Second Chances (5 page)

“Is that it? That’s why you wanted to
see me?”

“That’s not enough? What more do you
want, Sabrina?” Clearly she was determined to wring every dime she could out of
him.

“I thought that—” She looked down at the
table, but not before he saw a suspicious sheen in her eyes. He stared at her.
What was going on in that head of hers? She took a breath and lifted her gaze
to him. Her eyes looked clear and dry, and he realized he must have been
mistaken by what he thought he saw. “Why not four or five million?”

Her tone was flippant, and it rankled,
but he wasn’t surprised she’d asked for more. Her cooperation was worth more. Taking
a sip of his coffee, Renaldo watched her over the brim of the cup. He set it down.
“Fine. Five. But I can’t have you jeopardizing this deal. You’ll have to move
back into the penthouse.”

This time she couldn’t hide her
reaction. Her expressive eyes filled with shock, unable to believe what he’d suggested.

He couldn’t either. Having her move back
into their home hadn’t been part of the original plan, but it made sense. It
would enable him to keep an eye on her and bring an end to any gossiping about
their relationship. That was the only reason he would have her back there,
invading his home and his privacy.

Certainly not because he wanted to be
close to her.

Chapter Four

You’ll have to move back into the
penthouse.

Sabrina examined her husband in stunned
silence. Her brain said he couldn’t be serious, but her eyes insisted he was.

This wasn’t the type of reconciliation
she’d hoped for when he called. Being apart from him had been a nightmare she
kept hoping to wake up from. It was like she was haunted by his image.

For the first couple of weeks, she’d
remained on Jewel’s sofa most of the day, not wanting to face the world or a
future without him. When she did leave the apartment, everywhere she looked she
thought she saw him: sipping a coffee in a nearby cafe, seated in a taxi
rolling down the street, or walking ahead of her on the sidewalk. Even in sleep
she hadn’t been able to escape, dreaming about him and waking up in the middle
of the night, wishing he was there with her.

He was always a gentleman and had risen
to his feet when she approached the table. She almost wished he hadn’t because
she’d smelled his cologne—a scent which had made her want to lean into the
solid strength of his body, missing being encased in his warm, loving arms.

With a steadying breath and the
straightening of her spine, she faced him down
. She
had to eliminate the emotion out of their conversation and think logically. She’d
learned the art of negotiation from him. It was a choreographed dance, and
Renaldo had a knack for knowing when to massage a deal or when to stand firm.
She enjoyed watching him in action—the back and forth between him and the
opposing side, how he’d wear them down until he ultimately got what he wanted.

Persistence. That’s how he’d
gotten her naked the first night they met.

“I’m not moving back in with you.” Not
under the circumstances he suggested. He hadn’t missed her after all, and he
only wanted her back because of a business deal.

“It’s the best way to ensure that no one
knows we’re separated. We need to behave as if everything is normal.”

 “If I were to agree to this, and that’s
a big if—I’d want some kind of contract drawn up to protect my interests. I’ll
need to discuss this with my attorney.”

“No need. The contracts have already
been prepared. It’s a good deal, and she will advise you to sign it.”

“How do you know?”

His lips curled upward in a cynical,
humorless smile.

Her stomach dropped. “What did you do?
Did you bribe her?”

“Of course not. I don’t issue bribes.”

No, not directly. He’d have someone else
do it. “I’ll get another lawyer,” Sabrina said, feeling her pulse thunder.

“Why go through such an exercise and
waste valuable time when the result will be the same?”

Sabrina swallowed past the tightness in
her throat. He’d do what needed to be done to get his way. He always did. How
ironic. One of the things she’d found so attractive about him was now being
used against her.

She’d known he was a wealthy man when
she met him, but she hadn’t fully understood until she’d moved to the country
and seen the extent of his power and influence as part of the upper echelon of
the business elite. When they’d met, he’d downplayed his level of success. He
ran one of the top real estate investment firms in the country. Considering
he’d rebuilt the company after his mother’s poor management, it was quite an
impressive feat for a man of twenty-nine years.

She couldn’t believe he’d gotten to her
attorney. No wonder her suggestions always seemed to be met with resistance.
This was part of the quiet power he wielded. He could get to anyone and do
almost anything. Now he was exerting this power by forcing her to take what he
offered, or risk getting nothing at all.

“What you did is unethical.”

“And what you did is immoral. What a
lovely pair we make.”

She winced internally as the verbal blow
landed with precision across her conscience. “So you admit you got to my
lawyer?”

“I admit nothing.”

He didn’t have to. He wasn’t foolish
enough to approach her attorney himself. He would use an intermediary—a
despachante
,
and Paulo had probably arranged it. A
despachante
facilitated business
transactions in Brazil. In a country where long lines and onerous red tape
could prolong the timetable of normal transactions, they were invaluable.

They knew the right people in government
to get things done and knew how to grease the wheels. Their efforts often
entered gray areas—areas which by U.S. standards would be considered illegal
but were normal here. An efficient
despachante
had made it possible for
her to get her work visa and permanent resident status in record time after their
wedding.

Money was not always offered. In some
cases, greasing the wheel could be as simple as providing a favor such as
getting a contract, getting a license to do business, the speedy processing of
documents—anything of value to the other party. Whatever he’d offered her
attorney, it had been enough to get her to turn against her own client.

Sabrina felt backed into a corner and
clutched her purse in her lap. “I won’t be coerced into signing anything until
I have adequate legal representation.”

