Love's Battle (True Blue Trilogy) by Angela Hayes

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Chapter 15
    “Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee”*
    Love
    Housed in a building of red brick and glass, overlooking the brackish waters of the Inner Harbor, DeAngelo Advertising has been in business since its founding sixty-two years earlier. At the tender ages of twenty-two and twenty, respectively, Italian businessmen Carmine and Antonio DeAngelo built their legacy from the ground up. It had been touch and go for awhile and just when circumstances were at their grimmest, fate intervened. Carmine and Chanton met through a mutual acquaintance and the rest as they say is history.
    Chanton had begun her modeling career as a small child. During a clash of ideals with her manager, the model threw all caution to the wind and signed a two year contract with the advertising company. Starting with a small time perfume ad the business had grown by leaps and bounds over the years from a small potatoes company to one of the most influential agencies on the East Coast. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did. Chanton’s signing put the DeAngelo’s on the map and brought her face to North America. By the end of the second year Carmine and Chanton were millionaires and planning a secret spring wedding.
    Rumor had it a West Coast branch was in the works and scheduled to be opened within the next year or two.
    Stepping through the revolving doors and into the unknown my heart rate accelerated. Fear that I would be called out had me looking over my shoulders as I waited on the elevator. Any minute now, I was sure an unknown person was going to jump out and point their accusing finger at me screaming, “She’s the one you want, she crashed the wedding!” Acknowledging it for what it was I blamed all of my anxiety on a guilty conscience and stepped into the elevator, alone.
    Nervously I switched my tote from one shoulder to the next. Smoothing down the skirt of my plum split sleeve kimono dress I shifted my weight back and forth from one canary yellow Oscar de la Renta wedge with matching jewel embellishments to the other. The closer I came to the seventh floor, the more agitated I became.
    Banking down the need to pace in the small space I settled for bouncing on my toes and rolling my shoulders like a boxer preparing for an upcoming match. Shaking off the anxiety I took a calming breath that had me successful effecting an air of serenity about myself. Poised on the outside, I was a basket case inside.
    “Good afternoon. Welcome to DeAngelo Advertising.” The secretary smiled politely.
    “Thank you. I have a two o’clock with Mr. Danton DeAngelo. Love Howard from the Art and Antiquities Museum.”
    “Please have a seat Ms. Howard; I’ll let him know you’re here.” Orders given the secretary excused herself, stack of papers in hand.
    Sitting in one of the lushly appointed chairs I busied myself with my Blackberry. Eyes downcast, ankles crossed, back straight, correct posture had been drilled into me from birth; every one of them. Giving in to the need to fidget I tapped the small pen on the blank screen. The secretary’s distinctive olive skin and dark locks that I recognized immediately pegged her as a member of the DeAngelo family tree. Lord, they were a prolific bunch. She could be in there this very minute ratting me out. I held my breath waiting for the confrontation that had to be coming. When it didn’t I slowly let the breath out, pasting a smile on my face when she returned, holding open the door to Danton’s inner layer.
    “Mr. DeAngelo will see you now.”

Chapter 16
    “Down Goes Frazier”*
    Danton
    “That’s right. Okay. I’ve got a client coming in. I’ll get back to you.” Replacing the receiver I stood, buttoning my jacket one handed.
    “Art and Antiquities Museum.” My cousin, Sophie, announced as a petite blonde stepped into my office behind her.
    All rational train of thought left the station when I saw just exactly who it was who representing the Art and Antiquities Museum. I couldn’t