Premier Deception (28 page)

Mitchell stood up and looked around at the gathering.
Charlotte noticed that he appeared to be struggling and seemed in
pain. Ronnie also looked most uncomfortable and she looked at Max
questioningly. He grinned at her but then looked away.

Mitchell started to
speak.
“
I have asked you all here today
because there are to be some changes at United that affect you all.
I have called a press conference to announce the changes but you
need to hear them first.
”
He took a sip
of water and once again looked like he was struggling.
“
As of today I have secured a majority
shareholding in the Club and am now seizing control of the day to
day running of the company.
”
Charlotte
looked at Maurice for his reaction but his face was blank and gave
nothing away.
“
Maurice will be taking
more of a back seat and is in effect becoming a large shareholder
who just receives the dividends and retains a seat on the
board.
”
Charlotte was surprised to think
that Maurice would agree to this for she knew just how much he
loved the club and enjoyed running it. Mitchell continued.
“
I would like to take this opportunity to thank
Charlotte for all of her hard work, but I feel that going forward
we need a more experienced manager, so as of now she will be made
redundant and Ronnie will move into her role.
”
Charlotte made as if to speak but Max put his hand on her
arm as if to silence her. His eyes were telling her to let Mitchell
continue speaking so she sat back feeling very confused.
“
Luke, you can continue as coach and Max it is
good that you are here because you are also redundant. Geoff will
iron out your redundancy packages and now we must move on to the
press conference.
”
He waved his hand as
if to dismiss them but Gloria spoke up.
“
Not so fast Mitchell.
”
He looked
surprised and said,
“
Gloria, what on
earth are you doing?
”
She spoke slowly
and said.
“
You say that you are now the
majority shareholder in United.
”
Looking
annoyed Mitchell replied,
“
Yes and your
point is?
”
looking at her impatiently,
obviously wanting to get on.
“
Well
strictly that is not true is it?
”
she
said a triumphant expression on her face.
“
Well no, but as my wife they are our shares bought with our
money, anyway they don
’
t need to hear all
this,
”
he said exasperated.
“
I think they do,
”
she
said smoothly.
“
You see we no longer have
the shares my darling.
”
Mitchell looked
extremely confused and said,
“
What are
you talking about of course we do.
”
She
smiled and said,
“
I am afraid that I
couldn
’
t risk you returning to your
gambling ways and I have sold the lot, for considerably more money
than you bought them back for.
”
Mitchell
looked like he was going to explode and Ronnie suddenly looked
sick.
“
So you see,
”
said Gloria obviously enjoying every bit of her
announcement,
“
you are actually not
involved in this club in any way at all, so if anybody is redundant
my darling it
’
s you.
”

Mitchell sat down heavily in his seat and looked
wildly around.

“But! But! Who is the
major shareholder then?
”
he almost
screamed, the shock completely overpowering him.
“
That would be me,
”
suddenly said a familiar voice and they all turned in total
surprise to look at Max who had stood up.

There was a stunned silence. Charlotte
looked at Max in disbelief. But how could it be him he was her
driver? Ronnie looked like he may faint and she was surprised to
see that Maurice
’
s face was blank,
completely devoid of any expression.

Luke was looking as confused as she was and they all
looked towards Max for an explanation. He looked at them all with a
small smile on his face and said.

“Allow me to
introduce myself properly. My name is Maxim Mironoff, and I am a
business man from Russia. I have made a considerable fortune in the
computer and communications sector and have been looking to invest
some money in a business abroad for some time. I decided to buy a
football club and so came to this country to look at the
possibilities.
”
He looked around him
letting the news sink in. He gave Charlotte a reassuring smile who
was sitting there absolutely dumbstruck.

“I met Gloria at a
conference held by the FA. She was there with Mitchell who was
spending more of his time at the bar than in the conference. We got
talking and the rest as you can see now is history.
”

Charlotte looked over
at Gloria and suddenly had a terrible thought. Was Max the man that
she had fallen in love with? Max saw her expression change and
quickly continued.
“
Gloria arranged for
me to get a job at the club so that I could be close to my future
investment and for me to learn the business from the inside.
Luckily for me that job gave me more pleasure that I could have
ever hoped for as I was working with the lovely new
manager.
”
He smiled warmly at Charlotte
who continued to stare at him in disbelief.

“I have grown to love
the club and most of the people in it and am happy to say that the
only changes that I am going to make affect the very people in this
room.
”

He stopped and looked around him obviously enjoying
the whole experience.

“Mitchell, I am
afraid that there is no role for you here. Your days at this club
are over. Ronnie you too are no longer required. There are in fact
some officials from the FA waiting outside who are here to talk to
you about the subject of match fixing, and the small thing about
the devaluation of the shares.
”

Mitchell went bright
red and shouted at Gloria.
“
Why Gloria!?
What have I ever done to you to make you betray me like
this?
”

Gloria rounded on him
angrily.
“
What have you done for me more
like it, you have treated me like a slave for most of our married
life, both in and out of the bedroom, making me take part in your
pathetic orgies and sick games, gambling away our fortune and
expecting me to help bale you out. I hate you and have done for
years. This is my way out of a loveless, hateful marriage, and here
are your divorce papers!
”

and she flung some
papers over the desk at him.
“
I have
found someone who treats me with respect and kindness whom I love
and want to spend the rest of my life with. I am not wasting any
more of it on you, you disgust me!
”
She
faced him her words spilling out of her like venom from an
extremely irate snake.
“
Who is this
person? I
’
ll kill him!
”
shouted Mitchell angrily.
“
It
’
s me,
”
said a calm voice.

