The Italian Heir-CASTELLANO SERIES: MARTIN’S STORY

17

Zoe Blunt had made sure she personally saw through the business deal herself and went as far as proposing new ideas for the different advertising dynamics, color schemes, lettering, fine prints and so on.

It was as if something snapped within her and she was determined not to sit this one out, as if wanting to prove that she was nothing like what Rachel Moretti thought and said she was—daddy’s little spoilt brat airhead daughter who only knew how to spend her father’s money and not earning a penny on her own.

Morning turned to noon, then evening came all too quickly, and I was stretched. As much I’d like to continue working, I relented—something you don’t hear me say every day. I was only human after all and I needed rest and, yes, food. The Mexican cuisine we had for lunch did no part in keeping me awake. If anything, the word nap had been swimming through my mind for the greater half of the afternoon.

“I’m sorry I kept you with me all day, there’s just so much to be done and so little room for mistakes. I really want to do this right since it’s my biggest project since I started working here.” Zoe scooped the front of her hair and swept it to the back of her head. She was just as tired as I was, and we both agreed that it was best if we called it a day.

And apparently, I was not the only one who stayed up all night working.

“You really ought to catch up on sleep. I read that 70% of women who sleep less than 7 hours a day gain more weight than those who get more than 7 hours of sleep.”

She smacked me on my arm, her jaw twisting. “Martin, are you calling me fat?”

“I was merely giving you the statistics, but it’s also through that you just confirmed that you’re indeed getting less sleep than you ought to.” I casually shrugged, throwing in a little smirk.

“Well, when you have a company to run, sleep isn’t exactly the number one priority on your to-do list. You of all people should be familiar with that.”

I opened my mouth to say something smart-assed, but nothing came out.

Satisfied, she turned her attention to her phone. “Andrew will be here for us both, drop you back at your hotel and then me back at my place just a little further from your hotel.”

“You sure you don’t want him to drop you off first? You look like you’d fall asleep on the floor anytime now.”

“You were on a flight for more than 12 hours and correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you slept a wink either, because I caught you yawning at least 4 times in the last 2 hours. So yes, I insist.”

“It was way more than that, believe me, you’re not the only one counting.”

We said no more but waited in silence for Andrew to pull up in front of the building’s lobby in a black sedan. It was all too quiet on the drive back to the hotel and I appreciated the silence.

Scattered lights peppered around the entire city glowing brightly, some buildings had giant neon lights flickering around the billboards—half-naked models in Calvin Klein jeans, a person who was a celebrity that I had no recollection of posing for a perfume name; the new action movie that was releasing in theatres soon...

As the car slowed as we approached smaller streets, I looked to my left and watched people bustling around with briefcases and totes in hand, some were chewing on food, some jogging, walking their dogs with earphones covering their ears…

We pulled up at a traffic light, on either side there were restaurants bustling with more people, muffled music drifted out each time the waiter held the doors open, a couple enjoying red wine and a meal together whilst breathing in the polluted evening air. Turning away from my view through the window, I pulled out my phone from my jacket pocket and glanced at the screen.

A couple of texts from the guys, an update from John telling me that all is well with our department but there was only one person who I was waiting to hear from all day and her text sat at the very bottom. I couldn’t help but smirk at those three words she had sent me.

I missed her too.

“You’re making that face.” Zoe said flatly. I re-read Erika’s text once more before locking the device, making a mental note to have that replied after. “What face?” I asked innocently.

“You always have this silly face when something’s got your attention. But considering this time of the day, I’m guessing it’s got nothing to do with work but rather a certain someone.” She deduced and I’d hate to give her the satisfaction of her answer, so I changed the topic.

“Has Rachel ever mentioned her past to your father? Or where did she come from?”

“Vaguely, yes.” Zoe’s attention drifted towards the front. We were now watching the last of the pedestrians crossing the streets before the lights turned green again. The car began to move once more.

