Chapter 7: New Position

My first night under the Di Sante roof was sleepless. The entire drive back to the villa, Salvatore didn't utter a single word, his expression stoic. Once inside, everyone was already asleep—thank God—and I didn’t have to face the Di Sante harpies. To my surprise, I discovered Salvatore has his bedroom right next to mine. How did I figure that out? Simple: he stopped in front of the door next to mine, gave me a filthy look before walking in, and slammed the door shut, clearly unconcerned about whether the rest of the household was resting.

Throughout the night, I couldn’t stop thinking that at any moment, one of the Di Santes might walk through that door and harm me.

“Pathetic, Helena, pathetic,” I whisper to my reflection in the mirror while doing my best to conceal my dark circles and accentuating my eyes, finishing with a matte red lipstick.

I finish my makeup, style my hair, and change for my first day at the hotel office. I give my black pantsuit a critical once-over; I’ve paired it with heeled sandals. Satisfied with my attire, I grab my handbag and my leather briefcase containing my laptop before leaving the room.

In the hallway, I bump into Ashley, who is coming out of one of the rooms carrying some towels.

“Good morning, Mrs. Di Sante,” she says, stopping. Her eyes look large and she seems nervous right now.

Odd.

“Ashley, call me Helena, please. Are you alright?”

She nods.

“Yes,” she gives me a smile. “Do you want anything specific for breakfast?”

“Uh… Is everyone downstairs?”

“Everyone, except Mr. Salvatore, who has already left for the office.”

“I’ll grab something at the office then.”

She nods understandingly. Breakfast with the nest of vipers is the last thing I want. Not that Salvatore makes a difference, but I’m sure if they are unpleasant in his presence, they will be double so without him, and I’m too happy this morning to sour it this early.

I head down the stairs, followed by Ashley, and in the lobby, I find Aldo with a serious expression.

“Good morning, Ma’am.” His tone rivals his expression.

“Good morning and goodbye.”

If he’s going to be a pain in my ass, why can’t I be one too?

I walk past him, and he looks at me curiously before glancing at Ashley. Without saying more, I walk out and check my purse. My car was delivered yesterday, too, so, happy to have independent transportation, I get into my Porsche and drive away from the villa.

The events of last night’s gathering flash into my mind, and I grimace remembering the kiss that bastard Salvatore gave me on the terrace. What did he think? By what right? Besides, behaving the way he did…

But most of all, I am now even more curious about who Ginevra is. His reaction made it clear he is hiding something, but what?

I sigh as I weave through the city traffic up to the offices, which are on the top floor of the hotel. Once I reach my destination, I cross the lobby and take the elevator, hitting the top floor button.

“Good morning,” I greet the assistant who, as usual, is attentive to everything. “Is my father in?”

“Mr. Rossetti has not arrived yet, Miss.”

“Cousin, good morning,” I turn and find Lorenzo. “I see you are ready to take your place.”

“That’s right.” I walk closer, studying his face carefully. He gives me a smile and nods, but he doesn’t fool me; he’s not happy that I married Salvatore, much less that we now have such an important project as the Inverness hotel.

He will never forgive the Di Santes for his father’s death.

“I passed along your instructions yesterday, and they’ve set up the office just as you requested.” He looks at Dad’s assistant. “You can call Human Resources and tell them Helena is here.”

“I’ll call right away, Mr. Rossetti,” the woman replies, picking up the internal phone.

“That’s efficiency, darling.” I scoff as we walk down the hallway to my office.

“Experience, cousin.” He gives me an inscrutable look. We pass Antonio’s office, which is closed.

Lorenzo opens the door and steps aside to let me enter. The room is as I requested: white walls, black furniture, a sofa and a coffee table by the windows at the back. The desk is simple and elegant; behind it, they’ve placed a cabinet where I can store documents and add my personal touch. What I love most is the light that filters in, making me smile.

“I love it,” I announce, sitting behind the desk.

