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She had confirmed her trip to Verona with the Countess when she had finally nor Zanelli After a phone call that had got her nowhere she had written to the Zanelli Bank, asking for its support in staving off the forced buy-out of Steadest shareholders in her family’s firer, stating that the bank did not discuss its policy on individual investments

She had very reluctantly, as a last resort, written another letter andit to Lorenzo Zanelli himself From all she had heard about the man she had formed the opinion he was a typical super-rich alpha ant conviction that he was always right He never changed his mind, not even when a formal inquest said otherwise, and she disliked him intensely

Lorenzo Zanelli had been horrible to Da accident that had caused Antonio’s death, accosting hially he ht have been found innocent of any fault as far as he was concerned Daht as well have cut Antonio’s throat instead of the rope Her brother, devastated by the loss of his friend, had felt badly enough as it was Lorenzo Zanelli had made him feel a hundred times worse and he had never really recovered

As far as Lucy are there had been no contact between the two families since, and it had come as a shock to her to discover after Damien’s death the Zanelli bank was a third silent partner in her family firm Lorenzo Zanelli was the last man she wanted to ask for a favour but she had no choice Trying to be positive, she’d told herself rief at losing his brother that had e of time he would have a much more balanced view

So Lucy had sed her pride and written to hi her family’s friendship with his brother Antonio She had infor Verona for a day or two, and had aled for a few ranted an appointment today

The continuation of Steadman Industrial Plastics as a faree with her point of view Not that she had any faton in Norfolk, where she’d been born and had grown up, Steadh she had not lived there since graduating froe she did still visit occasionally, and she did have a social conscience—which she knew Richard Johnson did not

She was pinning her hopes on Signor Zanelli But now, after what she had heard about hi serious doubts

She had arrived in Verona at ten this et airline she had travelled with had landed at an a airport almost two hours away She’d just had tiht back was toreat man’s secretary had taken her nalish that Signor Zanelli was going to be delayed She had asked her if she would like to reschedule the appointested three days’ time

Lucy had countered with a request for the nexther plan to explore the town and the famed arena Her appointment with the Contessa was in the afternoon The secretary had told her it was not possible, but she could wait if she liked She had had no choice but to agree

‘Miss Steadman?’

He repeated her nalanced up at hiave her was all ance

‘You’re a deterive you that,’ he drawled and, turning to his secretary, said so in Italian that sounded like ‘tenover his shoulder, ‘Come, Miss Steadman This will not take much time’

Lucy bit back the response that sprang to mind It had already taken a heck of a lot of her ti for a moment, she tried to smooth the creased black linen skirt she wore—a pointless exercise—and watched the broad back of the ing closed behind hily attractive, but he was certainly no gentlehtened a notch

‘You’d better go in now,’ the secretary said ‘Signor Zanelli does not like to be kept waiting’

Given how long she had been waiting—her appointment had been for two and it was now after three—Zanelli had so the odd effect he had on her own nerve, she squared her shoulders and, taking a few deep breaths, walked across the room and into the man’s office

He was standing behind a large antique desk, talking rapidly into a telephone which he put dohen he saw her

‘Take a seat’ He indicated a chair in front of the desk as he sank into a big black leather one behind it ‘Then say what you have to say, and make it quick—my time is valuable’

He had not waited for her to sit down In fact he ell on the way to being the rudest ht to dislike hirily

She said without thinking, ‘I can’t believe you are Antonio’s brother’

Antonio had been handsome and lovable, and her brother Damien’s best friend at university Lucy had been fourteen when her brother had brought Antonio home the first time for the mid-ter Italian—so besotted she had actually started taking Italian language lessons at school Antonio, only four years older, but a decade older in experience, had not taken advantage—quite the opposite He had treated her as a friend and had not made her feel foolish at all Unlike this hard-facedat her across the wide expanse of the desk with cold eyes and without a tender bone in his body, she was sure

‘You are nothing like hi like him’

Lorenzo was surprised Lucy Stead the delicate bone structure She wasn’t plain as he had thought, but she was angry His ht with her, he siht as quickly as possible—before his anger got the better of hiht of her brother …

‘You are right My younger brother was the beautiful one, both inside and out, whereas I—so Antonio used to tell me—am a serious, hard-headed banker with ice in his veins who should lighten up and enjoy life Not that it did Antonio ood,’ he said starkly