Chapter 3 - THE DEAL I THOUGHT WOULD MAKE MY CAREER
The Florence acquisition was supposed to make me.
Caldwell Meridian planned to purchase the Bellarosa Hotel Group, six historic properties across Tuscany and northern Italy.
If the deal closed, I would likely become executive vice president.
Maybe president within three years.
I had spent fourteen months negotiating it.
Or at least I thought I had.
“What do you mean it was never supposed to close?”
Trinity wiped her eyes.
“My father wanted Caldwell Meridian to overextend.”
I stared at her.
“He wanted us to buy Bellarosa?”
“He wanted you to want it.”
The distinction terrified me.
Robert Vale’s firm secretly controlled debt tied to three Bellarosa properties.
If Caldwell Meridian completed the purchase at our negotiated valuation, Vale could trigger covenants requiring immediate refinancing.
We would be forced to inject hundreds of millions more.
“Why?”
“To weaken your European division.”
“And then?”
“My father intended to buy the distressed assets.”
I felt physically ill.
“Did you know this when you met me?”
“No.”
I didn’t believe her.
She saw that.
“I knew my father was watching the deal. I didn’t know the whole structure.”
“When did you find out?”
“Two months ago.”
“And you stayed with me?”
Her silence answered.
I leaned back.
Eight months.
Hotels.
Flights.
Promises.
I had betrayed my wife for a woman who had been lying to me too.
The irony was almost too perfect.
Then another thought hit me.
“What information did you give your father?”
“Ethan—”
“What did you give him?”
“Mostly nothing important.”
Mostly.
My stomach turned.
“Define mostly.”
She admitted she had sent him photographs of presentation slides.
Meeting dates.
Travel schedules.
Names of investors.
Once, after I fell asleep in a hotel room, she photographed pages from my acquisition binder.
I felt my hands go numb.
“That material was confidential.”
“I know.”
“You used me.”
“So did you.”
“What?”
“You told me you were separated.”
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
Trinity laughed through tears.
“You said Dakota was basically a roommate.”
I remembered saying it.
Another lie made convenient enough to become truth in my own head.
“You said your marriage was finished.”
“I was going to leave.”
“When?”
I had no answer.
She looked toward the galley.
“Your wife knew you were cheating. She knew who my father was. And somehow she knew about the transaction before your company told you.”
That bothered me too.
Dakota had never worked at Caldwell Meridian.
She was a flight attendant.
Or so I had allowed myself to reduce her to.
I remembered evenings when she asked about my work.
I barely answered.
She had studied international operations before becoming cabin crew.
She had once worked for an aviation risk consultancy.
I had forgotten.
Or never listened.
When Dakota returned with coffee, I stopped her.
“How did you know about Bellarosa?”
Her expression remained neutral.
“I didn’t.”
“You said Trinity wasn’t who she claimed.”
“That came from someone else.”
“Who?”
She glanced toward Margaret.
Then back at me.
“Your chairman.”
My heart stopped.
“Richard talked to you?”
“Three days ago.”
“Why?”
“Because someone sent Caldwell Meridian an anonymous package.”
“What package?”
“Photos. Expense records. Travel logs. And copies of messages between you and Trinity.”
I felt Trinity stiffen beside me.
Dakota continued.
“But Richard said there was one thing in the package nobody understood.”
“What?”
“A photograph taken outside our house.”
She looked at Trinity.
“You were standing across the street.”
Trinity went completely still.
May you like
The photograph was dated eleven months ago.
Three months before Trinity claimed we first met.
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