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Cyrus had organised that dreadful fire? Ella was appalled and disbelieving but she did not understand Nikolai’s reaction and she raced after him ‘Nikolaiwhat Cyrus did was unspeakable but at least the police have nailed him for it!’

Nikolai spun back to her, his dark eyes tortured ‘You don’t understand How could you? This is my fault Desmond’s death is down to me, no one else’

CHAPTER TEN

AS NIKOLAI STRODE off to take refuge in the room he used as an office Ella froze in place in the hall, with the dogs wandering restively round her feet How could the fire or the bar ic death be laid at Nikolai’s door? How could he possibly be thinking that way?

Nikolai turned from theas Ella appeared in the doorway to study hi sense He knew she didn’t get it and a great sense of weight bowed down his wide shoulders

‘Cyrus and I have been bitter ene time,’ he told her flatly

Belatedly Ella was recalling Cyrus’s sister’s co She had intended to ask Nikolai for further clarification but had not got around to it because at the time it hadn’t seemed that important ‘Why?’ she asked simply

Nikolai’s spectacular bone structure went rigid ‘He raped my sister’

Ella paled and moved forward

Nikolai leant back against his desk and raked long, taut fingers through his black hair, expelling his breath in a hiss ‘It was all in the diary That’s what I found out five years ago’

Ella was filled with horror, recalling Cyrus’s violent assault on her ‘What a nightmare that must have been for you’

‘Cyrus has been accused of rape before but the accusations tend to be kicked out or withdrawn or they miraculously disappear,’ Nikolai advanced in a harsh undertone ‘His father is an enormously powerful and wealthy man I looked into the cases of Cyrus’s previous accusers One of them dropped the case and now has a seat at the directors’ table She rose up the ranks at meteoric speed and is now an affluent woman who flatly refuses to discuss the matter’

‘You think she was paid off,’ Ella gathered

‘Police and al profession have been bribed A couple of other victims went from poverty to prosperity I would assume they were compensated But Sofia died,’ Nikolai emphasised with pained ferocity ‘She was poor and powerless and she couldn’t bear to tell me what that bastard had done to her’

‘Tell ed quietly

She poured Nikolai a fresh coffee on the veranda Her hand wasn’t quite steady She was in shock about what he was telling her about Cyrus She was re that assault a great deal more seriously If Nikolai was to be believed it hadn’t been ahis te

Sofia, Ella learned, had not enjoyed Nikolai’s educational advantages and had worked in a variety of dead-end jobs before equipping herself with secretarial skills at night class She had then taken a position as a typist in Cyrus’s Athens office and one day when she was on reception he had noticed her

Ella scanned the photo that Nikolai removed from his wallet His sister had been truly beautiful

‘Cyrus goes for virgins My sister was older than his usual victiritted, perspiration beading his upper lip as he went on to tell her how Cyrus had invited his sister out for coffee a couple of tis secret from the people she worked with

‘I suppose that’s when she should’ve got suspicious’ Ella sighed

‘She was naive; thrilled and flattered that a handso an interest in her, and when he asked her to co to do some private work for him she went,’ Nikolai completed

‘And that’s whenright’ Ella nodded in shaken acknowledgeo to the police afterwards?’

‘Only after she had showered but the medical did show that she had been badly bruised She was told that there wasn’t enough evidence Cyrus insisted that they had had consensual sex and he was believed and she was more or less told that she was a lonely fantasist She felt humiliated that the police didn’t believe in or support her That’s what drove her to take her own life’

‘It ed heavily ‘I can’t begin to ih’

Nikolai was very still ‘I’ve spent the past five years plotting ainst Cyrus’

Her se?’

‘After what my sister suffered, I couldn’t live with the idea of Cyrus walking around unpunished I had hiated and, the usted I becaht to justice,’ Nikolai revealed ‘To be honest, I becae on Cyrus’

Ella strove to look understanding because she really couldn’t blaic story of his sister’s death Even so, the concept of revenge was so foreign to her own nature that she really couldn’t grasp it at all

‘And soot who I was supposed to be and the ravely ‘I stole business deals off Cyrus—not very satisfying However, that was really the only dae I was able to do until his sister, Marika, phoned o and infor to marry you’

‘The sister he doesn’t even speak to are that Cyrus wanted to asped, more than a little disturbed by the bombshell of her own na Nikolai’s explanations ‘How is that possible? And ould Marika go out of her way to contact you and tell you that about me?’

‘Cyrus told his father that he was planning to marry his nephew Paul’s for him to marry for some time and, after Cyrus named you, his father confided in Marika and asked her if she had ever met you Marika contacted est enemy and she hates him for reasons she has never shared with me’

Ella shook her head dully She was getting lost in the story while sixth sense arning her that there was so very i her Unfortunately her brain was refusing to join up the dots and pick up the clues she needed

‘When I saw your photo I couldn’t believe you were the sairl I met in that car park last year,’ Nikolai told her tautly

‘When did you see ainst the wooden support post she had braced a hand on, her sis

‘As soon as I had your name I had you checked out’

Again Ella shook her head ‘But ould you do that? What could Cyrus’s crazy belief that he could get me to marry him possibly have to do with you?’

‘I wanted to hurt him, Ella!’ Nikolai bit out in frustration ‘I wanted to ensure that his plans for you caet to you first andyou from him would hit him hardest’

Ella could feel the blood below her skin draining away as she finally grasped the connection he wason behind the scenes She could never, ever have dreamt that she owed Nikolai’s keen pursuit to such a cold,to do with her at all, nothing personal, she thought sickly, nothing personal when she so badly needed it all to have be

en personal for him

Nikolai could hear his own heart thu out his tension in his ears as he watched her like a hawk She looked sick, shocked ‘I had to tell you You have the right to know the worst about me You need to knohat and who I am and what I’m capable of’