“I’m not working for anyone,” Gina replied softly, the words catching in her throat and her heart racing.
She’d been a fool, why had she let this get so out of hand? Why hadn’t she just listened to Grace and left well enough alone. She’d
just gone on and on getting in deeper and deeper with this man and her quest for retribution. And now as she looked at his face she knew she’d
completely blown any chance she
might
have had of a relationship with him, either professional or romantic.
“And
I haven’t told anyone what I know,” she confirmed. “A
s for the
information
, well you saw me photographing
your papers
so
what I have are
copies and n
ot the originals,” she added
.
“Nonetheless this is industrial espionage,” he replied, his tone firm emphasis
ing
the seriousness of what she’d done. He didn’t want her under any illusion that he was going to be lenient with her ju
st because of their new
relationship.
A couple of five minute fumbles didn’t give her any advantages at all.
“I could go to the police,” he paused watching her eyes fly wildly from the frozen image of herself on the screen to his emotionless face.
“
Dark Industries and everything it encompasses, including the Electronics arm,
is my world, Gina.” He admitted to the frightened girl. “I’m afraid it comes before everything else,
absolutely everything else,” he emphasised. “E
ven my relationships
and I will protect my organisation in any way I
have too,” he warned.” A
nd
i
f that means making certain sacrifices, then so be it,” he said watching her pull
nervously on the tie of
her wrap over blouse to ensure it was secure.
Now Gina really was scared. She’d no idea how she’d fare if he did go to the police and mentally weighed up her chances. On one hand he’d given her the key to his penthouse and let her go up there alone, but then she was guilty of photographing his plans and there was no point in denying it because he had it all in glorious colour.
“You’re working for Ben
Carlotti
at ‘Planet’ aren’t you,” he levelled at her finally and after several minutes of uncomfortable silence. “It’s not difficult to work out,”
he
shrugged, convinced he was
right. “He has the most to lo
se from any success
Dark
Electronics might have in this country.” He watched her baby blue eyes widen in horror as he continued. “I only hope he’s paying you well because when I’ve finished with you both you’ll need the money
you can get
to pay for a good lawyer.”
“Of course I’m not working
for him,” Gina responded sharply
. “You’ve got this all wrong. I’ve only met the man once and you were there, remember?” She railed back at him becoming angry now at
Dark
for thinking she could stoop so low as to steal from him just to sell
the
information to his rivals.
“Well, I don’t believe you
,” he insisted. “Why should I? B
ut if you are telling me the truth then why don’t you help yourself and tell me what you’re really up to. Then you can give me the copies of my papers back,
and
then I’ll decide what action to take.”
“You can’t go to the police,” she almost whispered at him suddenly realising the enormity of the situation. “I’ve done nothing wrong,
not really
” she said meekly. “Your papers are at my step mother’s house, you can have them back with pleasure. It makes no difference anyway; I know what you are up to now.”
The last few words were delivered with a bravado she certainly didn’t feel but she wanted him to know that she was still a threat and hopefully they could strike a deal, about her father’s workforce if nothing else.
Dark
regarded the
wide eyed, frantic
girl
and was
satisfied that he’d gone far enough, Gina was genuinely frightened. So he nodded his agreement. “That’s not a bad idea,” he decided. “We’ll go to your home, get the papers and then I’ll decide what’s to be done about you.”
He hadn’t told her yet but
Matthew
had already made up his mind what course of action he was going to take. He’d had all morning to think about it and he had no choice. The development and the impact it would make to his operations in the
UK
were too important to allow anything to go wrong. Gina was a wildcard he couldn’t risk. One way or another he had to make sure that she was out of the way and silenced so that things could continue as he’d planned.
“Where do you live?” He asked her
picking
his suit jacket and putting it on.
“In Spitalfields,” she replied. “It’s not far from here.”
Matthew
nodded and taking her arm firmly
he
led her down
, via the lift,
to the car park under the building and to his low slun
g
sports car. The vibe between these two very different now from that of a few hours ago when they’d left happily for lunch together and given everyone who’d seen them the idea that they were carefree lovers.
During this short walk Gina realised, horrified, that
Matthew
must have known what she’d done all through lunch,
even as they’d shared that intensely intimate episode in his office
. Why would he do that? Gina couldn’t work him out, she’d no idea what
was
going on in his head and she was very confused.
But i
t was certai
nly something to think about and
Gina had a sneaky feeling that perhaps Matthew
had derived some perverse pleasure from knowing and still making her do those things
.
“What’s your postcode?” He asked her stiffly, all the lunchtime’s warmness gone from his voice. Once he’d tapped it into the ‘sat nav’ he drove them out onto the
London
streets.
