"Where's Melo?" Adam ground out.
"In … in the office." Rosa waved a hand toward the door, clicking after Adam with little rapid steps in her high-heeled sandals.
Adam was at the office before Cade could reach him.
Melo looked up from the desk in shock as the door crashed opened. Her mouth opened and closed.
"You want to explain why you cancelled my order?" Adam questioned, stepping closer.
Cade tensed, and stepped in front of Melo, shielding her from Adam. He put a hand on Adam's arm. "Calm down." Adam might be angry but he had no right to talk to her in such a fashion.
Melo's face was white. She was shaking. Her chin tilted up and her mouth set in a thin, white line.
Cade pushed Adam down into the chair opposite the desk. "Sit down. There's no need to loom over her." He reached for Melo's hand. Searched her eyes.
Adam stayed on the seat but aggression flowed from him toward Melo. He hadn't got his answer, yet.
"Melo?" Cade squeezed her hand. Her shoulders relaxed. Her hand fluttered to her mouth, then dropped. She pulled in a deep breath.
"I had to. Marco told me to." She spoke so quietly Cade had to strain to hear the words. Her gaze flickered between Adam and Rosa, and she blinked rapidly. "He wouldn't let me talk to you … "
Rosa stepped forward and placed a hand on her fiancé's shoulder.
"What do you mean; Papa wouldn't let you talk to Adam?" Her voice was high and shrill. She glared at Melo as though Melo was to blame.
What the hell was the matter with this family? Couldn't they see Melo was upset? Cade stood shoulder to shoulder, and stared Rosa down.
"I think it's time we took this question to Marco," Cade suggested. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Melo's rapid nod. "And I think you two better back off." He slipped an arm around Melo's shoulders and pulled her close. Whatever was going on here wasn't her fault. And he wasn't standing around to watch her being bullied.
Marco was sitting up in bed, with Mary at his side when they walked into his bedroom. His eyes flickered to Melo.
"Good morning," Mary started, then stopped, realizing this was not a social visit. "What's the matter?" Her hand reached for Marco's. Gripped it tightly.
"I've just heard from the company making the replacement tanks," Adam said. "They tell me Melo has cancelled my order."
Mary stared at Melo. "What on earth would make you do such a thing?" She stood. "Melo. Explain this."
"I had to." Melo's voice was low and she clenched Cade's hand fiercely. "Papa knows."
Her mother's gaze turned back to her husband, and her eyebrows rose in query. Marco flushed. His hands picked at the bedcovers. "I asked Melo to cancel the order. It was necessary. His voice wavered. "I hoped we could delay this discussion until after tomorrow. I asked Melo to be discreet."
He glared at Melo, as if it were somehow her fault the supplier had taken matters into his own hands and called Adam.
"I think you better tell us what's going on." Mary waved to the chairs around the corners of the room. "Sit down, everyone."
Cade felt Melo tremble through their tangled fingers as they sat around the bedside. He squeezed gently, trying to pass an unspoken message of support to her.
All eyes were on her, and her throat moved discreetly as she swallowed before starting to speak. "The business is in jeopardy, through imprudent investments."
Melo's face colored and she avoided the shocked faces before her. No wonder, as an investment specialist she must be horribly embarrassed and ashamed of giving the family bad advice.
A mass of voices rent the air, all speaking at once, questioning how this could have happened. Through it all Melo said nothing. Eventually, Marco cleared his throat and the room fell quiet.
"How we came here is not important," he said slowly in a voice brooking no further discussion. "What is important is we now face an impossible situation. One where Melo had to cancel the new orders."
Cade gripped Melo's fingers tightly. He waited for Marco to reveal the fact he'd talked to Cade about buying land, but Marco stayed silent.
"I didn't want to ruin your wedding day, Rosa." Marco held out a hand to his daughter, grooves deepening in his forehead. "I knew it would be a disappointment. Cast worry into what should be only a happy occasion."
Cade's heart clenched. How could Melo have gambled so recklessly with her family's future? He glanced at her pale face, half hidden by the veil of her chestnut hair. He should feel anger, disgust. Instead, he felt pity for her obvious pain.
"I've looked through the figures; the only option was to cancel the improvements. We can't pay for them." Melo's tone wavered. She turned to Adam. "I told Papa we should talk to you about it. You made the order; you should have been the one to cancel it."
"I've been brought in as new Managing Director of this Company, it's unforgivable that I haven't been informed of this," Adam said.
"You mustn't upset Papa," Rosa urged, resting her hand on her husband-to-be's arm. There must be something we can do," Rosa pleaded, still in denial about the severity of the situation.
"We have only one option, Rosa." Marco's gaze held Cade's. "We can sell some land."
****
Why was her father looking at Cade?
Melo's heart clenched. She shivered feeling sudden chills as she gazed up at the profile of the man she'd spent the previous night with.
He held Marco's gaze steadily, then his chin moved down slightly then back up, in a subtle nod. She pulled her hand out of his, and wrapped it around her own body, holding in the feelings of panic that shuddered through her.
"I have spoken to Cade."
With her father's words, something inside Melo shattered. She scrunched her eyes up tight, and clenched her knees together. It couldn't be true. White noise thundered in her ears, and she swallowed, desperate for composure.
"Cade is interested in building a hotel on the island," Marco said, his thin voice wavering.
Melo's eyes shot open, she stared at her father in shocked disbelief.
"Is this true, Cade?" Adam demanded, frowning at Cade.
So, this was news to Adam too.
Cade nodded. "Marco swore me to secrecy."
Cade was staring at Melo with something strange in his eyes, a plea for forgiveness perhaps?
Melo avoided his gaze. She pulled in a breath, and tried to steady herself as the true import of his betrayal stung.
Marco elaborated. "It could be the perfect solution. Cade wishes to extend his hotel empire into Europe, and we have property we are not using. We can renew the order, purchase the tanks and the winery will prosper." A tight smile stretched Marco's mouth.
"But what land?" Mary asked the unspoken question that burned in Melo's mind. "There is the land around the villa, and the mountain land … " Her mother's voice trailed off.
"And the beach. The family also owns Paradise Beach, and the land surrounding it." Marco crossed his arms over his chest. "We must sell it in order to secure the future of The Bellucci Winery."
Melo's jaw dropped. Her father was talking as if Paradise Beach was his. To do with what he wished, rather than hers. Willed to her by her grandmother.
Marco stared into her eyes, as if willing her to stay silent. Be, once again, the dutiful daughter and discard her claim.
She shook her head.
He opened his mouth, and she stood, holding up a hand to silence whatever order he was going to give. This was too much. A straw too far. He wasn't getting away with it.
"Surely that is my decision, Papa." To her relief she sounded strong, when inside she felt like shredded tissue. "Paradise Beach is not an asset of our family's. Paradise Beach belongs to me. My grandmother owned it, and left it to me in her will. It has always been mine, Papa. You know it, and so does everyone else. I intend to build a house there someday. Everyone knows that."
The room was so quiet she could have been alone, but for the heavy tension hanging in the air, causing her muscles to twitch. Her eyes flickered to Cade.
He looked shocked.
He should be, she was so shocked by his duplicity her heart filled with hate. He'd taken her to bed, planning to build a hotel on her beach. Had he known the beach was hers? She searched her memory, trying to recall if she'd ever told him the story of how her grandmother left it to her. She brought a hand to her temples, rubbed at the burning pain that bloomed there. It had been a conspiracy. Between the man she'd always thought she loved and her father. Neither of them cared about her at all. They both just wanted her land.