“You’re welcome.” He twists his face into a mocking smile, pulls something from his pocket, and hands it to me. “Your parking pass.” I take it.

“Grazie,” I wink, taking it just as a young woman appears at the door.

“Helena, this is Livia, your assistant.”

“Ms. Rossetti, a pleasure. I hope I can be of help to you.”

I nod.

“Mrs. Di Sante, Livia,” Lorenzo snaps. “My cousin is a married woman.”

I give him a fake smile that he notices but doesn’t react to.

“Come in, Livia. I’ll be delighted to work alongside you.”

“I’ll leave you two to catch up,” Lorenzo moves toward the door. “The meeting starts in an hour. I’ve sent the internal system passwords to your personal email. You can find information provided by Antonio, Uncle, and me there.”

“Good, I’ll catch up right away. By the way, do you know where I can order some breakfast around here?”

“Call the kitchens. They can send you whatever you want,” he announces.

“I have the internal extension numbers,” Livia interjects.

“There you go,” he snaps before leaving me alone with Livia, a woman in her thirties, of medium height, with black hair and eyes.

“Come on, Livia, let’s catch up…” She takes a seat. “But first, how about we order something for breakfast? Coffee, I need coffee,” I sigh.

“Right away,” she says with a kind smile, dialing the extension.

As Lorenzo said, I find the key to access the company system in my email and I have access to all the hotel information. I quickly review the financials from the last quarter. They aren't bad, but we could definitely improve.

A waiter from the kitchens brings our breakfast, and I feel renewed as I sip my cappuccino. The door to my office opens, and my father appears.

“Welcome, mia cara,” he says upon entering my office. “I hope everything is as you want it.”

He notices Livia and nods in greeting.

“I’m satisfied,” I reply, standing up and kissing his cheek.

“Ready for the meeting? The Di Santes are coming up now.”

I struggle to keep my expression serene.

“Perfect. Lorenzo has given me access to the system, and I’ve read the proposal.”

“Then I’ll wait for you in the boardroom.”

With that, he leaves, and I look at Livia, who stands up and gathers her laptop along with some documents.

“I’ll be at my desk in case you need anything.”

“Thank you, Livia,” I murmur as she leaves. I grab my laptop and also head out, only to bump right into Antonio.

“Well, hello,” he sings, holding my shoulders, stopping me from falling backward.

“I’m sorry,” I say, a little embarrassed, and take a step back before diverting my gaze down the hall to find Salvatore standing impeccably at the boardroom entrance, and behind him are Renzo and… Eva?

This has to be a joke.

Antonio also notices and adjusts his jacket while clearing his throat.

“After you, please.”

I mutter a “thank you” as I move forward, watching Salvatore and company enter the meeting room.

“Good morning,” I say as a greeting, entering the room where the hostility is palpable.

Eva’s smug little smile annoys me, but I ignore her. I walk forward with the intention of sitting next to my father and pass behind Salvatore, who is seated at one end of the table, when his hand catches my arm.

He looks at me with an arched eyebrow.

“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing, just curiosity.” He gives me a smile that sends chills down my spine. He looks away and focuses on Dad.

I don't understand what he's trying to achieve, but it bothers me that he's acting this way. It's as if he wants to remind everyone that I am now in the middle of everything. As if he wants to show my father that he has some kind of power over me, when he absolutely does not.

Imbecile.

“Sister-in-law, you look very comfortable in your new position.”

I turn my attention to Renzo, who is watching me with amusement.

I don't know what the asshole finds so funny.

“Alright, let’s start the meeting,” Dad announces, drawing everyone’s attention. I pull free from Salvatore’s grip and take my seat.

Lorenzo maintains his nonchalant expression, but it’s clear he doesn’t want to be here.

“First, I want to introduce Miss Eva Santoro, the Financial Director of my companies. And you already know Renzo, my brother and Director of Operations.”