“All I know is that the woman never spoke about her family, let alone the irony that she had a son she bore more than 20 years ago. It’s a known fact that this woman bleeds money, she’s definitely not just a ‘nobody’ who popped out of nowhere. She met my father at a charity event. I’m sure as hell she wasn’t there to donate anything but to prey on disloyal men like my father. But what can I say? My father’s fallen head over heels for her and loves her enough not to question her about things he knows she will give no answer to. He’s never been so reckless. Unwise, I might even add.”

“You can say it, you know. There’s no need to filter your words between both of us.” I chuckled.

“Fine, my father’s a bloody i***t, a real bastard too. You have no idea the number of times I have wanted to shake him so hard just to put some sense into him and just ask him ‘what the f**k were you thinking?’” she scoffs and shakes her head disbelievingly. “Men—it’s like they have cheese niblets for brains when they see anything with boobs.”

“Hey, not all men are like that,” I defended.

“ The majority of them are,” She said indignantly. “Don’t give me that bullshit that the character and personality of a person are what attracts. Especially with the ‘it’s the heart that matters’ nonsense.”

“I wasn't going to correct you. But yes, you do make sense. The very first impression you’d get from a person is their features—the way they look, the way they dress, their stance and body language. It’s all physical, isn’t it? It’s only by talking to them will you know what they’re really like and then you get to decide.”

She pursed her lips and tilted her head sideways to look at me.

“My father thinks Elizabeth was the hottest woman he’d ever seen, especially when she’s mad. Well, at least that’s what she was— to my dad when they first met. And my dad has never looked at any other since.” I said, recalling what my dad told us—his kids every chance he’d get.

“I wish I had met someone like your dad. A rare gem, he is.” She said. I nodded absent-mindedly, avoiding the gaze she had in her eyes—they held a familiar look in them I had long forgotten.

There was a moment of silence before Zoe turned towards the window and said, barely in a whisper, “I have met someone like your dad. But I let him go.”

Eventually, the car came to a halt. I bid Zoe goodnight, to which she grunted in reply briefly and turned her attention back to her phone once again. Thanking Andrew, I walked right into the Pan Pacific lobby, told the concierge I would like some steak and potatoes sent up to my room and moved to the other side and waited for the elevators.

Whilst waiting, I fished my phone from my jacket pocket. Without giving it much thought, I tapped on the number and waited for the dial tone. At the second ring, a familiar voice picked up. 'Smartin?'

“I was merely trying my luck to see if you were already awake. What time is it there now?”

'Well, I’m sure most New Yorkers will be up and about at this hour.'

“You picked up on the second ring.”

'I was waiting for your call.'

“I missed you too, Crawford.”

'I'm surprised.'

“Why’s that?”

'I thought the first thing that you were going to ask me was about work.'

“Did I disappoint you, darling?”

I heard her scoff over the receiver, and I swore I could imagine her smiling. 'No, but I’ll be happy to tell you what color my panties are.'

“Erika…” I strained, balling my hand into a fist and smirked. “You’re treading on very dangerous waters here. And I know they’re black, you sly little minx.” I said warningly. A soft ding went off and the metal doors opened. I searched for my room, which was somewhere in the middle of the hallway.

'I guess you could say it's one of my many qualities being able to make you feel that way'

“Woman, you have no idea what I intend to do with you when I get home. Best believe you’re going to regret taunting me in the first place.”

'Also, I’ve been thinking an awful lot about what you asked me to help with.'

“You have, have you?”

'You’ll want to come home and I’ll show you the long list of things you’d wanna do with me.'

I chuckled, pouring myself a glass of water into an empty cup and chugging it down. “Have you been giving trouble to John? He tells me in a text message that everything’s well but that’s only worrying me more because it’s all too quiet back at the office and not a single smoke signal has been sent yet. Did you have him at gunpoint when he was texting me?”

'Have a little faith in me, will you, Marts? Trust me when I say I’m doing a very good job at these tasks you’ve asked of me, and I’ll be demanding a hefty reward from you when you get back.'

