The Inheritance

‘I don’t know,’ Jason sniffed. ‘Somehow I can’t see Dad inviting us for a family Christmas in the Hamptons just yet.’


‘Don’t worry about your father,’ said Angela firmly. ‘You leave him to me.’





CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Leon di Clemente straightened his silk Hermès tie and picked up his handmade Italian leather briefcase. He was about to leave for work. Glancing around his immaculate bachelor pad on the corner of Broadway and Bleecker, checking everything was in order before he set the alarm, he felt a surge of confidence and happiness about the prospect of the day ahead.

Life was good. Better than ever, in fact. Not only had he just pulled off a sweet deal worth a cool ten million dollars, but Tatiana Cranley was on her way to visit him from London, with ‘something important’ to discuss. They’d only spent one night together, but they’d been texting almost daily since, and Leon sensed that her interest in him might be growing. He hoped so. He couldn’t remember the last time he had wanted a woman this much.

Not only was she wildly sexy and a fucking dream in bed, but Tatiana Cranley kept him guessing in a way that few women, even the married ones, ever did. Leon had sensed as soon as he met her that her marriage was in trouble. She’d practically admitted as much. And now she’d been bought out of her business, too. One by one the ties that were keeping her in London, and away from him, were falling away. If he played his cards right on this trip, he might be able to persuade her to move in with him.

Punching in the code on his alarm panel, he opened the front door and almost jumped out of his skin.

‘What’s the matter, Leon?’ said Tatiana coolly. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

‘Tati! No, I … I’m surprised, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting you till tonight.’ He laughed nervously. He wasn’t usually a nervous laugher, but Tatiana did that to him. It was six weeks since they’d last seen each other, and he felt as excited and unprepared as a schoolboy at his first prom.

The alarm was still beeping behind him.

‘Let me just turn that off.’

He punched some more numbers into the keypad. The beeping stopped and they both stepped back inside the apartment.

‘So,’ Leon exhaled. ‘I guess you got an earlier flight?’

Taking off his coat and dropping his briefcase, he moved forwards to kiss her but Tatiana sidestepped him, walking across the room to the window.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I needed to talk to you.’

‘OK, well, good,’ said Leon. ‘I want to talk to you too. Actually, I wanna do a lot more than talk. I’ve missed you, Tatiana. Like crazy. I—’

‘I know it was you,’ Tati interrupted him. She was wearing an immaculately cut Stella McCartney suit in navy blue, with her hair swept up in a neat chignon, and she carried a sleek black Aspinal’s of London briefcase. Belatedly it struck Leon that she was dressed for business, not pleasure.

‘What was me?’ he frowned.

‘You sold me out to Brett Cranley,’ said Tati.

Leon opened his mouth to speak but Tati cut him off.

‘Please, don’t insult my intelligence by denying it. You were the only one who knew about the negotiations on Seventh Avenue. Brett was here that week. He saw us together at the Maidstone Club. After I left the Hamptons, after our night together, you went to see him and you sold me out, didn’t you?’

Leon hesitated. ‘It wasn’t like that. Hear me out, OK?’

‘Just out of interest, what cut did he give you?’ asked Tati, her face displaying no emotion.

‘Tatiana, please. It truly wasn’t like that. Brett contacted me and—’

‘What percentage? Humour me, Leon. I’m curious.’

‘Fine,’ said Leon. ‘Ten per cent.’

Tati was quiet for a moment. Then, turning back to the window she said, ‘You’re a fool. You’d have made much more with me. Those schools were so well positioned. New York was just the beginning. We’d have expanded right across Asia and the Middle East. Shanghai. Singapore. Dubai. You’d have had a stake in all of it, not just the real estate. Brett sold you a pup.’

‘I didn’t do it for the money,’ said Leon. ‘At least, not only for the money. I wanted you out of that business. I wanted you to leave London and live with me, here.’

Tati looked at him incredulously. ‘You wanted me to move to New York? To leave my husband and move here?’

‘Yes,’ said Leon. ‘Why not?’

‘Why not?’ The arrogance was breathtaking. He and Brett Cranley were two peas in a pod. ‘How about why, Leon? Apart from anything else, you just stole my fucking business here. I’d have had nothing to do.’

Leon walked towards her, grinning. ‘I’d have given you something to do.’

But Tati wasn’t in a playful mood. ‘Don’t touch me,’ she spat, vehemently enough to stop even Leon in his tracks. ‘You sold me out. You betrayed me, to the one man on earth who’s hurt me more than any other.’

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