Across from me is Eva, who is rocking her chair back and forth with her hands clasped in her lap and a satisfied look.

Now I understand her confidence with Salvatore, and her hostility towards me.

I detest her.

“The purpose of this meeting is the Inverness project,” Dad begins, but stops when Salvatore raises his hand, silencing him.

“The purpose of this meeting is to clarify the parameters. It’s clear that we have a more modern concept for the construction of the property.”

“We must adapt to the soil of the location,” Lorenzo interjects through clenched teeth.

“I’m not saying otherwise, but I adhere to technology and innovation. That’s why our family’s hotels have excellence and quality… Something you cannot say about yours.”

I look at my father, who gives Salvatore a bright look.

“I think the best approach is an ambitious project, one where both companies are reflected.”

“Since when did you become an expert?” Salvatore inquires. “You’ve only been in the position for, what? Five minutes?” I look at him, wanting to kill him, but he doesn’t flinch and continues. “Eva has done the projections, and it’s clear how beneficial this can be for us in the future.”

“Let me see if I understand,” Lorenzo speaks up. “The property belongs to both companies, but you want to have your way.”

God, I knew this would happen.

“No, Lorencito. We’re working to find an alternative that makes us both win.” He glances sidelong at Antonio. “Mr. Morelli should know this; he’s the financier here. Eva sent him everything in detail.”

“We read it, and we think it’s too high a cost for an investment,” Dad replies through clenched teeth before Lorenzo can refute.

Salvatore continues ruthlessly.

“This is how it is: I trust what I have in front of me, and I know we’ll see profits very soon. But if you don’t take risks, we’ll end up with a mediocre hotel, and the Di Santes don't work that way.”

It’s evident that Salvatore is sharp; he knows what he’s talking about, and to be honest, I don't see a flaw in his logic. However, from what I saw, the hotel finances aren’t the best. We aren't doing badly, but betting on a project like this would risk us severely.

“Lorenzo and Helena will be in charge of carrying out the project. Furthermore, they will have Antonio’s support at all times.”

“What a fun trio,” Salvatore says enigmatically.

“Do you have a problem with me being in charge of the project, husband? Perhaps I’ll end up being better than you.”

He clicks his tongue and gives me a carefree smile.

“I doubt it, but I hope you can keep up.”

Everyone at the table remains silent, watching the exchange.

“Antonio and I can meet to personally review the budget,” Eva intervenes, speaking for the first time. “You know you can trust me,” she says to Salvatore, who is unmoved by her words.

“Of course, he trusts you,” I mutter under my breath, paying attention to the screen.

“If you like, we can go to my office,” Antonio speaks when Dad gives him a nod.

Eva stands up, takes her briefcase after exchanging a look with Salvatore.

When they have both left, Dad leans back in his chair and looks from Renzo to Salvatore.

“I’ve called the press. We need to make a formal announcement, so I recommend you be present.”

The words do not please Salvatore or Renzo.

“We are not your dogs, Rossetti,” the latter intervenes. “Salvatore and I are not here to satisfy your whims or anyone else’s,” he continues, looking at each of us.

“The spectacle of the wedding wasn’t enough for you? Of course not.”

These words come from Salvatore.

“You say that as if I were jumping for joy about it.”

I close my laptop and stand up.

“Where are you going?” I look at my father, who is frowning at me.

“Somewhere I don’t have to listen to anyone’s stupidity,” I blurt out.

Dad reaches out and pulls my arm, making me fall back into the chair. I look at him in surprise.

“Don’t disrespect me, Helena.”

“I recommend you take your hand off her, Rossetti. Don’t forget that’s my wife you just yanked around,” Salvatore’s tone is calm but forceful as he challenges my father.

They maintain eye contact until Dad slowly releases me.

“You may retire, darling,” he announces in a gentle tone.

Unwilling to engage in further discussion, I stand up and walk past Salvatore, who hasn’t taken his eyes off his adversary.