ANTONIO PACED IMPATIENTLY at the bottom of the palacio’s sweeping staircase.
An hour. An hour since he’d left her in his study and told her to get ready. It wasn’t like Hana to be late. But apparently that had changed. Just as it once hadn’t been like her to attack or purposefully provoke him. But that, too, had become a habit with her lately.
At first, working with her had been good, just like when she was his secretary. All summer, they’d shared the thrill of closing the deals that gave CrossWorld Airways the routes they needed for exponential growth. First had been Tokyo, then Rio, then Nairobi. Tomorrow, he’d leave for New York to deal with the union. Once he built out North America, it would be the final piece of the puzzle.
But over the summer, Hana had changed. She’d started to flaunt her growing influence. Which was a problem. Because while Antonio’s employees respected and feared him for his vision, hard work and ruthlessness, they loved Hana.
He didn’t understand why she’d changed, when she’d never once tried to work against him before. Gaining the loyalty of his company’s leadership team! Contradicting Antonio’s orders!
Hearing her defy his decisions in front of his staff that morning, after the COO had actually demanded for Hana to be on the board—as chairman, second only to Antonio’s status as CEO!—had been the final straw. He’d known he had to get her out of the company for good. It was bad enough that she already had so much power over him as his wife and the mother of his child. He couldn’t let her seize the leadership of his company from him, along with ev
erything else.
He’d been insane to ever offer to share his airline with her. He’d been out of his mind at the time, desperate to convince her to marry him. But he’d never imagined Hana could act like this, trying to seize control, to push Antonio out of the company he’d built with his bare hands. Without the company, who was he?
No one.
Well, he’d come to his senses. Hana would sign the post-nup. He didn’t truly believe she wanted to lead the company. He didn’t know why she’d become so focused on business. What she really wanted was a home and family. How many times had she said it? And that was what he’d given her. He’d kept the headquarters in Madrid because she wanted to live here, where she’d made friends. He would be glad for her to run her new charity initiative, as long as she stopped trying to run his company.
So why was she late for her own fund-raiser? Antonio straightened in his well-cut tuxedo, gritting his teeth as he looked up the staircase. Did she expect him to greet their guests alone?
Stopping his pacing, he scowled, narrowing his eyes. His hands tightened at his sides. Perhaps she’d gotten distracted listening to a staff member’s problems. Her caring heart left her an easy mark. Like the way she hadn’t wanted to do a hostile takeover of Lund Avionics, because it was “unthinkably cruel.” Or how she’d fallen for the story of the elderly so-called doctor who’d dropped off that ridiculous letter claiming to be the truth about Antonio’s parents. He scowled. He’d barely picked up the envelope before his hands had started shaking so hard he’d known there was only one thing to do—destroy it.
Just open it. Unless you’re afraid.
He couldn’t believe Hana would ambush him that way. Why would she ever think he’d want to open some crackpot’s letter?
There’d been no reason for him to read it. Either the old man had been lying, in which case reading it was a waste of his time, or else he was telling the truth—in which case, Antonio really didn’t want to read it. If the parents who’d cold-bloodedly abandoned him as a newborn suddenly wanted to worm their way back into his life now they’d discovered he was rich, Antonio wanted no part of it.
Let them suffer with the knowledge that the baby they’d thrown away could have made their fortune. He’d turned out to have some worth, after all. And they’d blown it.
He had a new family now. A beautiful wife here at home, raising their child, supporting him while he built his empire alone.
His heartbeat slowed to normal pace. He looked at his platinum watch. Guests had already started to arrive in the ballroom, without either host or hostess to greet them. Where was Hana? This was her party, damn it!
“Antonio.”
Hearing his wife’s soft voice calling from above, he looked up, and his jaw dropped.
There at the top of the sweeping staircase, he saw a princess.
Hana’s long dark hair had been twisted into a ballerina bun at the top of her head, surrounded by a delicate diamond tiara. She was wearing a blue gown, cut Regency-style, with a very low bodice that showcased a diamond and sapphire necklace, as well as her overflowing breasts. Layers of baby blue fabric skimmed lightly over her full, pregnant belly, and she wore white gloves that went up past her elbows.
Her brown eyes were guarded as she came down the staircase, her gloved hand skimming over the handrail, floating so lightly that he looked at her feet to see if she were being carried by doves, or at least glass slippers. No, just stiletto sandals in matching baby blue.
“You look stunning,” he said when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
She smiled, but it seemed strangely sad. Why? Because he’d informed her he wouldn’t give her half the company? No, that couldn’t be it. Hana was no gold digger. All along, she’d wanted to focus on their family and home. He was simply helping her do that.
But in this moment, she looked so glamorous he almost couldn’t recognize her. Hana’s lips were full and red, her brown eyes rich and expressive beneath the extravagant sweep of dark lashes.
She paused. “I read the post-nup.”
“And signed it?”
“And...we’ll talk about it later.”
“You will sign,” Antonio said, holding out his arm. He knew it was the only way they could both be happy.