Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Four years, Dinah couldn’t help thinking even as she continued to babble nonsensically. Four years had passed, and even now, she only had to look at Kyr’s face, see the way it had changed, and the guilt inside her made Dinah want to weep.
How cruel Ana had been, she thought painfully. To this day, she couldn’t figure out what she and Ezio had done wrong that could cause them to produce a daughter without a heart.
And now, there was Pollyanna, Dinah thought tiredly. She was the complete opposite of Ana. Had Kyr noticed this, too? And if he had – was it why he had been spending the entire time with the young girl? Was it all an elaborate plan for revenge?
The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth, and Dinah said abruptly, “Polly still doesn’t know about you and Ana.”
“I see.” The billionaire spoke with his usual cultured drawl, but his tone was a lot colder than she was used to, and it startled her, made Dinah realize that Kyr had truly changed...maybe even permanently. Her guilt intensified at the thought, Dinah remembering the time when Kyrillos Gazis had once been almost as nice as her dear Pollyanna.
She heard herself say then, “I’m still undecided about telling her.”
Kyr raised a brow. “Are your words meant to imply some kind of threat?”
“Of course not!” Dinah was dismayed at how cynical the billionaire had become. The old Kyr would never have thought of that of her.
“Then what do you mean?” His voice was mocking.
Taking a deep breath, she asked frankly, “What are your intentions towards Polly?”
“Intentions?” Kyr’s lip curled. “Isn’t that a little too dated, considering—-”
She cut him off, saying sharply, “Not with girls like Polly, and you know what I’m saying is right.”
Kyr’s jaw clenched. Touché. He wanted to answer back, but how could he when he knew the older woman was right? Women like Polly were rare, so damn rare that Dinah was to be commended for daring to stand up to him in order to look after her goddaughter.
Which brought them back to her original question, Kyr thought tautly. What were his so-called intentions to Pollyanna?
Looking away from him, Dinah said quietly, “Do you know we disowned Ana after what she did to you?”
He tensed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“We regretted it afterwards and tried to contact her, but she...well, she made it clear that she considered us dead to her for taking your side.”
Kyr’s fists clenched.
“Our lives were never the same again after that night, but then Pollyanna came to us, and she made us remember how happy we used to be. I’ll always be grateful to her for that, and that’s why...” Dinah forced herself to face the billionaire. “I know my daughter’s actions are unforgivable, but please don’t...don’t involve Polly if all you have in mind is revenge.”
WHEN POLLYANNA HEARD the knock on the door that night, she jumped to her feet and rushed to open it. Earlier, Dinah had told her that she had a nice fun talk with the billionaire, and while Master Kyr had to attend to urgent business and leave without telling her goodbye, he had promised to come back and join them for dinner.
And now he was really here, Pollyanna thought, and the sight of him had her feeling giddy and breathless. As always, he was the picture of gorgeous perfection and effortless sophistication, dressed in a V-necked light wool shirt with its sleeves pushed up to his elbows and plaid trousers.
“Hi.”
Normally, he would have taken note of her squeaky voice and teased her about having a crush on him because of it.
But this time, all he did was smile briefly, asking, “May I come in?”
It was her first inkling that something was very, very wrong and as the night progressed, the feeling only worsened. Dinner was an awkward affair, with Ezio quiet and reserved, Dinah taut, and Kyr cold. It made Pollyanna wonder about the reason he had always refused to come to the house in the past. Had Kyr and her godparents had a fight before?
When dinner was over, she was about to offer to help with the dishes but Dinah waved her away, telling her to have fun and take Kyr out in the patio.
“The moon and stars are out,” Ezio added. “The night’s too pretty for young ones like you to waste cooped up inside the house.”
It made sense, but Pollyanna’s instincts begged her to make an excuse so she and Kyr could stay inside the house. “I don’t know about that,” she stammered. “I think it’s too cold outside—-”
Her godfather shot her an odd look. “Then grab yourself a shawl if you want.”
And when he used that voice of his with her, she knew there was no arguing with Ezio or even Dinah.