Leah's Seduction: 8 (Gianni and Leah - Leah's Seduction) (6 page)

Chapter 10

Gianni had to be away for a few days, but it was good to know that Leah was staying at the condo. She was safer there, and it was more comfortable. If he could have avoided leaving, he would have. After the weekend they spent together, he wanted to have her near.

Something was changing inside him, and Gianni knew being with Leah would assist him to understand it. Before, he had always lived alone. He liked to be with a woman. But that didn’t mean including her in his everyday affairs, or waking up to her each day.

Until Leah. She was different. And he was unable to envision life without her. On the one hand, the thought was disturbing, as Gianni felt ill equipped to deal with such a reality. At the same time, Leah fulfilled him in a way no woman had previously.

And he couldn’t give that up. How his life would evolve because of it, Gianni wasn’t sure. But being away from Leah wasn’t helpful. Before leaving, he had asked her to start writing in the new journal.

Gianni wasn’t sure that she would. The ease with which she had poured out her emotions onto the pages of the original journal didn’t mean it would be the same now. Leah knew he would read every word. It was uncertain whether she could be as brashly honest.

But he
had
shared the journal Leah had thought was lost. And it had changed him forever. There was no going back. The connection he had with Leah was one of a kind. The realization made his heart swell with emotion. She was the one woman that was not replaceable.

And that was why the journal was so important. It would give Gianni insight into her deepest feelings, her pleasures, and even her fears. That alone would allow him to give her satisfaction unlike any she had experienced before. It was the sole purpose of having her write down her true thoughts and reactions. Of course, he would ultimately get as much pleasure as Leah did. It would enhance every scene they played out together.

Yet, more than that, it would provide the opportunity to give to Leah in a way that no other man could. And that was rewarding. Visions of her in the throes of passion, enduring exquisite pain, submitting to him, and, finally, screaming with pleasure made heat surge deep in his core.

He hoped he wouldn’t have to be away long. Gianni was anxious to read the journal, and even more, to challenge Leah in the ways she most craved. It was thrilling to conceive of, and would be erotic in the extreme. Gianni couldn’t wait to get back to her.

While away, Gianni had a call from his attorney. The details of Ava’s claim had been received, and unless they were met, she would proceed with the lawsuit. They would go over the specifics when Gianni got home, which would be soon. The meetings with the fast-fashion division had gone well, and operations were under control.

But the attorney did say that from the paperwork he could tell that Ava had been in therapy, but had discontinued it. The abuse claim was still a bit vague, but treatment records had been requested. He also had his investigator working diligently to find out more about Ava’s background, and her intent.

So far it was hard to tell how strong Ava’s case was. The sympathy of a judge could sway proceedings in her favor, no matter the truth. After speaking with his attorney, Gianni texted his CEO and scheduled a meeting as soon as he returned from Chicago. He requested that Dawson attend as well. Possibly, the surveillance or other investigation by his security team would be helpful.

*****

Before Gianni returned to New York, the media erupted. Allegations of sexual abuse flooded social media, and were picked up on the news. Everywhere Leah turned, she was hit with the attacks. It got so bad that reporters hung outside GR Showroom in the hope of getting a statement.

Aida and Leah commiserated, but it didn’t help much. The flurry of controversy had been expected. But no matter how much Leah had thought she was prepared for it, she wasn’t. It hurt to see horrible things said publicly about Gianni.

The headlines, filled with falsehoods, clouded her mind. It was a never-ending stream:
Billionaire Sexually Abusing His Girlfriend, New York Fashion Billionaire’s Sexual Kink Revealed, or worse, Abuse Masquerading As Sexual Preference.
The onslaught was devastating.

By default, the claims that Gianni was a sexual deviant reflected on Leah. The question plastered across the media was whether she was into domination and submission. The speculations embarrassed her, because the public would not understand the truth.

The stories painted Gianni as a brute, and hinted at crimes of abusing women. Although no facts were provided. It was all supposition. But the news of the sexual deviance of one of the city’s bachelor billionaires went viral. There was no way to stop the attacks.

Even if Gianni could legally make the news media cease writing libelous articles, it would not control social media. It was too widespread. The scandalous story burned through the networks like wildfire. It was worse than Leah could have envisioned.

Gianni was on his way home, but in the meantime Leah was on her own. Of course, she was protected from physical harm. Roston had increased security, and she had two bodyguards wherever she went. Joshua handled the press, declining any comment, and refusing to give access to Leah.

Leah tried to reassure Daniela, who was horrified when the shocking story surfaced. She did not believe for a second that her brother was a deviant, or would abuse a woman. But she was clueless why Gianni had become an overnight sensation, in the worst possible way.

There was no way to really explain everything to his sister. Leah would leave that to Gianni. But she assured her that it was all because of Ava. She was vindictive, and was using the media to get back at Gianni. It was going to be brutal for a while.

Kyra was just as appalled, and called, worried about Leah. Despite the fact that her nerves were shredded, Leah tried to sound calm. “None of it is true,” she told her friend. “I’m sure you already know that. Gianni will get things under control as soon as he gets back.”

It reassured Kyra, but that didn’t mean Leah believed what she said. How Gianni could push back against such overwhelming odds, she didn’t know. But he had a good attorney and a solid team. There had to be a way. The media couldn’t just print anything they liked, true or not.