“Oh, you’ll be getting a hell of a reward, that’s for sure. Tell me, how’s your day going so far?” I asked. But before I could get my answer, the doorbell to my hotel room went off. “A moment please, I think it’s room service,” I said.

'Sure.'

It was not room service.

It was the woman whom I had left just a moment ago. I put my phone away from my ear and looked at Zoe Blunt questioningly. “Zoe…what are you—”

She stepped forward so quickly and before I could even react, she kissed me square on the lips. The action took me by surprise and I put a firm hand on her waist, not to encourage her but to keep her at a distance before she did any more damage to both of us.

“I know it may seem that I’m not thinking straight and just this once, let me. I miss you, Martin, I miss us. Seeing who you are now and who you’ve become, what you were like to me earlier, and the things you were saying to me much earlier showed that you still cared for me. I hated the way I ended things and I hated the fact that I put you in so much misery because of my selfishness toward success. I shouldn’t have said you were a burden, and I never should have let go of you, even when you said you didn’t want to.”

Her deep brown eyes were brimming with tears as she searched mine. “I made a point never to see you again; neither did I want to hear anything about you, but I figured the universe had other plans.” She sniffed, breathing shakily.

“I want us to be a thing again,” she continued, finally admitting.

“What I’m trying to say is just—please, can we please give this another shot? Just the two of us, we’re both more mature and you’ve got to admit that we’d make great business partners—you and I…” she pleaded, reaching for my free arm and I let her.

I bit down my jaw and stood steadfast.

“Look, Zoe. I’m going to have to stop you right there.” I said calmly, gently. “I appreciate everything you have just told me. I mean, as far as I know, you’re one of the most arrogant, most tight-lipped woman I’ve ever known and whatever you just did, I know you’ve not done to anyone—being so transparent with your feelings. However…” I trailed, removing her hand gently from my arm, then to look at her. “I’m not able to reciprocate these feelings you still have for me.”

Her body shook as tears fell from the corners of her eyes, and her chin dipped in an effort to shield her tears. “I’m sorry I no longer feel the same way about you and I’d hate if this seems like I’m rubbing it in your face, but yes, I’m seeing Erika right now and I don’t intend to screw things up between us because we’re just getting started.”

“What you and I had was once special,” I said honestly, squeezing my phone in my hand and the other I kept in my pocket. “But know this, I’ve never compared you to another nor looked at you differently. When I was with you, I was loyal to you. You know that. And I intend to carry that same principle that I do, but with Erika. Zoe, someday you’ll be able to let all of this go and, as time passes, I’ll only be but a small but distant piece of memory.”

Until I met Zoe weeks ago, I have got to admit a small part of me did resent her for doing what she did with our relationship. But it was only until recently I saw another side of her, that she too has a lot on her plate and she’s been doing it alone all these years, fending for herself in between a broken family. She had it bad too.

And with her coming over tonight, telling me all this meant our breakup did affect her in some way after all. That she too, at one point, was hurt and broken just as I once was.

She took a deep, shaky breath and took a step back. Her eyes were tired, raw and red, but I feared if I were to attempt to further comfort her, things might just turn out worse for both of us. “Things are never gonna change, aren’t they? Me and you? Nothing’s going to happen even when we’re working together now?”

“I’m afraid so,” I said curtly, realizing that I was holding my breath all along, barely blinking. “I guess I’ve gotten my answer now.” she breathed out, nodding mindlessly to herself as she headed for the door. “Zoe—”

“No, please. Don’t make this any harder for me to leave you right now.” she pushed at the handle and left in a hurry. As the door slammed, a faint ringing sound buzzed in my ear as I tried to make sense of what just happened, but the longer I thought, I suddenly recalled what I was doing a couple of minutes ago, or rather who I was talking to a moment ago.

I stared at the screen of my phone, the lock screen present, but the call had long ended.

**

The next few days passed by in a blur and I was drowning myself in work. Zoe and I had very little contact and it was only on my last night here in Melbourne that was I going to have a proper conversation with her over dinner.

