Total pages in book: 189
Estimated words: 178200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Shit, but this woman was too nice.
Eugenia wanted to speak up, but the thought of her two young kids flashed through her mind. What would happen to them if she lost her job?
Swallowing, Eugenia gave the other girl a curt nod.
Mairi Tanner’s smile faded.
Eugenia looked away. When Mairi went inside the office, Eugenia slowly took her seat again. As she reached for her pen, she realized her hand was shaking.
She was not doing the right thing. But...with her kids’ futures on the line, who would tell her it was wrong?
MAIRI PRESSED HER CLAMMY hands on her lap, wishing they weren’t so wet. Dean Frango was her last hope. He was the only one who acquiesced to give her an interview. If she did not get this job, then—-
She mentally shook the depressing thought away. No. She wouldn’t think like that. She just had to be strong, had to have more hope, and things would be better for her.
“Ms. Tanner?” He was seated next to her on the couch. It was a strange arrangement for an interview, but she didn’t dare say a word about it.
“Yes, sir?”
“I will not beat around the bush. The fact that you have been expelled from GAYL and the circumstances surrounding your dismissal—-” Cleon clucked his tongue. “It doesn’t paint a good picture of you.”
“I know, sir,” she said quietly. “But all I can say is that those circumstances were unique and special – it won’t happen again.”
“Because you are engaged to Damen Leventis?” The news had made today’s headlines but unfortunately he had not known about it until he came into his office minutes ago and saw Mairi’s face on the newspaper’s front page.
If she was indeed about to marry Damen Leventis, then this was all for nothing, Cleon thought with bitter disappointment. He had a healthy fear of the Kokinos but even more so of the head of the Leventis empire. He had no problems believing that Damen was the type of man to have him murdered if he so much as looked at his woman the wrong way.
“The press misunderstood,” Mairi lied and chose that exact time to tuck her hair behind her ear, a way of drawing attention to her ring-less fingers. She did not want this job if it was only being offered because she was about to marry Damen Leventis. She never wanted him to be in a compromising position because of her again.
His dick throbbed at her words. Chuckling, Freon could now afford to joke, “So that rock you wore that got photographed by the reporters was more like a parting gift?”
She nodded, not wanting to add to her lies.
“That’s good.”
Mairi suddenly had a bad feeling. “Sir—-”
He licked his lips, his eyes moving slowly down towards her breasts and staying there. His gaze alone was enough to make her feel dirty. “We can come to an understanding then—-”
Fear caused a temporary paralysis to take hold of her body. “No, I’m sorry, this is not what I want—-”
He answered with a cruel laugh, “Don’t worry. I can make you want it.” He unbuttoned his pants. “Just give it a try...”
Chapter 7
“Welcome home!” Mairi’s voice was bright and perky as she greeted Damen the moment he came through the front door. A second later, she was hurtling herself into his arms, her arms tightening around his neck.
The extremely warm welcome pleased him, but it also bemused him, leaving Damen looking down at Mairi with a faintly puzzled smile. “You make me feel like I have been gone for months, matakia mou.”
It did feel like that, Mairi thought painfully. She had showered three times, even used Damen’s credit card for the first time to pay for a mind-bogglingly expensive fee for a spa treatment, but she still felt unclean.
Sensing Damen’s curious regard but unable to speak, Mairi just hugged him more tightly. She knew now was the best time to tell Damen about Dean Frangos’ degrading proposition to her, but she also knew she would do everything she could to prevent Damen from learning about it.
Damen’s lips touched her hair. “I missed you, too.” He gently pulled her away from him. “Now, what have you been up to while I was at work?”
“Nothing,” Mairi managed to quip. “Just enjoying life as a billionaire’s fiancée.” She turned away then, thus missing the look of disquiet on Damen’s face. As she headed to the kitchen, which was a good distance away considering how palatial his Athens’ home was, she asked over her shoulder, “Would you like to grab something to eat?”
“Only if you join me,” he said after a beat. He hated how his thoughts were often filled with doubt and suspicion. Following Mairi to the kitchen, he wondered if his money had indeed changed Mairi and if it had, was it truly for the worse?