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for a moment before he said, ‘The financial hardship across Europe has impacted badly on the whole luxury car industry. My uncle borrowed heavily to finance the development of a new sports car. The project encountered several engineering problems. Although I’ve discussed the designs with the engineers, and believe we’ve found the solution, we require a little more time to make adjustments and launch the vehicle.’
    ‘Look, I really —’
    ‘The company is heavily in debt to a private bank.’ He looked straight at her. ‘The woman I’ve been photographed with is the new, young wife of the man who owns the bank.’
    ‘Oh dear. You are in a tangled mess. It’s unfortunate this has happened just when you want to fix your image and be elected into the top job.’ Did he deserve her sympathy? But as she wondered, another thought struck her. ‘Hang on! You weren’t deliberately set up, were you?’
    His eyes flared with a warm light of admiration. ‘You’re a very astute woman.’ One index finger tapped against the rim of his glass. ‘I suspect a set up but can’t prove anything. If I become CEO I will rebuild the company and the debt will be repaid quickly. That would not be in the banker’s best interest. I’ve also learned he has shares in a rival motor company. It would be to his advantage on multiple levels for the Garcia Corporation to become insolvent.’
    ‘Oh my gosh!’ She let out a low whistle and started to empathise with him. ‘I’m not so naive as to think things like this can’t happen, but it still amazes me what lengths people will go to in pursuit of wealth.’
    Angry energy still emanated from him in palpable waves. ‘When the photograph was published, the board convened. The banker sent an email to all board members demanding an apology and my immediate resignation. The members confronted me about the allegation. I denied it and asserted the newspaper was wrong. I was convinced there must just be a similarity between the banker’s wife and the woman I’d just started seeing. I told the board members the woman in the photo was not Carla Lorezzi. I swore I was involved with Jessica Harris, a remedial massage therapist from London.’
    One hand flew up to her chest as shock pervaded every cell. ‘Oh hell, no!’
    ‘Of course I denied the press report and cited your name. I believed the press were mistaken! In order to prove it to myself, I went straight to the internet and googled an image of Carla Lorezzi — the woman I was reportedly involved with. It was then I discovered the papers were right.’
    Jessica cursed.
    ‘I confronted Carla.’
    ‘And?’ She was hanging on his words now, anxious to see how this story unfolded.
    ‘She denied it was a set up. She claimed she’d been neglected by her husband and fancied she’d have an affair with me.’ The disgust etched into his features as he bit out every word of condemnation swayed Jessica to feel compassion for him because she genuinely believed he’d been duped.
    ‘Carla must tell the truth. She has to go public and admit she lied to you and gave you a false identity. That’s the only way to clear your name with your board of directors and with her husband. It will also ensure the press pack don’t hound me.’
    ‘I demanded she tell her husband and make a statement to the press.’ He looked away for a second and she thought he was trying to contain his outrage. ‘She refused. She’s told me she’s denying the entire story and advised me to do the same.’ He gave a harsh laugh. ‘She declares she loves her husband and won’t do anything to put her marriage in peril.’
    ‘That’s disgraceful!’ Jessica was angered on his behalf. ‘A pity she didn’t realise how much she supposedly loved her husband before she decided she was prepared to have an affair with you.’ Rage welled inside her. She might have only met Ricardo, but she had definite ideas about living by a moral code and she did feel badly for his