A dinner that was planned by her father and an unexpected guest whom she and I both barely knew, and the other—rather intimately. If you were to ask me, it was pretty f****d up how we ended up here. If things went well for Mr Blunt and my birth mother, I would pretty much be step-siblings with my ex-girlfriend.

Zoe was the one who had brought that up and that eased the tension between both of us.

We didn’t have too much time to ourselves when Mr Blunt and his partner arrived. Rachel Morreti had a grim expression on her face when she arrived, but it all changed when Mr Blunt brought up the fact that it was Rachel's brilliant idea to have me fly over here to Melbourne in hopes that I'd learn a thing or two concerning the media and advertising sector and maybe input an idea or two of my own.

Zoe scoffed quietly. I remained silent.

I sincerely wondered what went on inside this woman’s head, truly.

“I hope you’re satisfied with the progress and performance our team has shown over the last few days as it will play a role in sealing our future as business partners whilst boosting our corporates’ mutual reputation.” Mr Blunt said it in full confidence while a waiter approached our table, holding out a bottle of wine with a clean towel draped over his forearm and a wine opener in hand.

“Forgive my impertinence, Mr Blunt but something has been bothering me for quite a while now.” I started. Rachel Morreti made no move to look up. Zoe, however, seemed interested.

“Go on, son.”

“I’d like to know why the sudden interest in working with us—specifically for Rogue. As you know, my parents’ company has since grown and evolved since the fashion magazine days and hasn’t been quite our main focus for some time now, so here’s my question. I’d like to know whether the interest in working with us was your idea, or perhaps, it was Miss Moretti’s idea?”

Zoe’s eyes widened perceptively as she looked from me, and then to her father. A small smile formed on her face; she enjoyed seeing someone else's nerves ticking.

Now, I wasn’t stupid. Weeks ago, when Zoe flew into New York City claiming she wanted to join hands with me on a business deal, I knew it was not her idea although she insisted vehemently it was hers. I mean, do you really need your father to accompany you on something you decided on your own?

Not that there was anything wrong with that, but the logic was plain and simple. Who would want to work with their former relational partner? It takes someone with a really big heart and also someone rather stupid to do so.

The night when Zoe had barged into my room claiming that she still wanted to get back once more, she told me she had realized she still missed us—it took her a while to admit so and some time to acknowledge it. Working together had triggered a memory she did not want to relive, so I was guessing it was never her idea that we met again at all.

It had to be someone else’s idea.

And now that Rachel Morreti is back in the picture…I can’t help but think there is more to this.

“Well.” Blunt sighed dramatically and stared longingly at the untouched wine glass as he placed it back down. “I guess nothing ever goes unnoticed by you, young man. If we’re going to be working together, I figured now’s the time that I should be honest with you.”

“Darling, I don’t think—” Rachel began, looking somewhat perturbed at the idea of Blunt acknowledging my question. He reassured her by patting her hand genially; although looking dismayed, she decided it was best she remained silent.

“I can only assume that you have already met my partner—Rachel.” Mr. Blunt said. I blinked in reply. “She’s working as my management consultant for the most part and has suggested that it would do our business some good if we worked with one of New York’s finest business owners—the Castellanos’, and furthermore…” he now shifted his attention to his daughter. “I found out that you two knew each other, forgive me if I have taken advantage of that past relationship and formed a business deal with you,” he said stiffly.

Zoe’s fingers clenched into a fist the more her father talked. “And I thought Zoe here would do a fine job of taking the lead on this project. Rachel thinks so too,” he quickly added.

“And you’re so sure she’s not going to try and stop you or change your mind? Though she’s merely your consultant, she seems to be doing a fine job of interfering with family matters as well.” Zoe said calmly.

“Zoe,” Rachel said in a mock casual voice; Zoe ignored her.

