page21 (1/2)

‘He wants,’ he said, ‘to e our families’

There—he’d said it And it was like setting a match to dry tinder

The grey-green eyes—her undeniable heritage from Stavros—flashed like knives

‘He informed me—’ she bit out every word ‘—that apparently every woman in Athens would envy me when I became your wife’

The deep, vicious sarcas

Beneath his breath Xandros cursed fluently and expressively

Stavros’s daughter ploughed on ‘And he told me that if I did not choose to arouse that envy in the breast of every woman in Athens I could take le cent of his precious bloody money!’

He saw her jaw set like iron, her eyes stony

‘Which is exactly what I a,’ she finished bleakly ‘I wish to God you had never foundsound in her voice now Her features twisted ‘Why didn’t you tellme here so you and he could cook up some insane way to seal a business deal?’

There was incredulity in her voice, as well as anger

‘It wasn’t like that,’ Xandros said, his voice tight ‘Your father wanted that, but I’ he took a heavy in-breath ‘I never had the slightest intention of doing what Stavros wanted! My sole ai was to ht have told you about his aer I, for one, would not be cooperating!’

He paused again, and then went on He had to say this next bit

‘As for why I ended up bringing you out here after all,’ he went on, hardening his voice automatically, ‘bear in hter, you would be living the kind of affluent life similar to your sister’s here in Athens’ His expression darkened ‘Once I’d seen—to hter of one of Greece’s richestin the kind of poverty she should never have had to endure, how could I leave you there?’

He took another breath

‘So I resolved to bring you to Athens,’ he went on ‘In the hope that once you knew the truth about your father, just how rich he is, you‘if not sha out of the brutal fact that Stavros Coustakis is your biological father! As for the er Believe ly