Royal Bitch

Let me make a superhero out of you.

"I am tired of people saying that poor character is the only reason people do wrong things. Actually, circumstances cause people to act a certain way. It's from those circumstances that a person's attitude is affected followed by weakening of character. Not the reverse. If we had no faults of our own, we should not take so much pleasure in noticing those in others and judging their lives as either black or white, good or bad. We all live our lives in shades of gray." - Shannon L. Alder

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Chapter 22

Fiore woke to her phone ringing. It was nearly four in the morning.

"This had bloody well better be important," she growled into her phone.

"Answering your request," Chuck's voice purred, his tone clearly amused.

"Chuck, it is four in the morning. You better have urgent news about my family or be dying."

Fiore heard the mirth in his voice. "I'm simply following your orders. I'd say that's pretty important."

"I'm going to kill you, Chuck LeGrande."

Fiore hung up and groaned. "Stupid plonker,"

A moment later her phone was ringing again. "I might just shoot you next time I see you,"

"Come now, you'd miss me."

"Not true. What do you want you bloody arsehole?"

"I'm actually about to fly back to Europe."

"Where are you now?"

"Venezuela."

"What are you doing there?"

"Business. I was otherwise occupied when you called."

"Fine. Are you going to tell me about that stupid piece of music or not?"

"Not over the phone. I won't be able to be in London tomorrow afternoon. Is that where you'll be?"

"Maybe. If you're busy I have other places I can be."

"I've just piqued your curiosity and you've finished your silly little task?"

Fiore felt her temper flare and realized that was his goal. "Never mind, I've just had something come up. I may call you later."

"Fiore," Chuck's voice was still amused, but less teasing. "I can't be in London until next week. I'll be in France and Luxembourg and Amsterdam before then. Should we have dinner then?"

Fiore shook her head. "Maybe. I'll call you later today. Goodbye Chuck." Fiore hung up and yawned. She deserved a few more hours of sleep before she faced the day.

When her alarm went off Fiore dragged herself to the shower and went through her agenda today. She'd been procrastinating on a visit, and she knew she needed to go, but that didn't make her want to go. Fiore had a board meeting via Skype at ten a.m. and after that she would be free. She dressed in a navy and cream plaid high neck sleeveless dress that went just below her knees. She paired it with a pair of navy pumps. She applied her makeup to perfection and just styled her hair in soft waves pinned away from her face.

At 9:45 she was in her office waiting. Fiore was the first in the video conference and that wasn't unusual. She did not tolerate tardiness. It showed a lack of respect in her opinion.

She noted exactly when everyone logged in. At 9:58 the last member logged in. "Sorry Fiore," Matthew apologized. "Eliza is sick and Madison didn't want to go with her nanny this morning." He offered before Fiore could ask. Fiore nodded. Matthew's wife Eliza usually watched their daughter with the help of a nanny. If Eliza wasn't well, then she'd probably caught it or shared it with their daughter Madison, and she was a Daddy's girl after all.