Edge of Deception

CHAPTER TWENTY

Lately, the quiet couple of hours they spent together had become the highlight of her day. She waited eagerly every morning to see what breakfast Ilario ordered for her, which article in the Financial Times he circled for her to go through. It had become so bad that sometimes she lost herself in Ilario's beauty, the way the sunlight lit up his already bright irises, how the shadows formed along the curve of his Roman nose. How his lips curled in a smirk when he caught her daydreaming and not listening to a word he said.

Okay, so she had it really bad. No matter how attracted she was to Ilario De Russo, she never forgot the fact that he was a engaged man. Every time Apollonia visited in the office, Tanya felt oddly guilty. No matter how many times she told herself that thoughts were just that, mere thoughts, there was nothing for her to feel guilty about unless she acted on them.

On top of that, since that night in the pub, Ilario hadn't made a single comment about the intimacy they shared. No matter from which angle Tanya looked at, his actions have not been that of an engaged man. She couldn't respect him for that, and was ready to tell him off. But the strictly professional way he had been behaving towards her had made her second guess her own analysis.

By the end of the week, Tanya was in an emotional turmoil. She felt terrible pressure to perform the task given to her, to execute it perfectly, to impress Ilario, to prove to him that she was capable. Along with that need, a strange conundrum plagued her about why Ilario hadn't once asked her if she was ready to agree to his proposition of that night, but secretly dreaded the question.

Tanya was in a mess.

Friday was the day she was supposed to visit the registered office of the Wazisi Capitals which was situated in the outskirts of Milan, merely an hour's journey from the city. She went and knocked at Ilario's office door.

Ilario was sitting facing the window, staring at the city below, his profile rigid, maybe even a little bit sombre. As she entered, he half turned, "Si?"

"I am leaving now."

He turned fully then, looking up and down at her. Tanya flushed in her simple black dress and high heeled boots. Why was he staring at her like that, was there something wrong with her outfit?

"You aren't going to the Wazisi Capitals." Ilario stated.

"What?" To say it was unexpected was an understatement.

He pushed a file towards her. "Go to that address. It is one of the boutiques owned by Visconti Empires, managed by Apollonia. Their credit line was sanctioned six months ago. You are to perform the Post sanction Inspection and report to me by the end of the day."

With that instruction, he turned back to his contemplation of the glass wall.

Tanya left his office in a daze. The entire week's efforts were totally wasted! Not to mention the additional studies she had taken up. So focused was she in impressing Ilario that she had even meticulously looked up all the farms for which Wazisi Capital provided the export services, the type, their locations, stakeholders.

What a waste of time! It also meant that despite his show of that night, Ilario didn't really trust her to carry out even a simple inspection, let alone her investigation capabilities.

Tanya hadn't told him that she had visited Club Paradiso Nero on her own. There had been nothing interesting to say so she had refrained from mentioning her little trip. Besides, she hadn't wanted to give him the impression that the whole case, along with scaring her, also intrigued her.

She slung her purse in a huff and left the building. She took the Metro as it was only a few kilometres away and she didn't fancy sitting in traffic jam at this time of the day.

The officer in charge of the Visconti Empires account met her in front of the swanky boutique. Alonzo was a dapper young man in late twenties with an easy smile. Tanya got the impression that he was impressed with her even before she opened her mouth only because she worked in the headquarters. She decided to not open her mouth lest he realised her dearth of knowledge. She barely had time to skim through the document provided to her, so was unaware of the details regarding the account.

"Shall we go inside?" Alonzo smiled at her.

"Sure." They pushed open the glass door. "Uh, as you have been involved with this sanction line since the beginning, why don't you take the lead?"

Oh, please say yes!

The young man's face lit up. Tanya got the impression that he hadn't expected that she'd accord him much importance, so was naturally pleased with her request.

As it turned out, she had done the right thing. Everyone in the store knew the man and an easy camaraderie was struck up right from the beginning. The staff was very polite, especially the manager who was an older woman with impeccable style, which was pretty daunting to Tanya, ensured that the conversation was light and easy, slow enough for Tanya to follow.

Despite her being in Milan for nearly six months, Tanya had never been inside a boutique. The very sight of those swanky storefronts had intimidated her. Plus she was sure that she didn't make enough money to be able to afford anything in those stores. She was scared of being treated like Julia Roberts on her first day in Rodeo Drive.

But, now, in the guise of inspection, she checked out the store quite shamelessly. The entire two storey building smelled divine. It smelled of success and glamour. The sparkling rows of garments and accessories beckoned her. There was an entire section dedicated only to shoes. Gleaming rows upon rows to just divine looking shoes. She felt like she was in an episode of Sex and the City.

Checking out the prices of a glittery unicorn pink belt which would go great with her black belt, she was instantly heartbroken. It cost more than her monthly transport bill.

If only she had a job like Samantha!