Entwined Fates

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Switzerland, Geneva

Outside Geneva International Airport

8:17 a.m.

What a lucky stroke of fate that I met Ethan Ashford. Sophia walked toward the driver she usually had at her disposal in Geneva.

“Monsieur Didier, bonjour. How are you?” She gave him a bright smile.

“Madame Leibowitz, good morning. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” The middle-aged man smiled back. “Let me help you.”

He picked up her carry-on and headed to the parking lot toward a black Mercedes S600 Pullman Guard.

Sitting behind the steering wheel, he asked. “Where to, madam?”

“Well, I’m early for my meeting, so I thought I’d check in first, monsieur. Do you know if my sister and brother have arrived?”

“Oui. Mademoiselle Valentina et Monsieur Santo arrived yesterday evening. I picked them up myself at the airport.”

“Great,” she said, then called her brother’s cell phone.

“Hi, Sis.” Felipe’s mellifluous voice came through to her over the speaker.

“Felipe.” Sophia felt tears well up in her eyes when she heard his voice. “I’ve just arrived. How are you and Valentina? Why didn’t you call me yesterday? Why didn’t Carol come? Do you like the hotel? Have you already seen the floor plans? And the photos?”

“As always, so many questions.” He laughed. “Yes, we love the hotel. We’ve seen the floor plans—they’re sensational. We have seen the photos, and they’re disgusting. However, Valentina and I are sure we can fix and restore every inch that was redecorated. Carolina was…otherwise occupied. We didn’t call you because we arrived late and we were quite tired and jet lagged.”

“Sorry, but it’s just that I’m so excited to see you again that I forgot.”

“I think you’re excited to buy your new house,” he teased, chuckling.

“Felipe!” She heard Valentina laughing in the background. “Tell Val that after I sign the deed, we’re going skiing for a couple of hours. Be ready. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

It seemed like it had been eons since they’d done something together like this. Her family lived scattered around the world now.

Sophia relaxed against the comfortable seat, enjoying the view.

Geneva was one of her favorite places. Its atmosphere, its bustling streets, and many shaded squares invited her to stroll.

She loved the contrasts of the city, the way it stood unchanged next to the lake, the familiar waterjet spouting the beautiful column of water and the possibility of seeing Mont Blanc on a clear day.

I still remember clearly the first time I visited here.

It had been a month after her parents’ death, when her grandparents sent her and her younger sister, Carolina, to a boarding school in Lausanne for a year. She’d hated the city at that time, now she understood it’d been the best thing her grandparents could have done for them.

After the brief ride, Sophia exited the car at the old vineyard farmhouse that had been transformed into an elegant hotel.

The youngest of her gorgeous twin sisters ran outside to embrace her.

No one would guess Valentina and Sophia were sisters. Sophia was dark-haired and of average height, whereas Valentina was blonde, blue eyed, slender and petite; an exact copy of their mother.

“Sophia! How are you?” Valentina kissed her and stood back to look at her. “You’re looking much better. You looked like a hag last time in Rome.”

“Great to know your thoughts, sister dear.”

“Sorry, darling.” Valentina smiled and shrugged. “What can I do if the truth hurts?”

Sophia rolled her eyes at her sister and pulled her inside the hotel. “Felipe told me that you liked the floor plans and that you think you can repair the house.”

“Yes,” she beamed. “I’m going to love working on this project, Sophia. I have to show you our first ideas.”

“Where is Felipe?”

“In your suite. It has a big dining table. We have been working there since yesterday evening.”

Sophia stopped Valentina with a hand on her arm and asked seriously, “How is he?”

Valentina frowned. “He doesn’t speak of her anymore, Sophia, but he is tortured, haunted. You, better than anyone, know how it feels to lose someone you love.”

“He still blames himself?”

Valentina scrutinized Sophia’s face. “And you, didn’t you?”

Sophia lowered her head. “It’s different. They confessed that it was me they wanted. Gabriel died because of me.” She blinked to whisk away the tears gathering in her eyes. She sighed, despondent. “There was no way Felipe could have prevented her death. The truck hit on her side of the car. The guy fell asleep at the wheel. He wasn’t guilty, Val.”

“I know, I know.” Valentina shrugged. “But he doesn’t. Her photos are still all over the flat. Worse, Renata’s family calls him all the time.” She shook her head. “I guess it’s hard to overcome something when it keeps turning up.”

“Even if it doesn’t.” Sophia felt saddened. “Believe me.” She made her way to her suite.

Felipe looked to be absorbed in making notes on the floorplans spread over the dining table and didn’t notice his sisters enter the room.

Sophia paused at the door, using the moment to look at her beloved brother. Felipe could have been her twin if not for the age difference of exactly six years. He had a big shock of white hair that marred his silky, raven hair.

Sophia remembered how shaken she’d been when that lock appeared after the car crash. The accident also left a thin scar on the left side of his forehead, starting at the side hairline and slashing down to his eyebrow, giving his too handsome face the appearance of a pirate.

