page8 (2/2)

The elevator slowed, its doors slid open, and she stepped out into a lushly carpeted corridor, heading doards her roo as the rest of her, but suddenly light as air

Her drab and dreary life had been utterly transfor to Athens—her first ever trip abroad!—to meet the father she had never knoho had now, like a miracle, discovered her existence! How fantastic was that? And for today—tonight—she was here in this a to have a fabulous ti to her!

Totally!

She couldn’t wait

Xandros checked his appearance in the en suite bathroo his bow tie He was dressed for a formal dinner at one of the City’s livery co while he was here in London It ht prove a useful occasion to start what he would now, inevitably and annoyingly, have to undertake: prospecting for an alternative et

His mouth thinned with displeasure and exasperation His hopes for the Coustakis er looked to be totally scuppered by his point-blank refusal to give the slightest attention to Stavros’s outrageous sche

Did the man really think I would just swap frohter?

It was ludicrously unrealistic—distasteful, even, for both hio along with it

His thoughts strayed to the fifth floorto Stavros’s worn-down, shahter whoht here He kneas behind that ier at Stavros His face shadowed Poverty was always frightening—even just the thought of it

Memories from his own precarious childhood plucked at hi to each other in low voices, their expressions tense, talking about what further econo the fact that theylong, punishing hours at the office, trying to salvage the wealth his own father had squandered

The fact that he had done so—triumphantly—could not take away the stress and uncertainty—and outright fear—that had dominated his youth and childhood even all these years later So much so that the luxury he now enjoyed—and enjoy it he did—was appreciated to the hilt It ht so easily have been otherwise

And hopefully now Stavros’s English daughter, having known nothing but poverty all her life, conde, could look forward to an easier life, too

He was glad he’d recoet some beauty treatments, buy some decent clothes, before she flew to Athens After all, she was the daughter of o

ne of the richestas if she was!