“Either way.” I cut in before that woman said more. “With all due respect, Zoe should take the full lead on this project because she’s the only person I’d like to work and consult with as of now and I sure do not appreciate the idea of external interference, not from your consultant, not from anyone else so as to ensure a smooth process of our cooperation here. Any changes made or will be made shall go through Zoe’s discernment only.”

“Well I—” Blunt looked at Rachel who had got this hard look on her face, staring straight at me as if she wanted to scream at me. “I hope you’ll agree to this, Mr. Blunt; I’m sure you do not want anyone interfering with your work or even prying into your personal agenda of achievement, no?”

“No, of course not.” Blunt nodded in agreement. “Zoe, you’ll handle this project however you see fit. Rachel here will no longer be involved in this joined deal.”

**

Zoe was freshening up in the ladies' room after we bid her father and partner goodbye. Andrew will be coming by soon with my luggage and, together, we’ll head to the airport. “Martin!” Rachel called out.

The lobby of the hotel was fairly deserted, it was only the staff at the concierge at a distance away and a bellman who just got into the elevator with two bags in his trolley.

“How dare you disrespect me at the table like that? You were supposed to be on my side and not that of your ex! You have absolutely no right to tell Blunt what to do or how to run his business. After all, I am your mother!” she said contemptuously.

“You’re right, I have no right to do so. But let’s make this clear, the idea of working together between Blunt Corp. and me may be your idea, but you don’t get to call the shots or decide how it should be run. You of all people don’t get to f**k around with my life or Zoe’s just because you felt the need to demonstrate some sense of motherly responsibility all of a sudden. I don’t know why, after all these years you decided it was time you showed up, but god…”

“Were you raised to speak as such to someone who carried you 9 months in her womb?” she spat venomously. I didn’t flinch but she did. “You didn’t even hear what I had to say to you—the pain I had to endure while I had you, the humiliation I had to go through! You’re lucky I even left you with Ethan and Elizabeth Castellano. I was the one who gave you what you’re able to have today!”

I clenched and unclenched my jaw as I heard her say those impossible words and I looked at her stonily. “You abandoned me, Rachel” I laughed bitterly. “It's as simple as that. Nothing in this world, no riches nor fame could possibly make up for the abandonment. You’re the last person I ever want to see in this lifetime and whose opinion I’d look into or help I’d accept. Look, you clearly chose your life and I have chosen mine. You may be my birth mother, but you’ll never be the one who I will call so.” I said each word succinctly.

“Martin?” Zoe called out as she approached me, her stilettos clicked and echoed across the empty lobby. “Goodbye Rachel. Have a nice life.” I said in a final tone and acknowledged Zoe.

“You ready to go?” I asked.

She looked unsurely at Rachel, then at me. “Uhm, yeah.”

“Martin!” Rachel choked. “Please, give me a chance to make things right.”

I ignored her and continued towards the main doors. “You’re just going to walk away?” Zoe asked quietly as she took my offered arm.

“Maybe for once, she should know what it feels like to be walked away from.”

**

Zoe and I arrived at the airport; my bags were checked in and the plane would be leaving shortly. “So…” she began. “This was an interesting week.” She started casually. I slipped my passport and boarding ticket into my jacket pocket and nodded listlessly. We stood away from the crowd, in front of the large row of glasses where we could see the parked planes and their light indicators flashing. Another plane was taking off at a distance.

“It has,” I said finally. “A long one too,” I added.

She blew out a low breath and stared ahead. “What I did the other night, I apologise for it. I should have respected what you have with Erika instead of trying to force our past moments on you. That was low, even for me.”

I heaved a sigh of relief; I too had wanted to clear the air of tension between us. It’s hard to be working with someone that you have problems communicating with.

“Thank you for saying that. I guess the universe indeed does have other plans for us. We may not have worked out as a couple, but at the very least, we’d make pretty good business partners.”

“You know, before I arrived in New York, I'd hear people’s stories that working with Martin Castellano was their biggest dream, some even say it's their worst nightmare.” She smiled reminiscently.

“What was your take on it?”

“I think it's my greatest privilege to be working with someone who knows what he’s doing.”