Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
Every time he watched Mairi’s attack reenacted, it would not be some unknown actress’ face he would see white with fear. It would be Mairi’s. It would be Mairi he would hear crying out for help that would not come, Mairi whose sobs would break him over and over as she sought haven in a goddamn spa because she wanted to feel clean...for him.
That goddamn spa...
As more facts had been unearthed and the date of Cleon’s attack became certain, Damen had been able to connect the dots and with it, his list of sins only grew. He remembered that day with painful clarity. It had been one of the seeds that grew into doubts about Mairi’s love. He had thought her shallow and frivolous, but now he knew that particular expense was the only way Mairi could bottle up her fear inside her and not break down.
How many times had Mairi suffered to prove her love for him?
The answer to that was a bitter pill to swallow. More than she should have.
What could he do to make it up to her?
It was a question Damen feared had no answer, simply because there was no way he could make it up to her. He might just have hurt her too much.
DAMEN HAD ALWAYS KNOWN that his mother and Yehor Kokinos would strike back. The question had only been when and how, but in truth he had not really been bothered. Unfortunately, it was a mistake to underestimate the two, and a costly one at that, something he realized too late.
Damen stared coldly at the papers in front of him. His board – his own fucking board – had signed a petition to have him removed on the grounds that his actions were no longer for the better of the company.
“This is legal?”
His lawyer appeared hesitant to answer.
Damen could easily guess why. “You believe my mother either bribed or blackmailed them into signing this?”
Pippo’s voice was pained when he answered. “Yes, Mr. Leventis. I believe so. It will therefore appear legal at present and though I am confident I’ll be able to expose this as being invalid, it will take some time.” Again, his voice trailed off uncomfortably.
Damen said abruptly, “While it is still enforced, all assets I have tied to the business will be out of my reach.”
“I am sorry, Mr. Leventis, but yes, you have it correct.”
A few months ago, this would not have been a problem. His personal wealth had always been significant and independent of the assets of the family’s business empire. But with the merger between the Kokinos and Leventis not pushing through, Damen had been forced to use his own money to keep their corporation afloat while searching for new investment partners. The search had been time-consuming and difficult, for Damen had not only needed to find someone with serious wealth but also one who would not mind going against the Kokinos.
“Essentially,” Damen said flatly, “you are telling me I am temporarily broke.” He had a few thousand dollars left in his private account, but such funds would not last him forever, considering that the costs associated with searching for new business partners were significant.
Pippo mumbled, “Yes, Mr. Leventis.” He had always wanted a chance to prove himself to his billionaire employer, but not like this. Never like this.
Damen’s lips twisted. “I guess I should be thankful the woman I love is not a gold-digger then.”
Pippo paled. The indirect mention of Mairi Tanner reminded him of another unfortunate piece of news he had to deliver to his employer. “About that, sir...I have received the latest report from our newest team of investigators. They, too, have hit a dead end. They cannot find any sign of her.”
When his lawyer paused, Damen asked sardonically, “You do not need to go easy on me. Tell me the worst.”
“The cost of having them continue searching for her might not be something you can afford at the moment.”
“Then it only means one thing,” Damen answered stoically. “I will need to look for her myself.”
Together
Chapter 1
ONE MONTH EARLIER
“You really have no need to accompany me to the airport.” Damen Leventis’ words were spoken in a gently admonishing voice as he gazed at Alina with wryly amused eyes.
When she reached him, she said breathlessly, “Of course I had to. I know how spoiled you are. You might faint dead away after your first encounter with the public airport lounge.” She managed to deliver the joke in a perfectly light voice, hoping to lighten the mood.
She succeeded, and Damen’s lips curved into a slight smile. His smiles had always been rare, but now they were even rarer still.
Upon watching her interview, Alina’s father had not hesitated in disinheriting her but even so, she had not regretted a single thing. She had been ready to carve her own future, but to her surprise, Damen had been the first to offer her help, generously allowing her to stay in his home while she tried to figure out how life would be for her now that she was no longer the Kokinos heiress.