Both were silent as he drove them through the busy traffic to Gina’s home. But Gina was quietly frantic. She’d no idea how she was going to get out of this one and once they arrived at her home her cover would be blown
too
. He’d know who she really was, a member of the
Deverell
family. How would she explain that one on top of everything else?
Finally he pulled into a narrow road bordered on both sides by
old, Georgian
multi-storied
brick
houses
, some still with the weaver’s windows on the top floor
.
“V
ery beautiful,” he noted with admiration looking up at the historical buildings. “If I’m not mistaken this used to be the old Huguenot quarter.”
Gina
nodded, “it’s our family house. We’ve owned it for over two centuries and n
ow it belongs to my father and step mum but their living arrangements are so weird that neither of them minded me converting the upper floor into a flat for myself.” She smiled
and nodded at the multi windowed attic above them. She was hoping that
if they talked he’d soften but he just nodded and went to open the car door for her.
Gina hadn’t really thought past getting away from the office and perhaps giving
Matthew
time to think. But now the game was up and very soon he’d know
her true identity and gone would be the opportunity to get any sort of retribution for what he’d done. B
ut at least once he knew the truth
he’d have no reason to believe she was
working for Ben
Carlotti
.
“The sitting room is on the first floor,” she said leading the way up the staircase. He followed her up and into the large, comfortably furnished room. G
race Deverell was sat on
a window
seat
reading and as she looked up at the pair her eyes widened in surprise. This wasn’t part of the plan so Grace realised immediately that something must have gone wrong.
“Mrs
Deverell
,”
Matthew
greeted
her politely watching her
put her book down. “I think one of you owes me an explanation, don’t you,” he asked puzzled and looking from one woman to the other.
”If Grace is your step mum then your name is
Deverell
and not Haddon,” he put to Gina. “Obviously
that’s
another lie and yet more subterfuge to muddy the waters. Although quite what you’d gain, Gina from pretending to be someone else is lost on me.”
“It’s not really a lie, Haddon was my mother’s maiden name,” she retaliated. “And anyway you wouldn’t have given my application a second glance if you’d seen the name ‘Deverell’ on it,” she told him pointedly.
“Sit down Mr
Dark
,” Grace invited
seeing Gina’s angry look and realising she needed to try and calm her down.
“
I’m sorry the first time you’re a guest in my house it’s under such circumstances,” she apologised. “I can guess why you’re so annoyed with Gina. But, believe me whatever she’s done it was for the very best of intentions,” Grace told him gesturing for him to sit.
“Gina has stolen important information from me. I think I know well enough what her intentions were, Mrs Deverell, an attempt to sabotage my operations in this country. And I cannot allow that to happen.”
So he knew,
Grace realised
and this whole escapade of Gina’s had gotten out of hand as she’d predicted. It had escalated from the realms of wild gossip to having Matthew Dark seriously on her case and all in the space of less than two days. That was some going even for Gina.
“
Gina
I think Mr Dark has every right to be angry and you do owe him an explanation. P
erhaps now you’d better just tell him
why you did this and
what your problem is,” she said lookin
g at her grim faced step daughter
. “She never really meant to harm anyone or your business,
Mr Dark
” Grace tried to reassure him.
“Oh yes I did,” Gina responded sharply. “It’s highly probable that you don’t even realise the full extent of what you’ve done,” she levelled at him, her eyes full of the pent up anger she’d felt for days now. “You
appear out of nowhere and destroy
my father’s business
then
you
just swallow it up into your own and then
, if that wasn’t enough, you throw
his workforce out onto the streets.
And you know very well that b
ecause of their age most of them will be very lucky if they ever work again
,” she added with derision. “So if you are looking for a reason why I’d steal your plans then you’ve got one. S
o believe me it has absolutely nothing to do with Ben
Carlotti or Planet
,” she confirmed vehemently. “But
make no mistake
if I thought
for one minute
he could help
me
then I wouldn’t hesitate, I’d take what I know straight to him.”
When her rant was finished Gina flopped down on a sofa and took a deep breath, her cheeks flushed in temper and her limbs shaky with emotion. But it had been said,
Dark
could be in no doubt now, he knew exactly how she felt.
Then s
he reached over t
o the coffee table snatched
a pile of papers from it and threw them at him.
“Take them, take them and go.”
So that was it. This sorry mess was down to her being a disgruntled member of the
Deverell
family and wanting some sort of revenge.
Matthew
found this very much at odds with
James
Deverell
’
s
behaviour, the old MD, had simply accepted th
e fat cheque he’d been paid
and gone off to holiday in the sun. He’d voiced no concerns at all.