Book 2 of The Italian's Billionaire Pregnant Bride
Part 1:
Zeke Armani's P.O.V.
Zeke Armani!"The strict familiar voice radiates across the room immediately he stared up and the head of the PR department storms his office.
What in the hell were you thinking?”
The sound of a tablet hitting Zeke Armani desk was almost as loud as Diane's question. Zeke looked up from his work to see a very angry woman glaring at him.
“Just what in the hell were you thinking?” Diane repeated, her voice low and dangerous. She motioned to the newspaper. “Do you know how hard I have been working to change your image? And then you go and pull this shit?”
Zeke glanced down at the paper to see the headline: “BILLIONAIRE SEX VIDEO LEAKED”
Wonderful, He has made news again. The trending hashtags must be insane, he's definitely going to be hearing a lot from his shareholders!
“That's not me Diane, how did they even....,” he said, frowning and staring closely at the video. The video was censored, but it was clearly him balls deep in some blonde chick at a bar.
“Shit! Am sorry"
“You bastard,” Diane whispered. She shook her head. Her normally neat bun was coming undone and gray wisps of hair framed her face. “I can’t believe you’d do this.”
“Do what?” Zeke scoffed. “The woman was of age and very consenting. It was a tryst we both mutually enjoyed.
“You were in public couldn't you even think to get a room. For a successful business man like you, must you be controlled by your libido"Diane hissed through gritted teeth.
“We weren’t supposed to be, but that was half the fun,” Zeke admitted. He took yet another good look at the video again. “I think her name was Shane or was it Sheryln"
“It was Shane.”Diane says angrily.
“Oh, yes. I remember.. She was quite something” Zeke smiled with the memory.
“Are you seriously not seeing the problem here?” Diane asked him, her hand going to her head like she had a headache.
“That I didn’t get their numbers? Or perhaps that there was a photographer at a private party taking pictures without consent?”
“No.” Diane narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s that your business is going down the drain and the only way to save it, is to clean up your reputation. You tell me that you’ll keep your hands to yourself for a bit and stay out of trouble. And just when I think you're really changing, you pour gasoline and light a match to destroy everything we’ve worked so hard for.”
“This is not my fault. You said to keep a low profile. This was a private party. I don’t even know how this photo got out.”
Diane rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Getting into a fist fight is not low profile. Fucking a girl in public is not low profile and it doesn’t matter what kind of party it was. You were supposed to behave and keep your hands to yourself.
“At least she had a good time,” Zeke replied with a smirk. He remembered now. It had been a great night. He leaned back in his office chair, keeping his cool.
“Right.” Diane glared at him. “Wow. I need to retire so I can get that compensation and retirement fee before this company goes bankrupt because this attitude and behavior of yours its very gentlemanly.
Infact it's really boosting sales for you and our stocks!
“This will blow over in a couple of days,” Zeke told her. He sounded more confident than he felt. He’d never seen Diane this angry. The PR woman was usually the epitome of peace and tranquility, but always rolling with the punches. Physically, Diane reminded him of his very Italian grandmother, so her being angry was not a pleasant experience.
“It will not ‘blow over.’” She sighed and smoothed her hair back into the neat bun at the back of her head. “Sales are down. The stock price is going down and the more I stare at it the more it plummets. The comments on our social media platforms and ads are out of control.”
Even our emails, Facebook page, Instagram and even, Twitter is on fire. If you search your name, You're practically trending for the wrong reasons, even our newly launched brand is affected. Orders are being returned and cancelled, we're seriously taking a big hit on all our subsidiaries...
“It can’t be that bad. It’s never that bad.”
Diane pulled out yet another tablet showing him ledger accounts details of all their subsidiaries of, Armani Clothing Line, their phone line, the Armani Jewelry line, their electronics line, literally all their companies were receiving backlashes. Even the bank they recently acquired under a business takeover!
She showed him calls from the directors and shareholders, emails too from them and this time 10 times worse than usual and even some threatening to pull out from the Armani industry. Diane pulls out yet another phone and starts reading comments and tweets.
Zeke shrugged. “There will always be negative comments and reviews about me..