“You
have
adequate
representation. Haven’t you been happy with your attorney so far?”

“Now that I know she’s been in your
pocket the entire time,” Sabrina said through gritted teeth, “I’m not so sure I
ever even received representation, much less an adequate one.”

There was no telling what types of
clauses had been written into the contract, and it would be written in
Portuguese. After a year she spoke it well, but reading a legal document in the
language was difficult. Hell, she had a hard time understanding contracts
written in English.

“You’re worrying too much.” Renaldo sat
back in the chair, completely relaxed. He rubbed his thumb back and forth
across his knuckles. “What you need to concentrate on is the amount of money
you stand to gain versus your situation right now. I am prepared to pull my offer
if you don’t agree. You’re a smart woman. I’m sure you can see the benefit of accepting.”

“You’re not doing me any favors. I
deserve that money, Renaldo. You know it’s true. I worked hard at that company.”

“As an employee—and like every other
employee, you were compensated. This is extra.”

He’d never referred to her
as simply an employee before. He’d always said she was his partner—partner in
business and partner in life.

“I was more than simply an
employee. I was an asset to your company. You told me often enough.” Sabrina
lifted her head. She knew her worth, even if he didn’t want to acknowledge it
now.

Together they’d made a
formidable team.
Their
greatest achievement had come when they’d beaten out nine other companies and
won the bid to renovate Estação Central. It was a multi-million dollar deal—the
largest in SDG history, and she’d been a part of it. No matter what snide
remarks Renaldo made, he couldn’t take that away from her.

He took another sip of his
coffee, restrained power beneath the perfectly cut, three-piece, black Armani
suit. While other men wore Armani to make themselves look good, Renaldo, with
his stunning good looks and thick, muscular body, made the suit look good.

He was the epitome of the
cosmopolitan male. His raven-colored hair was always neatly groomed and trimmed
short. Never ruffled, except when she’d threaded her fingers through it. The black
Italian leather shoes on his feet gleamed from a fresh polish. Gold cuff links
and a solid-colored silk tie completed his look of simple elegance.

This was the portrait he
presented to most of the world, but she knew another side of him. The one that
wore jeans to relax. When he went from powerful to charming, from a businessman
to a rakish, untamed seducer. But she wouldn’t see that side of him today,
because today she was the enemy.

“Never over estimate your worth, Sabrina.
It’s not attractive.” He flicked his wrist to reveal a gold vintage Rolex. He
loved that watch. Not because of the manufacturer, but because it had been his
father’s. “What I’m asking you to do is not unreasonable and I need an answer
now. Yes or no? The papers have been drawn up, and all we need to do is drop in
the dollar amount and sign the documents. What will it be?”

“I’m not signing a contract written in
Portuguese that
your
attorney prepared. If you would give me a little
time—”

“Again, time for what?”
Renaldo asked. “Your hesitation makes me think you don’t want to. Are you
prepared to walk away from all that money? This offer is only open right now.
It would be foolish of you to miss out, especially after such a dogged pursuit
of money since I’ve known you.”

He was mocking her now. Her ambition, a
trait he’d hailed as positive when they met, he now twisted and used against
her.

“You didn’t complain when I
helped improve your bottom-line.”

“I did complain,” Renaldo
reminded her. “But you didn’t care. You continued to work long hours.”

“I did it for us.”

“No, you did it for you. I
always told you, there must be a balance. You cannot work all day, all the
time.”

“I’m not having this
argument with you,” Sabrina said.

Her work schedule had been a
major bone of contention between them. But no matter how upset he had become,
she hadn’t been able to cut back. Yes, she was ambitious, but there was nothing
wrong with that. Yes, she wanted to be successful; not just for herself, but
for him, too.

Renaldo had worked hard for
years, foregoing a university education in favor of rebuilding his family’s
name and reputation after they’d lost everything. He’d achieved a lot in a
short time, managing to amass a fortune in real estate, and he was loved and
respected by many. She’d understood that and had wanted to support him. Now he
was using it to disparage her character.

“I refuse to sign the
contract without fully comprehending it on my end. Five million dollars, you
give me more time, and I keep my own apartment.” She could play hardball just
like he could. She needed that money and he needed her. If she could stall him,
then that would give her time to find a new attorney—someone she could trust.
Hopefully, she could keep them on her side this time with a nice bonus.

“I don’t have the luxury of
waiting for you to get a new attorney and a translation. Five million dollars,
and you move back in. Accept the deal today, or it’s off the table. There is no
negotiating on this point.”

“I—”

“And another thing,” he
added, clearly on a roll. “I’ll need you to report your comings and goings to
me at all times.”

“What? You’re being
ridiculous.”

“Do you really need me to
spell it out?” A hard look came into his eyes, and the cool mask began to slip
away, something she rarely saw because Renaldo seldom lost his temper. Very
little could crack his cool exterior, but apparently she could. “We need to
appear as if nothing has changed in our marriage, period, and that means you
can no longer see your boyfriend. You’ll have to end your relationship with
him.”

“I’m not in a relationship
with—”

“And any other man you’re
seeing.”

“You’re suggesting—”

“Because for this to work,
you’ll have to keep your legs closed. Do you think you can manage that? When
it’s all over, then you can resume…whatever it is you do.” His jaw hardened.
“Just think about the money.”

His words cut through her.
He wasn’t going to stop. She could see it. “Does it make you feel better to
tear me apart?”