Silent, Fitz let Quinn's words sink in. Mellie's father was back. He tamped down on the emotion that threatened to sideline his focus. He hadn't thought of her for several months, and with his current business predicaments, he needed to keep it that way.
Mellie Ballard had taken the fashion world by storm at the age of sixteen. Three years later, she had met Fitz at a fundraiser in New York City and they had fallen madly in love. Everything had gone smoothly until Mellie had signed a contract with a large fashion house in Milan and had temporarily moved to Italy.
Four months later, he had flown to Milan to surprise Mellie for the weekend. He'd gone straight to her flat, flowers in hand, surprised to find her home in the middle of the afternoon. The surprise had been on him, however, as she had answered the door in the arms of her current lover.
Fitz was furious. He'd dropped the flowers on the floor and walked away even as she fell to her knees and begged him to stay.
Three weeks later, in the early morning hours, she finally called him. He'd reached for the phone without checking the caller ID then listened to her tearful apology and pleas for help. She was pregnant with her new lover's child and expected Fitz to come to her rescue.
Repulsed, he'd hung up without replying. Two days later, Mellie had driven her car off a bridge. The lies in her suicide note made it seem as though Fitz had refused to do the right thing and she couldn't bear to shame her family by having a child out of wedlock.
Jake Ballard used his wealth and influence to keep the suicide note out of the media, and then took his vengeance on Fitz through the business world. Thus far, their feud had been only professional, but Fitz knew that it was only a matter of time before the man attacked him in his personal life. With Jake now in Denver, it seemed that time had arrived.
"Did you speak with him?" Fitz asked.
"Yes. He made a point of cornering us during the intermission. There was such hatred in his eyes when he asked about you. I know you and Mellie broke up before her death..."
"Quinn let it go. What happened between Mellie and me was private. I will not discuss it. What Jake believes are lies. I've tried to tell him the truth, but he doesn't want to hear it." Fitz took a breath. "Now, we both have work to do. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?"
"He asked me to deliver a message to you."
Fitz clenched his jaw and then looked to the ceiling. Whatever the message was, he assumed it was more threat than anything. Part of him felt bad that Quinn and her husband had been put in the middle of their feud. "Tell me."
"He said you were going to get what you deserve and you should watch your back. He also mentioned a company called Global Tech. Does that mean anything?"
Fitz cursed and pulled up the information on the company they were currently buying. He scrolled through the list of shareholders and cursed again. How could he have missed that?
Jake Ballard's company owned thirty-two percent of the stock. No wonder he was in the States. He must have gotten wind Grant Enterprises was negotiating a hostile takeover and talking with bidders, for when the company split. The current shareholders stood to lose major money when that happened.
Fitz had dealt with Jake's manipulations during other business negotiations, and the man was ruthless. Still, despite the circumstances with Mellie, he had no wish to harm Jake or his family, and besides, he didn't have time for these complications. Not now.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he exhaled. "I'll handle the problem. Just get me that assistant." Fitz hung up, then briefly considered calling Quinn again to make sure she sent him someone who wouldn't burst into tears at the first sign of criticism. Agitated, he went back to reading the current contract with Global Tech, marking in red ink all the necessary changes. Jake Ballard he would deal with later. Right now, he had to finish this paperwork."
