Chapter One

The bright red Ferrari roared into the driveway, the intense sunshine bouncing off the windscreen as it made its final turn. Christoph Di Angelo inhaled deeply, savouring the aroma of the exquisite leather that covered the seats. Make no mistake; this was by no means the first time Christoph had been in a Ferrari. Born of the Darlo Di Angelos, he was certainly no stranger to the finer things in life.
Christoph Di Angelo cautiously eyed the front door of the opulent dwelling that stood before him. Like the three people who had arrived before him and the six who would follow, he had no idea why he had been invited or indeed who had requested the pleasure of his company. And as the many models, actresses and exquisite-limbed beauties who had fallen for the charms of Christoph could attest, his company was always a pleasure.
As Christoph mounted the first marble step, the front door was flung wide open. The figure that stood before him was a vision of power and independence, her unimaginably expensive tailored suit clinging to all the right places. Christoph couldn't help but glance appreciatively over his sunglasses. The thought crossed his mind that a business suit might not be the most appropriate attire in this heat, but the explanation for the wearing of it was quickly offered.
'I've come straight from a very important business meeting,'said Jobs Di Angelo, offering a firm handshake. 'I'm a lawyer.'
'Ace,' said Christoph casually. The presence of a lawyer was neither novelty or surprise to Christoph. Lawyers were a constant in the lives of the Darlo Di Angelos. As a family of such enormous wealth, dishonest vipers were always trying to get their share and Christoph's grandfather was always determined to deal with these people in the proper way; legally and through the courts of law. It was a pity that his grandfather's good morals and law-abiding ways had not been passed down to the errant young playboy.
But Christoph was wrong to pass off Jobs Di Angelo as 'just another lawyer' for she was no ordinary legal beagle. To say she was academically gifted would be an understatement so huge it almost bordered on insult. A graduate of the Beaverbrook School of Law at the age of eleven, Jobs went on to win her first high-profile divorce case the following year. She was the go-to girl for all tricky and hugely controversial legal battles. And Jobs Di Angelo always won.
However, like Christoph Di Angelo, she too had no idea why she had been invited to this exquisite location in the South of France, perched high up on a hillside with the most picturesque surroundings imaginable.
Jobs encouraged Christoph to follow her through to the courtyard. There sat two other people making casual conversation, both speculating as to why they had been invited there and indeed who by.
The previous week, eleven gold embossed envelopes had dropped through the the doors of eleven unsuspecting people. Each contained plane tickets and details of the house they found themselves at now.
Chav Di Angelo glanced up at the new arrival and couldn't help but do a double take. She was immediately struck by Christoph's smouldering good looks and air of confidence. There was something vaguely familiar about him and she smiled coyly as he nodded at her appreciatively. It was very unlike Chav Di Angelo to be so unguarded. A massively successful businesswoman in her own right, it was rare for her to drop the ice maiden routine. Jobs Di Angelo of course knew Chav from way back when, and the two women shared a mutual respect. Indeed it was the legal skills of Jobs Di Angelo that has got Chav Di Angelo out of a particularly difficult legal situation when her former business partner died in suspicious circumstances. It had been a huge story and days and days of front page news had been generated.
Chav's place nail bars were the business success story of the century. Chav Di Angelo and her business partner Coco Duprée had taken the world of cuticle care and varnish artistry to new heights. With more outlets than any other global company and branches in every major airport worldwide, they were the toast of the business world. When Richard Branson needed advice, he turned to the owners of 'Chav's Place.' The phrase 'than I've had hot dinners' had over time been replaced by 'than there are Chav's Place nail bars.' And then it all suddenly turned sour. The body of Coco Duprée had been found slumped in a chair in the flagship Mayfair branch of Chav's Place. She had been forced to drink the contents of forty seven bottles of varnish and had died from the poisoning this brought about. With total control of the company and enormous financial reward to gain from Coco's passing, there was only one person in the frame for the murder. It had long been an open secret that Chav and Coco despised each other, the result of an ill-advised love triangle with a nail buff supplier. However, with Jobs Di Angelo representing her, Chav was in no danger of being found guilty and the two had forged a mutually beneficial working relationship ever since; Chav Di Angelo was legally untouchable and Jobs Di Angelo had the most exquisitely decorated nails of anyone in the legal profession.