Zach stood in the elevator to Bianca's apartment, still stunned by the unexpected phone call he had received from the young woman. After their last conversation, he had doubted he would see his niece again before she reached adulthood… and that had added yet another layer to the sorrow he carried with him. His father's influence still seemed to permeate his life, and no matter how hard he tried, he ended up hurting everyone he cared about. He wasn't very optimistic about meeting with Bianca—when she found out about his plans she would surely ask him to leave again, but he also knew that it was the right decision for everyone. His unhappiness was a small price to pay if it would save Bianca, Miranda and even Ethan.
Bianca greeted Zach at the door, still surprised that he had offered to visit straightaway. She didn't know what his business in Paris pertained to, but it was obviously not pressing if he could drop everything to meet with her. She smiled and welcomed Zach into the apartment, and saw his face light up with love and joy at the sight of his niece in her playpen.
"Can I… ?" Zach asked diffidently.
"Of course, that's why I invited you to the apartment. I've been informed that my judgment of you was hasty… and I figured that Miranda was the best peace offering that I could make," she replied as she placed her daughter into his arms.
Zach's heart melted with the love he felt for this tiny girl, and he naturally fell into a swaying motion as he whispered to her, "Hello there, little one. I didn't think I'd ever get to see you again… have you been good for your mum?"
Bianca was once again amazed at how easily and completely her daughter trusted Zach, cuddling into his arms and laying her head against his heart. For the first time since she had been reunited with her daughter, Bianca realized that Miranda loved Zach… and if her daughter could love this man she had seen so briefly in her life… then perhaps she had misjudged him even more than she realized.
"You know… she's never taken to anyone as quickly as she does to you," Bianca commented. "You must have spent a lot of time around children to be so at ease with her."
"No… just Miranda… I never… well, I never had the opportunity… not many children visit casinos, and Ethan… well he… he was pretty big…" Zach said haltingly. He handed the baby back to her mother, feeling that he didn't want to have this difficult conversation with Bianca while holding the baby. Afterwards, if she didn't show him the door, he would cuddle her some more.
"Can I get you something to drink? I… um… I talked to Kendall… and she…"
"… she told you what I've done to Ethan and you want to tell me again how disappointed you are in me? I'm sorry, Bianca, but I can't take this anymore… I'll just see myself out…" Zach finished for her. He was curious about why she called him after speaking to Kendall, but not enough to take any more abuse—his heart had been broken enough.
"No… wait… please, Zach…" Bianca said, holding out a hand to him. "Kendall told me that you deserved a second chance… she said I should hear you out… that Ethan betrayed us all."
Zach's face lit with a sudden smile, surprised at Kendall's comments, and hopeful for the first time that his plan might still work. He sat down quickly, his long, elegant fingers touching fingertip to fingertip as he leaned forward to eagerly explain his plan for reorganizing Cambias Industries.
After hearing the whole plan, Bianca was shocked… but pleased. She had seen enough of the company to know that it was run with such an eye toward profits that it was every bit as soulless as Zach had predicted. Alone, she had no chance to make the kind of changes that could benefit so many, but with Zach's assistance and expertise—they could make a difference in the lives of many people on both sides of the Atlantic. Zach's proposal was simple—he would petition the court to have his father's will set aside and the estate split equally between himself and his brother Michael. Since Michael was deceased, and Miranda was his only child, she would retain her half of the company while Zach would gain the share that Ethan had claimed. As Zach's son, Ethan would only inherit through his father. After the legalities were complete, Zach and Bianca would dismantle Cambias and reorganize it as a charitable foundation—administering the good works globally. Although it sounded good in principle, it would be a difficult task to accomplish—and would require Bianca and Zach to work closely together. What Zach had neglected to tell Bianca was that he had been prepared to ask the court to award him the entire estate if she had not agreed to his proposal.
They spent the afternoon and early evening hashing out some details of Zach's plan, while Miranda's nanny cared for her. Zach and Bianca both received paperwork by courier and consulted over the telephone with their attorneys—the power of Cambias at work making all these people willing to subordinate their own plans and schedules to Zach and Bianca's requests. Noticing that the day had become night, Zach excused himself and arranged a time to meet with Bianca at the Cambias offices so they could continue their work. It would take a few days for the paperwork to be filed, and Zach did not want to interfere any longer with Miranda's schedule. Bianca invited Zach to join them for dinner, but he felt that he had intruded much too long and left the apartment after one last visit with the baby.
Zach stepped out of the apartment building and pulled his overcoat tighter as he felt the wind whipping up. It would be a brisk walk to his hotel, but he welcomed the opportunity to clear the cobwebs in his mind and consider all the ramifications of Bianca's acceptance. He smiled to himself as he nodded to the doorman and started on his way, allowing himself a brief taste of happiness for the first time since he had learned of Michael's death.
Kendall woke from her nap, ravenously hungry and realizing that she had not eaten in more than 24 hours. The tea she had shared with Bianca had not been nearly sufficient. Unfortunately, Kendall didn't have adequate knowledge of the language to trust herself in ordering from room service, and quietly kicked herself for choosing accommodations based on their proximity to Bianca's apartment instead of the staff's ability to speak her native tongue. She was fairly certain that Paris would be like New York, and expected to find some type of restaurant or bar that would be open to serve her a simple meal. She took a quick shower and dressed before heading down to the hotel lobby, and hoping that between broken French and hand gestures she would be able to find a sandwich and a strong cup of coffee.
Zach was conversing in excellent French with the concierge of the hotel when he saw Kendall emerge from the elevator. Until that moment, he had assumed that her conversation with Bianca had taken place over the telephone and that Kendall was still in Pine Valley. He immediately excused himself and crossed the lobby with a smile.
"Kendall! You're the last person that I expected to see here," he said genially.
Kendall looked at Zach in complete confusion, forgetting momentarily that Bianca had told her that he was in Europe. Noticing his smile, and unsure of what to say, she smiled back and said a quiet, "Hello."
"You must be jet-lagged… have you eaten anything?" Zach asked, noting immediately her wan appearance.
"Um… yes… and no… I was… I came down looking for food, actually," she answered.
Zach smiled broadly, "Would you like to join me for dinner? I can promise you an exquisite meal… there is a small bistro a short walk from here… I'm friends with the owner… he'll take excellent care of you…"
"Why are you being so nice to me? The last time we talked you were pretty hateful," Kendall answered with distrust apparent in her voice.
"I've just come from a meeting with Bianca… she told me about your conversation," Zach said simply, holding his open hands out to her. "She just didn't mention that it was in person."
"Oh… so she told you what I said… well, don't think that means I trust you or anything," Kendall retorted defensively.
Zach's eyes twinkled with humor, "Of course not… I'm lying Cambias scum… my offer of dinner stands though… and I promise not to talk of anything you'd rather not discuss… just my way of thanking you for paving the way to a relationship with my niece."
Kendall considered a moment and then accepted his hand, "Alright… I accept. But it better be as good as you advertised or I'll have to have another talk with Binks."
"It will be better than you could imagine…" Zach said with a laugh as they exited the hotel.
4
