Love, Lust & Lies (season one)✔️

S1E23

ANTONIO JACKSON-Business and Nothing Personal

Antonio moved ahead with the Scoville/Van Russell deal without Donna's say-so. He and Quinton wanted the properties. They were a perfect fit for them, Donna would see that. He signed the agreement Ethan sent and couriered it to them.

Now he had to tell his legal team.

He set up a meeting with Donna and her second in command, Bobby Tomlin, and her assistant Anita. Typically, every contract was reviewed by Jackson Properties' legal team before he as President/CEO would sign them, but this was all their first time seeing the contract.

"Thanks for meeting with me. I just signed for and acquired some major properties and I need you in on this."

Donna immediately was up in arms. "Hold up. You did what?"

Antonio's executive assistant passed out papers to each of them. As they read over this, Donna and Anita looked at each other, then back down at the papers. Bobby was the first to say something.

"I thought Donna made herself clear on how she felt about the Scoville deal?"

"Well, things changed."

"How?" Donna asked.

"Do we need to get into your...personal affairs here at the table? I think that would be the thing that changed."

"How so?"

Antonio gave his sister a satisfied smirk. "Ethan Van Russell had a change of heart and I wonder why. Good looking out little sis, I guess sleeping with the enemy does pay off."

Donna jumped up so fast that she knocked her chair back.

"Ethan and I keep business and personal affairs separate, that's why this shit feels like a slap in the face. Why would you sign this deal without me looking over the details?"

Antonio shrugged. "Because it's business, nothing personal."

"Fuck you, Antonio!"

He watched his sister storm out of the conference room.

"Anita, what do you think about this deal?"

Anita smiled. "Well...it was always a good deal to me, Mr. Jackson, I never knew what Donna had against it. I think it was her personal feelings for Mr. Van Russell, maybe."

ETHAN VAN RUSSELL-Half Truths are Still True

Ethan looked over the signed and delivered contract from Jackson Properties. He had done well. He did not feel bad anymore about the trouble he caused with this deal. Now he just had to tie up any loose ends with it. The major one being Anita. Poor thing had fallen in love with him, but that was not his problem. She had to understand, that he never loved anyone other than Donna.

He heard a ruckus in his outer office, then his door burst open.

"Donna, babe!" He jumped up when he saw her, although this did not seem like a friendly visit by the look on her face.

"Don't Donna babe me, Ethan. How the hell could you go behind my back with this deal with my brother?" She walked right to the front of his desk, her finger angrily wagging at him.

"It wasn't like that."

"I warned you about mixing our personal lives with business."

"This isn't what I was doing. This had nothing to do with us."

"How so? You weren't going to sell the properties to us before, now because we-"

"I wanted to sell the properties to you!" he blurted out. "The Scoville deal was my way of getting back at you."