“There are over three thousand like that on an ad that only ran for five hours,” Diane informed him. “We had to stop running the ad because of the negative comments. Our moderators couldn’t keep up with them. Hash tag #FireArmani is trending right now.”
Zeke felt a cold settle over his shoulders. This could be bad.
“So, we change advertisements. I lay low,” Zeke replied.
Diane shook her head. “We did that remember, besides the board of directors is done with you. They’re starting to talk about kicking you out.”
“They can’t do that,” Zeke said, anger heating his voice just slightly. “This is my company. This is my father’s company.”
“They can if you are a detriment to profits and their precious stocks.” Diane motioned to the tablet. “Which you are. Your playboy antics are hurting your company and given the evidence, you don’t care. That story isn’t the first one to blow up since you were supposed to lay low.”
“The board shouldn’t care about this kind of thing,” Zeke said.
“And if your antics weren’t costing them money, they wouldn’t. You also didn't think about how all this might backfire...
“Diane you know this. It's not my fault the paparazzi are determined to ruin me. Zeke informed her. "Besides this ladies come to me willing and I didn't ask for this. They want their fifteen minutes of fame and are willing to use their bodies to get it. I’m not going to say no to a good time.”
Diane sighed. “I know you aren’t a bad guy, but no one else does except me. They just see the headlines. And the headlines aren’t good.”
“What do you know about the board?” Zeke asked, pointedly looking away from the paper. “How much time?”
“Not long. This latest advertising blowup has them all riled. They want you gone,” Diane told him. “And right now, they’re right. You are costing profits.”
“I’m not losing my company,” Zeke growled. He got up and paced behind his desk. “What do I do?”
“Other than resign with what I assume you consider dignity?”
Zeke gave her an annoyed look. “Yes.”
She evaluated him for a moment, her dark eyes looking him over. Once again, he was reminded of the way his grandmother used to look at him. The only difference was that Grandmother liked to hold a wooden spoon as a threat.
“I have a solution to our problem,” she told him. “You aren’t going to like it. It’s something the board can’t know you planned, but if you do it, they will leave you alone. It will let you keep your company.”
Zeke sat down behind his desk. “Tell me.”
“You need to get your life straightened. Change your image, That playboy image needs to be erased” Diane told him.
Zeke couldn’t help but let out a quick laugh. “Okay, that's easier said than done. The board technically hates me right now, am currently a liability to them and to the company and at this rate nothing will make them or the world change their perceptions about me, except I magically get married. Once am married and even maybe a family man then maybe they might respect me again” he says, leaning back in his big office chair. His expression changed from one of wry to one of shock and surprise. Probably the shock of bringing out a smart idea like that made him shocked
“See, now that wasn't so hard now was it?"The slender woman settled into the over-sized leather seat facing the desk and got comfortable. She crossed her legs at the ankle and once again smoothed her graying hair back into her bun.
“Wait what the hell are we even talking about! Anyways as ludicrous as it sounds I definitely am not looking to settle anytime soon” Zeke said
"Well don't you think it's time you settle, you're like what, 40?"Diane says to him grimacing...
"Am 35 and very well still in my prime so don't you call me old. Isn't there any other way to go about this. Besides where am I going to find a good woman who wouldn't want to convert my wealth. Besides marriage is a big decision and I don't think am ready for that sacrifice"Zeke said
"It's true you're still in your prime and it's also true that marriage is a big decision but are you prepared to lose your company. Yes you definitely won't go broke because you're one of our biggest shareholder and your father started this company. But it's also states that if your image and your presence is a fault to the profits of the same company you'll be removed. Yes of course you'll still have access to all the profits made from the company and subsidiaries but you won't be the CEO of Armani"Diane says to him with a grim look on her face...
"Your father built this company from the scratch Zeke and he made sure to place you as the head of the company but you were reckless and now your father's efforts to let the Armani industry being run by an Armani as chairman and CEO has been destroyed. If you don't make a decision and a move then you'll lose it,” Diane eacknowledged, bowing her head slightly as she slapped him with the cold hard truth.
