deal. Still he discovered he had a secret
jealousy over her company, and the powerful woman she once was. He
imagined her return to her business could be managed well by her;
but when years advanced on them, she’d probably be consumed with
dressmaking, instead of growing his family and giving him more
sons. He could see her now on the runway again, and his empty
nights in bed alone. She’d fly across the world away from him. He’d
be second and his kids third to her company. All of it was
bullshit.
“ I have some terms of my own,
Bella.”
“ Okay,” She nodded with an eager
smile.
“ You will get thirty percent and I
will retain seventy percent of your assets and future
earnings.”
“ What the hell? Thirty percent?
That makes no sense!”
“ It makes perfect sense to me. Let
me finish.” Giovanni gave her a patient smile. “It’s my turn to be
heard, it’s your turn to listen. Understood?”
She sucked in a deep breath and
nodded.
He fixed his unwavering gaze on her. “I will
handle the financial management of Mirabella’s. No decision in the
company will ever be made without my approval. Agreed?”
Mira chewed on her bottom lip. “What about a
fifty percent split between us? Partners?”
“ No. Seventy percent in my favor,
as will everything be in our marriage. Do you
understand?”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s not balanced or
fair.”
“ I have given you more power than
any woman in the history of this family,” he said, and his voice
rose above hers. “You were able to decide the life of a man. Now
you may think that is something easily done. I assure you, Bella,
it is not. You kept a lie between us and you ran away with my
child. You decided our fate for two years and I had no input. That
was neither fair nor balanced. Eve and I will never have those
years again.”
Her gaze slowly returned to his. “You said you
forgave me for that.”
“ I’ll never forget. It’s a lesson
for us both. We need to be honest here, Bella. We aren’t equal.
That’s for your safety and mine. We aren’t partners in business
matters. You have a voice and it will be considered, but now you
need to respect my wishes. You don’t dictate anything to me.
Ever.”
She shook her head sadly. “I respect what your
position makes you in this family. God knows I have convinced
myself that this is normal and that I could be your donna . I
did this based on nothing more than my love for you. But you are
marrying an American black woman. We are different, Giovanni. If
you wanted someone to behave the way you just said, you should have
picked another bride.”
“ I wanted you.” He shot
back.
“ It’s my company. I built it. You
have to give me something more than this.”
He sat back down in his chair. “Fine. You can
educate me on the fashion business. Teach me what’s important and
I’ll keep you informed of any decisions I make regarding financial
matters in our company.”
She forced a smile. “The hiring and firing of
my staff? I know who has served me best in the past.”
He nodded. “Decide on it.”
“ Any other conditions?” she asked,
her voice tense.
“ Managing our family is your
priority. We agree on this. You will not travel or put this company
ahead of us, ever. When and if…”
“ If?”
“ If you return as the head
dressmaker, any fashion events you do will only be where the family
can attend with you. In other words, Bella, this fucking company
will never be a factor in our marriage.”
“ It won’t be.” Mira
agreed.
“ Oh? And I don’t want you on the
runway. Ever.”
Mira laughed. “I’m not asking to
model.”
“ I saw you on the runway.
Remember?” Giovanni asked.
Mira frowned. She blinked with a new
understanding. “That was Fabiana’s idea. Was I that
bad?”
“ No.” He blushed. “I’m not saying
you’re not beautiful enough to model, Bella. But as my wife I
don’t… want men to see you on the runway in those skimpy dresses.
It makes me
jealousy over her company, and the powerful woman she once was. He
imagined her return to her business could be managed well by her;
but when years advanced on them, she’d probably be consumed with
dressmaking, instead of growing his family and giving him more
sons. He could see her now on the runway again, and his empty
nights in bed alone. She’d fly across the world away from him. He’d
be second and his kids third to her company. All of it was
bullshit.
“ I have some terms of my own,
Bella.”
“ Okay,” She nodded with an eager
smile.
“ You will get thirty percent and I
will retain seventy percent of your assets and future
earnings.”
“ What the hell? Thirty percent?
That makes no sense!”
“ It makes perfect sense to me. Let
me finish.” Giovanni gave her a patient smile. “It’s my turn to be
heard, it’s your turn to listen. Understood?”
She sucked in a deep breath and
nodded.
He fixed his unwavering gaze on her. “I will
handle the financial management of Mirabella’s. No decision in the
company will ever be made without my approval. Agreed?”
Mira chewed on her bottom lip. “What about a
fifty percent split between us? Partners?”
“ No. Seventy percent in my favor,
as will everything be in our marriage. Do you
understand?”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s not balanced or
fair.”
“ I have given you more power than
any woman in the history of this family,” he said, and his voice
rose above hers. “You were able to decide the life of a man. Now
you may think that is something easily done. I assure you, Bella,
it is not. You kept a lie between us and you ran away with my
child. You decided our fate for two years and I had no input. That
was neither fair nor balanced. Eve and I will never have those
years again.”
Her gaze slowly returned to his. “You said you
forgave me for that.”
“ I’ll never forget. It’s a lesson
for us both. We need to be honest here, Bella. We aren’t equal.
That’s for your safety and mine. We aren’t partners in business
matters. You have a voice and it will be considered, but now you
need to respect my wishes. You don’t dictate anything to me.
Ever.”
She shook her head sadly. “I respect what your
position makes you in this family. God knows I have convinced
myself that this is normal and that I could be your donna . I
did this based on nothing more than my love for you. But you are
marrying an American black woman. We are different, Giovanni. If
you wanted someone to behave the way you just said, you should have
picked another bride.”
“ I wanted you.” He shot
back.
“ It’s my company. I built it. You
have to give me something more than this.”
He sat back down in his chair. “Fine. You can
educate me on the fashion business. Teach me what’s important and
I’ll keep you informed of any decisions I make regarding financial
matters in our company.”
She forced a smile. “The hiring and firing of
my staff? I know who has served me best in the past.”
He nodded. “Decide on it.”
“ Any other conditions?” she asked,
her voice tense.
“ Managing our family is your
priority. We agree on this. You will not travel or put this company
ahead of us, ever. When and if…”
“ If?”
“ If you return as the head
dressmaker, any fashion events you do will only be where the family
can attend with you. In other words, Bella, this fucking company
will never be a factor in our marriage.”
“ It won’t be.” Mira
agreed.
“ Oh? And I don’t want you on the
runway. Ever.”
Mira laughed. “I’m not asking to
model.”
“ I saw you on the runway.
Remember?” Giovanni asked.
Mira frowned. She blinked with a new
understanding. “That was Fabiana’s idea. Was I that
bad?”
“ No.” He blushed. “I’m not saying
you’re not beautiful enough to model, Bella. But as my wife I
don’t… want men to see you on the runway in those skimpy dresses.
It makes me
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