Free Fashionista by Kat Parrish Page B

door, pleading with her to just stop packing things in boxes and answer her question.
    Julia cringed as Mariella shouldered her aside. “ She won ’ t tell me where it is, ” she whined.
    Allegra didn ’ t even look up as her stepmother glowered at her.
    “ Where ’ s Ginevra ’ s last? ” Mariella asked.
    “ I have no idea, ” Allegra said.
    “ You ’ re fired, ” Mariella said. “ And you have a non-compete clause in your contract. ”
    “ No, I don ’ t actually, ” Allegra said. “ Grace redlined my contract and took it out. ”
    Mariella locked eyes with her stepdaughter.
    “ I ’ m going to fight you, ” Allegra said.
    “ You ’ re going to lose, ” Mariella said, “ I have lawyers too. ”
    “ Then you ’ d better give them a call, ” Allegra said. “ Tell them I ’ m pressing charges for false imprisonment. Tell them I ’ m going to ask for an audit. Tell them I ’ m very curious to know what ’ s going on with you and Mr. Chu and your new villa on Lake Como. ”
    “ I ’ m calling security, ” Mariella said and flounced away, so furious she was vibrating. “ Watch her, ” she called out to Julia. “ Make sure she doesn ’ t take anything that doesn ’ t belong to her. ”
    Julia stood in the doorway uncertainly and watched Allegra as she continued to pack.
    A security guard arrived three minutes later. He was apologetic but all business. “ I ’ m sorry Allegra, but I have to escort you out of the building, ” he said.
    “ I just need another fifteen minutes, ” Allegra said.
    He shook his head sheepishly. “ It ’ s my job, ” he said miserably.
    “ Time to go, ” Julia said, brave now that she had back-up.
    “ I ’ ll see your things get to you, ” Severine promised.
    Julia turned to her. “ You ’ re fired too. ”
    Severine looked at Julia and said something in French.
    Julia, who had taken a year of French in high school and had only passed because she was sleeping with her teacher, mimicked Severine ’ s words because she didn ’ t have a ready comeback.
    And just then, Sina came running over. “ They ’ re here, ” Sina said.
    “ Who? ” Allegra asked.
    “ Hugo. Prince, ” Sina said. “ And his father. And Bailey Wilkinson. ”
    Everyone in the office froze, including Severine, whose eyes had found John Morgan ’ s.
    “ Good evening, ” he said. “ I hope we ’ re not intruding. ”
    Mariella came slithering out of her office to meet them. “ Welcome to the House of Zangari, ” she said grandly. “ I don ’ t believe we ’ ve met, ” she said to John Morgan.
    He nodded to her courteously but did not introduce himself.
    Mariella said, “ Would you care for something to drink? We have coffee, water? Perhaps a glass of wine? ”
    “ Thank you, no, ” John Morgan said. “ We ’ re just here to see the Ginevra last, to make certain that our new business partnership starts out on the right foot, so to speak. ”
    Julia laughed nervously. “ On the right foot, ” she chortled, then throttled her laughter as Mariella gave her a lethal look.
    “ It seems the last has disappeared, ” Mariella admitted. She looked around the office as if daring anyone to contradict her lie. “ Not everyone has been happy with the way the business has been run since Enzo ’ s death. I fear we have a saboteur among us. ”
    “ That ’ s not true, ” Sina burst out but subsided as her mother turned her fiery eyes on her.
    Enough, Allegra thought and stepped out of her office. Looking straight at Hugo she said, “ I have the last. It ’ s in my apartment. ”
    “ So that ’ s where it went, ” Mariella said. “ I can ’ t believe you stole such an important part of the Zangari legacy. ”
    “ Don ’ t even try that, ” Gary Wisnicki said. Allegra turned, surprised. She hadn ’ t seen him come in to the office. “ We all know what you thought of it, ” he added.
    “ I believe you called it a “ worm-eaten piece of rotten wood that smelled