When younger and single, he had his fair share of women. They used to fall at his feet. As a widower now, they still did, but he wasn’t as interested anymore.

When she stepped in the room, he glanced up from the plans. He stood and opened his arms.

Sophia threw herself into them, hugging him tightly.

“How are you, Sis?”

Filled with emotion, Sophia could only nod. He was her favorite sibling, her closest friend. Nothing seemed to unsettle him, but Sophia knew better. He’d learned to disguise his emotions very well since their parents died. After Renata died, he donned a mask and only took it off occasionally, with Sophia.

“Hey, everything okay?” He gazed down at her, worried.

“I miss you so much.” With one final hug, she let him go. “We don’t even talk on the phone anymore.”

“Let me look at you.” Felipe assessed Sophia, his thumbs drying away her tears. “Hmm…much better!”

“Told you so!” Valentina exclaimed from behind her.

Yes, I look better on the outside. Sophia rolled her eyes and tried to turn the issue away from her. “Gabriela sends you kisses and hugs.”

Felipe, as always, read her thoughts. “How have you been doing? The truth, please.”

She shrugged and stepped away. “Better, I think. It helps to be away from Rio. Out of sight, out of mind, you know?”

“Indeed.” The pain that shadowed his life flickered briefly on his face.

“And you?” She cleared her throat. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. Working a lot,” he replied. “We’ve hired a law firm. The business is really becoming too big for just a small legal department.”

Staring into his eyes, she knew she wasn’t going to receive the answer she wanted. If another person was in the room, even one of their sisters or grandmother, he never spoke about his feelings. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear it. So, do you think the house is a good bargain?” Sophia turned to the floor plans, excited. “How long will all the work take? What’s the estimate?”

“My God, Sophia, slow down,” Valentina said. “I don’t know why you’re constantly in such a hurry. These things take time.”

“Life is too short to waste time, my dear. One day, you will learn that. You’re too young to understand.”

“Too young? Sophia, I’m almost seventeen years old.”

“An old woman,” Felipe teased.

“Maybe I’m the one who’s too old.” Sophia sighed.

“Hey! I only want to see smiles this weekend,” Felipe ordered.

Stop whining, Sophia. She gave him a bright smile. “Aye, sir.”

The Grand Hotel Kempinski Geneva

In a meeting room

12:54 p.m.

Sophia’s image haunted Ethan as he daydreamed. Mmm, her mouth is a delicious shade of red. Her hair falls sinfully over her breasts. I bet they would fill my hands…

“Mr. Ashford, don’t you agree that this new turn of events in the Afghanistan War demands a postponement of three or four months to start our first payment?” the head of the Arab team at the end of the table put forth. “We know that your shipment will arrive on time. We don’t know if we will manufacture, contact, and distribute our products in the expected time, so you see, we need to delay our first payment.”

“Oh, yes—”

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” Leonard interrupted Ethan. “I need a moment with my client. Mr. Ashford, if you will follow me into the adjoining room?”

When he closed the door of the smaller room, Leonard hissed, “What’s gotten into you today? Goddamn it! I have been conducting this f*****g meeting for at least two hours, all on my own. What’s your problem, Ashford?”

“I’m sorry, Allenthorp. My mind was elsewhere.” Ethan grimaced.

“You should be sorry. It’s the woman, isn’t it? Yes, she’s quite distracting.” A small frown crossed Leonard’s face. “But we cannot afford distractions here. Now, you know how these guys are about to pledge honor and blah, blah, blah. How many months are you willing to give them?”

“Give them ten days. Of course, they’ll bargain for more. I cannot give them more than a month. I’m sure they’ll be satisfied with that.”

“I’m willing to bet your absentmindedness is going to extend the meeting for at least twenty-four hours.” He put his hand on the doorknob, but didn’t turn it. “Forget her for a few hours. I will not be held responsible for any new problem. Let’s get on with this.”

On the Quai General Guisan

1:37 p.m.

Sophia shook Mr. Brenton’s hand outside the bank. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, sir.”

“My pleasure, young lady. And please, if you meet Juliette…” He looked down a second. “Don’t mention how and where we finished our transaction. She only knows about the first part of the payment you made in London. And we are signing the divorce tomorrow, so…”

“Don’t worry. Take care, Mr. Brenton.”

“You too, my dear. I wish you happiness in your new house.”

Sophia stood there watching as the old man entered his car, snowflakes falling delicately on her gray felt hat. When the car turned the corner, Sophia turned to Felipe and exclaimed, “I did it!”

“Congratulations. Now you had better take me to a restaurant. I’m starving.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve made reservations for us at l’Auberge du Lion d’Or and asked for a special Krug champagne.”

“Mmm! Felipe, prepare yourself. Sophia has chosen well,” Valentina said from behind them.

Sophia turned and hugged her sister, too happy to care if she was making a scene.

Later, as Sophia chatted away with her siblings in a restaurant with a view of Lake Geneva, she decided that it was time to stop hiding and starting living her life.

Or build a new one.

No one else could do it for her.