CHAPTER FIVE
Maya Blake
Alejandro always plays by the rules...
Alejandro Aguilar never mixes business with pleasure—but his newest employee, marketing guru Elise Jameson, is refreshingly different and irresistibly intoxicating. Working together on a high-octane multibillion-dollar merger, exhilaration gets the better of them...
Until now!
But this Spaniard is still wrestling demons from his past and he sees betrayal everywhere, including in the eyes of his temptress, Elise. So he fires her, destroying the business deal—and her heart. Until he realizes his mistake. Innocent Elise is the key to the merger, and she knows her price—but is Alejandro prepared to go all in?
ALEJANDRO AGUILAR STEPPED out of a bracing, ice-cold shower to the sound of a ringing phone. At 4:00 a.m. such an occurrence would have alarmed most people. He already had a fair idea of why his early-morning routine was being disturbed.
Crossing the master bedroom suite of his Chicago penthouse, he draped the towel round his neck and picked up the phone.
‘Is it done?’
A muted sigh from his chief strategist, Wendell Grant, greeted him. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but they wouldn’t be swayed. We’ve thrown everything at them, including my firstborn son.’
The attempt at humour fell flat, causing the weary-sounding man to clear his throat uncomfortably.
Alejandro’s grip tightened on the handset, the inkling he’d harboured for several weeks expanding to nape-tingling certainty. There were far too many indicators to ignore the suspicion any longer.
‘Frankly, I’m at a loss as to why they’ve suddenly become so intransigent,’ Wendell continued. ‘The Ishikawa brothers’ team refuses to even discuss what the problem is beyond stating that they need more time.’
Alejandro knew what the problem was. The heads of the Japanese e-commerce conglomerate were protracting the deal, which should’ve been finalised a month ago, in order to accommodate a third party’s interest.
‘How did you leave things?’ he asked.
‘They’ve asked for a few more days. We tried to get an earlier date but they wouldn’t budge. We’ve agreed to a videoconference on Friday.’
‘That’s unacceptable. I’m not waiting another five days. Call them back. Tell them I want the Ishikawa brothers in conference tomorrow.’
‘Yes, sir.’
About to hang up, Alejandro sensed his executive’s reticence. ‘Is there something else?’
‘Well...I got the feeling they think they have the upper hand. The dynamic has definitely shifted...’
Hearing his suspicions voiced by another brought a clench of anger to Alejandro’s gut. If his executives had sniffed out the same issue, it was time to take over the helm again.
‘Sir? Is there something we should know?’
Alejandro squashed his ire. ‘I’ll take it from here. Extend my gratitude to the team and tell everyone to take the day off. You’ve earned it.’
‘You still want me to make the call?’ Wendell asked.
‘No. I’ll take care
