of the library and into each of the downstairs rooms. Not much had been left behind. Every item of value must have been removed before the sale.

  Gio flipped a switch in one of the closets, but the area remained dark. Not that there was anything inside to be illuminated. Speaking more to himself than to her, Gio said, “The two houses must run on separate generators.” He ran his hand along the intricate wood paneling, absently caressing the house. “I remember reading an interview with Corisi after he bought the island. He planned to knock this house down. He considered it old ruins.”

  Gio walked back into the main hall, and Julia followed him. She knew Gio was far away in his thoughts, and that was okay with her. What did he mean when he said he was looking for the truth?

  They walked up one side of a double curved stairway that led off the foyer. At the top, Julia let herself imagine filling the space below with people and laughter. “This must have been an incredible place to entertain.”

  “It has ten bedrooms. When I was a child, they were always full. My father said it was the same when he was young. Andrades have been born here. Some have even died here. My grandfather passed away in his sleep right here in the house, surrounded by his family.”

  “I can see why you wouldn’t want it to be knocked down.” Julia could only imagine Gio’s bond to the house. The home and factory she was fighting for had only been in their family for one generation. To lose something that was so linked to your family’s history must have been devastating. “Did your mother also love this place?” It was hard for Julia to imagine her letting it go if she had.

  “My mother refused to step inside it.”

  Interesting.

  Gio walked ahead of her into one of the rooms. She lingered in the upper hallway, running her hand along the areas where slightly darker patches of wallpaper revealed where paintings had once hung. Family paintings? Famous Italian artists? What would they have displayed?

  What could anyone hate about this beautiful house?

  Was it because Gio’s grandfather died here?

  Julia turned from the wall, realizing she had no idea where Gio had gone. She hugged herself as a sudden chill went up her back.

  It would take more than that to keep me away.

  Ghosts aren’t real.

  I mean, not the ones that move things around and scare people.

  Her father would have argued that the universe was full of an infinite number of things the human mind could not comprehend. Julia smiled as she remembered her mother’s rebuttal to that theory. “Show me the proof. Things fall. Lights flicker. To me, that’s not evidence of a ghost. Is every spirit a klutz that can only make a mess? You want me to believe in one? Show me a ghost that washes dishes or folds my laundry. Then I’ll believe.”

  She has a point, Grandpa Andrade. If you’re here, do something useful and help Gio find whatever it is he’s looking for.

  Julia’s cell phone rang in her purse and she screamed. She scrambled to take it out, dropped it, picked it back up, then screamed again when it rang in her hands.

  I am such an idiot.

  Caller ID showed a blocked number.

  She hesitated, then laughed again as it continued to ring. What do I think, this is a call from the other side? More likely it’s a telemarketer trying to sell me a place in Italy because some cookie I downloaded is announcing my location.

  Julia gave herself a mental shake and answered her phone. “Hello?”

  “I’m disappointed in you, Julia.”

  Another chill went down Julia’s back. Worse than a specter . . . “Mrs. Andrade, what a . . . surprise . . . to hear from you.”

  Her hand went protectively to her throat. Although she had done nothing wrong, Julia spun to make sure she was still alone and almost screamed again when she saw Gio standing just behind her. She covered her mouth with one hand.

  Mountain climbers shouldn’t be afraid of heights.

  And women who run halfway around the world with men they recently met shouldn’t be so jumpy. Be calm. Sophisticated. I’ve got this.

  He nodded toward the phone and mouthed, “Who is that?”

  Julia froze. Say something. Don’t just stare at him. Her mind raced for a lie or an explanation, but none came. She held the phone out awkwardly, completely at a loss for what to say.

  Gio took it and pressed the speakerphone button.

  No.

  “Are you alone?” his mother asked.

  Gio’s eyes narrowed as he recognized his mother’s voice. He looked to Julia for an explanation, but all she could do was shrug. This isn’t good. His mother already doesn’t like me. I’m pretty sure this won’t help. She made a grab for her phone, but Gio held it just out of her reach. She pleaded with her eyes for him to give her the phone, but he nodded for her to answer his mother.

  “Are you daft, girl? It’s an easy yes or no question.”

  Gio held her eyes, willing her to do the unthinkable. This isn’t right. But what she said to me back in New York wasn’t right, either. Maybe he has the right to know what his mother is up to. “Yes, I’m alone.”

  In a cutting tone she said, “I tried to be nice to you, Julia. You should have taken my offer. A smart girl would have. Now you’ll come back to nothing. After I tell Gio about you, he won’t give you the time of day.”

  A deep frown settled over Gio’s expression. His eyes were cold and unreadable. Barely above a whisper, Julia said, “There’s nothing to tell.”

  “The truth is what I say it is. He won’t believe you over me.”

  A deep fury contorted Gio’s features. “I wouldn�
��t be so sure of that, Mother.”

  “Gio.” Her voice jumped an octave as she said his name. Then it quickly became conciliatory. “I’m trying to protect you, that’s all. It’s obvious this girl is only after our money.”

  “What’s obvious is that I can no longer believe anything you tell me,” Gio said coldly and hung up.

  Julia hugged her stomach. Although a small part of her felt his mother had earned whatever grief her actions had brought her, the scene she’d just witnessed broke her heart. Her love for her own mother, and her sadness as the woman who had raised her so well slipped away, made her want to shake both of them. Call her back. Tell her you love her. Give her a chance to apologize.

  Gio stared down at the phone. His hand tightened on it until the case cracked from the pressure. He threw the broken phone over the banister in disgust.

  “Oh,” Julia exclaimed involuntarily as she grabbed for it.

  He looked back at her.

  Julia watched the phone bounce once, then shatter on the floor below. I did tell him that throwing things was a good way to express anger. I just didn’t know he’d start with my stuff. “It’s fine. I mean, who would I need to call anyway, right?”

  “I’ll get you another phone.”

  Julia looked over her shoulder at him. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “I said I’d replace it.”

  “Do what you want to do. That’s what you do anyway.”

  “Are we actually arguing about your damn phone?”

  Julia clung to the railing with both hands. Watching him fight with his mother had made her angry. And feel as helpless as she felt each time she spoke with her own mother. But Gio’s mother wasn’t sick. They didn’t have to do this to each other. They still had time, if they chose to work things out. “Yes, because it didn’t have to happen like this. You should have given the phone back to me when I asked for it.”

  “And when she came to me with lies about you? What then?”

  “Maybe she wouldn’t have.” When Gio looked at her doubtfully, Julia threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that life is short and cruel. If you love her at all, figure out why she’s angry. Appreciate that you have something not everyone does—time to fix things. Do you know what I’d give to have my mother fully back with me for even one day? I’d give anything to sit down with her and know she knew me. And not because my father told her who I was, but because she actually remembered me and our lives together.” Julia stopped and wiped a tear from her cheek. She hadn’t intended to say any of that. “I’m sorry.”