"While you were off having fun and not maintaining your image our rival companies numbers has been going up and yours are going down. Cheap isn’t winning anymore. You need people to want to buy what you represent. You need people to trust you. ”
“What’s not to trust?” Zeke asked, giving Diane a winning smile. His blue eyes clouded.
“That.” She pointed to his grin and then his whole body. “You exude confidence and charm. You’re full of easy sex appeal.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” He asked her, still giving her the full Zeke Armani’ smile. It had the effect of making women drop their panties and willingly give themselves to him on a regular basis.
“You want to know what’s wrong with that?” Diane says with a disappointing look, "You Should know better Zeke, you're a business man calculate your losses and think smart for once!
“You are known as a playboy. You have a different model or actress in your bed every other night. And that was fine until the company's image got dragged into your mess and drama..
“And that’s not me,” Zeke agreed.
Diane stood up from the chair and put her hands on the front of the desk.
“You hired me, Mr. Armani, to fix the fact that every single one of your products is down this year,” Diane told him. She was all confidence. “Your brand is at stake, company's image is at stake, even future investors.. We have competition and if we have to beat the competition, we need to be on top!
"Your repeated scandals and Clash with the press and you always trending for the wrong reasons is not a good look"She finished saying as she stared at him
Zeke evaluated her for a moment before speaking. He hated that she was making sense. The only change in the market was the addition of a new player. Competition has always been constant and will be and he needs to be at the top of his game
“So, you want me to get married and have a baby,” he repeated back. “What if that’s not what I want? I’m not exactly looking to change my ways. I rather like a different model or actress in my bed every other night.”
“And I’m not telling you that you can’t,” Diane replied, standing up straight. “Once you have this set up and people trust you again, you can go back to being the bad-boy billionaire. Until then, you have to be the epitome of fatherly love and trust. And that means no screwing up. I don’t care if it’s in a private setting or not. This is all or nothing. You can’t accidentally slip up with this.”
She pointedly looked at the tablet that balantly showed the video of him. He would have to say goodbye to his fun for a while if he agreed to this. He could understand that. If he had a wife and child, there was no way he could even go to a party where women threw themselves at him.
It would be a difficult change. He wasn’t just reducing the sex he had with random beautiful women. He’d be giving it up.
“And if I don’t do this? If I hire someone else to fix the brand?”
Diane shrugged. “Your sales are down twenty percent this year and dropping. Last year, it was ten. Since the article ran! You can do the math on how long you have before the board kicks you out.”
She was right. Something had to change. As much as he hated it, the change was going to have to be from him.
Zeke sighed. “And you’re sure? You’re sure that this is the only way to salvage this?”
“We’ve done countless market surveys. The people who buy and wear our brand don’t trust you. They hate you and see you as a wicked spoiled rich fuckboy, and thus don’t trust your brand. But am pretty sure if you sold condoms, you would be a billionaire.”
“I am a billionaire,” Zeke corrected her.
Diane shrugged. “For how long? Till your trust fund money runs out and your personal assets and wealth gets sold off settling debts and paying your way through your losses with breached contracts? What about the investors? The shareholders? Zeke you're not just a billionaire, your company and subsidiaries houses and feed millions of people in New York City if you're that reluctant to abandon and not see the bigger picture then you're a bigger fool"She finished
Zeke stood from his desk and stared out the window at the city skyline. It was early summer, which meant that all the women were out in flowery dresses and starting to show skin with the warmer weather. His favorite time of year.
His eyes looked over to the photo on his desk. The black and white photo held a seven-year-old little boy with his father smiling at him from the background. Zeke remembered that day in his father’s office. It was the day that Zeke knew his future was with this company. His future was the Armani Empire
His father had built this company from scratch with just a little loan from the bank, he acquired an hotel which was on the verge of bankruptcy and then he got the hotel back on track, pulled in more investors and from there, With his father’s hard work, the company had grown, but it was Zeke who’d made it into a billion dollar enterprise. He’d taken his father’s small company and created a line the world can't do without. Everybody wants to wear an Armani designer or own a car from Armani motors, adding some banks to the list, hotels, resorts, real estate. The list still goes on , the Armani Empire has it's hands embeded in all the businesses...