Everyone looked in amazement as Maurice stood up and
went next to Gloria and tenderly took her hand.

“Mitchell, even
though we are brothers I have had to watch you all of our life
taking what you want regardless of people
’
s feelings. You just trample over everyone me included,
with not a thought for anybody but yourself. Gloria has been
unhappy for years and we have grown to love one another; a love
that has grown out of our mutual hatred of you.
It
’
s now time for us to break free of you
and enjoy our lives together.
”

Gloria looked at him
with such a loving expression that it brought tears to
Charlotte
’
s eyes. Mitchell went even
redder, if that was possible, and shouted,
“
Never! I will not sign these divorce papers and you
won
’
t get a penny from me!
”

Gloria
shrugged.
“
It doesn
’
t matter, the only money you have my darling is the house
and I won
’
t be needing that anyway. I am
going to live with Maurice whether you like it or not, and there is
nothing that you can do about it. Although, I am not sure how much
you will be able to do from your prison cell, which is where
you
’
re heading.
”

Mitchell slumped down
into his seat and looked defeated. He held his stomach and looked
in real pain. Despite everything Charlotte was concerned that he
may be having a heart attack and said,
“
He looks in pain, should we call the doctor?
”

Max smiled at
her.
“
He may be a bit sore but I am sure
that there is nothing to worry about, my friends are very good at
what they do.
”

Charlotte looked at him in surprise, and Max laughed
and said,

“well you
didn
’
t think that we were going to let
them get away with what they tried to do to you did you? They may
feel a bit uncomfortable for a while but hopefully they have
learned their lesson.
”

Charlotte looked at
Ronnie who also looked ill but didn
’
t
feel sorry for them at all. They were brutes and bullies and
deserved all they got. Max went to the door and ushered two
officials into the room. They led Mitchell and Ronnie away to
answer their many questions.

Max looked around at
everybody left and said,
“
I am sorry for
the deception. I was protecting Gloria and Maurice who needed to
ensure that Mitchell was out of their lives for good.
”
He turned to Charlotte and said.
“
Charlotte, please can you forgive me? I wanted
to tell you so many times. I never expected to fall in love with
the football manager so was a bit taken by surprise.
”
Charlotte looked at him in a daze tears
springing to her eyes, he loved her! She couldn
’
t believe all that had happened over the last few days and
in this very room but all that mattered was that he loved
her.

She just nodded at
him her eyes saying it all for her. He came and stood before her
and took her hands in his. He pulled her towards him and
whispered,
“
I am never going to leave you
alone again. I will protect you and keep you safe for ever.
”
He added softly,
“
If
you will let me?
”
looking uncertainly at
her. She nodded happily at him, why couldn
’
t she get any words out she suddenly thought, totally
dazzled by him.

Max turned to Luke
and said,
“
Luke, would you be willing to
take on Charlotte
’
s role as manager? You
deserve the job and I want Charlotte with me as my executive
director. We will all run this club together and make it the best
in the league.
”

Luke nodded
emotionally. Charlotte found her voice at last and said to
him,
“
Luke, you can finally be with
Sylvia now. She brought me here and is waiting outside. I am so
glad that you can both be happy now.
”

Luke came over and
hugged her.
“
Thank you Charlotte, you
have been a great manager and I am sure that you will be an even
better director.
”
He said to
Max,

“and thank you Max, I
will work really hard and give it my all. If you
don
’
t mind though I would like to go and
find Sylvia now as we have a lot to talk about.
”

Max laughed and
said.
“
Of course you must, we will speak
soon, go off and be together, all of this can wait.
”

Gloria took
Maurice
’
s hand and said to them
both,
“
thank you, both of you. We
wouldn
’
t be here now if it
wasn
’
t for all of your help and
discretion. We trust you both and the club is in safe
hands.
”
Maurice also nodded happily and
said,

“Gloria and I will
still be around but want to take some time to enjoy our new life
together. As Mitchell said, I want to take more of a back seat now
but will always be available if you need me. Thank you
both.
”

They left the room and they were suddenly alone. They
looked at each other stupid grins on both of their faces. Charlotte
broke the silence and said,

“So - Mr Mironoff, I
am pleased to finally meet you,
”
and she
held out her hand to him. He laughed and pulled her towards
him.

“I am sorry
Charlotte; do you think that you will ever forgive me? I hated
lying to you but couldn
’
t let you know
because I had to keep up the pretence of being a penniless
immigrant looking for a summer job.
”

“So the house in
Kensington and the Ferrari?
”
she said
raising her eyes.

“Yes all
mine,
”
he said sheepishly.
“
And you
’
re not a
Russian Spy or a member of the KGB?
”
He
looked shocked.
“
Absolutely not! Wherever
did you hear that?
”