Gianni was a billionaire, as they had so aptly noted. He would sue them if he had to. Leah was certain of that. The vultures had taken liberties, and ruthlessly destroyed his reputation. She knew he wouldn’t let them get away with it.

But that didn’t alleviate the current trauma of seeing Gianni’s name, often with hers, blazing across the online world. The print media was more cautious. However, all it took was a hint at wrongdoing to malign a man’s character. It wasn’t fair.

Leah was angry. When Cody called, she snapped at him. She hadn’t spoken with him since she had run into him at a coffee shop after leaving Barrington. She had intended to double date, so she could meet Allie, his new girlfriend. But it hadn’t happened yet.

“And what do you want?” Leah said.

“Is that any way to greet a friend?”

She sighed. “Sorry, it’s been a rough couple of days.”

“We need to meet.”

The urgency in Cody’s voice wasn’t reassuring. “About what?”

“The top scandal in the city,” he said.

“The trash about Gianni, you mean?”

“Yes, and it’s not over,” Cody said. “I think there might be more.”

Leah cringed. She knew Gianni was strong, but how much more could he take? Or how much could
she
take? “Where do you want to meet?”

“Birch Coffee. I’ll meet you upstairs in an hour,” Cody said.

“I’ll have an army of bodyguards with me. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I expected that.”

The coffee shop was in the Gershwin Hotel. Seating at the counter was full, but up some dark stairs was The Library. Tucked in a small loft with mismatched couches and chairs, it offered a respite from the Midtown noise.

Roston waited in the limo, while another bodyguard was posted at the bottom of the stairs. She spotted Cody and lifted her hand in greeting. He looked calmer than Leah felt. His dark hair was nicely groomed, and he was dressed for business.

He stood and gave her a quick hug. The friendliness in his blue eyes was welcome. Leah had faced too much hostility in the last few hours. She had purchased a double espresso downstairs, and sat the tiny cup on the table.

“It’s good to see you Cody,” she said.

“Are you holding up okay?” Cody said.

She shook her head. “I thought I would handle this better. But I didn’t know it would be this bad. The media is ruthless. And everywhere I go, they follow me, trying to get me to talk to them.”

“That’s bad.”

“Gianni will be home later. He is flying back from Chicago.” She sighed. “It had to happen while he was away. It’s almost like it was planned that way.”

Cody frowned. “Knowing Ava, it probably was.”

Leah took a sip of her coffee. “How well do you know her?”

“I don’t know her personally, thank God. I’ll pass on that honor,” he said. “But I’ve seen her. Quite a few of the models I photograph are referred by her agency.”

“But you sound like you know about her.”

Cody held his coffee cup on one hand. “Word gets around. Lately, she is difficult to deal with. Some of the models have dumped her.”

Leah asked a question she probably already knew the answer to. “How is she difficult?”

Cody’s one short laugh told Leah she was correct. “The woman is nuts. She gets emotional over nothing, and has quite a temper.”

“I think I’m feeling the effects of that temper,” Leah said.

They sipped their coffee for a moment. Leah was still rattled, but the safety of the small loft combined with the boost of caffeine had helped. “So tell me,” she said, “what did you mean when you said there might be more?”

Cody swigged his coffee, then put the cup on the table. “There are pictures.”

A wave of nausea hit her. “What pictures?”

He leaned forward and spoke quietly. “Pictures of Ava with Gianni. And the impression I get is that they are damning.”

Leah felt dizzy. It couldn’t be. Gianni would have told her if Ava had anything like that. “Have you seen them?”

He shook his head. “No, I haven’t. They haven’t been released yet.”

“What do you mean
yet
? Do you know that they will be?” Shock hit her like a tidal wave. “Will Ava publish them?”

“The word is that she has incriminating photos of Gianni with her.”

“But she can’t.” Desperation washed over her. “Gianni would not have allowed that. She can’t have any photos like that.”

Cody didn’t reply.

“Oh, God.” Leah felt suffocated. He would have told her. Gianni wouldn’t have kept something this important from her. “How do you know about this?”

“From my media connections,” Cody said. “A couple of journalists who buy my photographs told me about it.”

Her voice was shrill. “They already know about it?”

Cody nodded. “All I know is what they said. Ava has spread the word about the photographs, and I thought you should know. I’ll see what else I can find out.”

Leah put her hands over her face and leaned on the table. The lawsuit could rip them apart. And the media might do so first. If there were pictures to support Ava’s allegations, it would be hard to fight.

She couldn’t imagine what the pictures were. Gianni had not described what they did together in much detail. Not that Leah had wanted to hear it. But he had said Ava gravitated toward the harsher scenes. That she had a preference for pain.

Gianni was on his private jet. It wouldn’t be long until he was back. Leah didn’t want to discuss this over the phone. She had to see him in person. She needed to look into his eyes, and see his expression. Then she would know if it was true or not.

If Ava did have photographs that confirmed her claim of abuse, it would be bad. Worse was the idea that Gianni hadn’t told her everything. She wanted to have faith in him. She
did
trust him. But there was something she didn’t know. Leah was sure of it. And it might be the one thing that could destroy their relationship. She prayed it wasn’t true.

# # #

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“Will Gianni open his heart to Leah?”