The one thing he had always been proud of was being able to grow his father's legacy into something more, he had hoped he too would build a legacy for himself too but it all seems so bleak right now. His family legacy that is supposed to be run by an Armani sitting on the CEO position seems to be out of the option.
Diane is right, the shareholders can hold an exclusive meeting during the next board meeting to remove him out of his position. He will still enjoy the benefits and profits but it hits different when he's the head and ceo. You’re sure?” Zeke turned from the frame and looked out the window at the city below.
“Positive,” Diane assured him. He turned slowly. “And it’ll all be for show?”
Diane shrugged. “If that’s what you want. Just get your social life straightened and out of the media and change the people's perspective. Also stop trending for the wrong reasons our stocks have suffered enough!
“That might be harder than it sounds,” Zeke replied. He rather liked his wanton ways. They were a part of who he was. How could he possibly be with only one woman? It sounded like torture.
But losing his company was worse!
“It’s only for a couple years,” Diane reminded him. “Once the public trusts you again, you can go back to your old ways, you’ll have to be a little more discreet.
Zeke sighed. This wasn’t going to be an easy thing to do. He liked his life. He liked knowing that he could have any woman he wanted. His world revolved around women and his company. He was going to have to give one of them up.
“You mentioned something about kids?” Zeke asked, raising an eyebrow at diane“You’re sure just getting a wife won’t do it? I need a kid?”
I Dont know for sure but I think you need some serious responsiblity “What you need is change Zeke. I think having a kid will be a huge responsibility and I know for sure you won't go back to your old life style.
The more he considered the idea of the public trusting him to having a baby, the more it made sense. He knew that his actions were hurting the company. He needed to change what the public thought of him. He needed to be a trusted source, not just a supplier.
He also knew that if he was going to bring a child into the world, he was going to be a father to it. The mother could come and go, but the baby would most certainly be his. He would make sure that kid had everything he/she could ever want.
He looked at the photo again and thought of his own father. The man had been stern but kind. Zeke rather liked the idea of raising a son like his father had raised him. It was something he could get behind. He’d never really envisioned himself a father, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be an amazing one.
Just because he wasn’t good at sticking with women didn’t mean he couldn’t be good at sticking with kids. Kids were special.
“How will we convince my new wife?” he asked Diane “Marrying me is easy money, but having a baby? That’s a little more complicated.”
“It’s not like you have a hard time convincing women to sleep with you,” Diane replied with a shrug. “It’s not a big step from there.”
She had a point. It was rather ironic, actually. For the past few years, he’d been doing everything he could to prevent having a child. He’d gone out of his way to make sure he didn’t knock up one of his one-night stands looking for an easy meal-ticket in the shape of child support. Now, he was going to have to try for that exact outcome.
He looked at the picture of him and his father again. Zeke could do this. He could find someone that would play the part. And he would love the child. Staying away from women wouldn’t be the end of the world. And if it would save his business, he would do anything.
Time held for a moment, the way it always did right before he made a big decision.
“Okay.” He hated the way his stomach twisted. “I’ll do it. For the company.”
“Excellent, sir,” Diane said with a hard smile. “I have a list of potential brides for you. They’re all in advertising, so they know what to do. I can have the agreement and a pre-nup to you by the end of the day.”
Zeke nodded....
“I would recommend choosing someone that you get along well with, so I’ll have you do some interviews first. You need someone bright and motherly You should like her and most importantly, the public should like her. She needs to be good with kids..
The phrase, “bright and motherly" stuck out in Zeke’s mind. Good with kids. He looked away from his desk and directly at Diane.
A thought was already turning in his head. “Someone who is sweet and kind, loves kids, and would look good on a billboard with him because once news gets out about them the reporters are going to have a field day!
Diane nodded. “As someone who has known you long enough I don't think you need another bimbo stuck to you. We need someone with a motherly vibe and of course she needs to be attractive, but more girl-next-door and less your usual Barbie-doll. The market must believe that she’s a real person, so probably someone from humble beginnings...
Zeke smiled. He already knew the perfect woman for the job. Someone he got along with and was possibly the most cheerful person he’d ever met.
“I won’t need your candidates,” Zeke informed her. “I have someone in mind. As long as I can convince her, she’ll be perfect.”