Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“How would I know you would care about such silly things? You were a lot worse when you were back here in Greece.”
Helios only looked at her, not at all distracted by her change of subject.
Flushing, Dahlia muttered, “There have been talks among the board members of having Herod replaced as chairman. I had to do something to make sure that they wouldn’t think you were better than him.”
“You could have just told them I don’t want anything to do with the company—”
A scornful laugh escaped Dahlia. “Do you think I’m such a fool that I’d believe that? Everyone wants more money, Helios. Everyone.”
Helios inclined his head. “Perhaps you’re right. I like the power that money gives me. But the thing is, I know how to earn my money. I prefer earning my money than having to steal and ruin other people’s lives for it.” His eyes turned steely. “Stop it with the rumors, Dahlia. This is your only warning. Don’t make me come back here again. If I do, it’s to take everything you own.”
She knew he was not making an idle threat, but she didn’t have a choice, either. “Why do you care what people here say about you anyway?” she cried out. “It’s just rumors, and when the board finishes with the voting for the next chairman, it will all be over.”
“I don’t give a shit about your problems. Just put a stop to the fucking rumors and you can go back to forgetting I ever existed.”
Dahlia burst out angrily, “I can’t! I won’t!”
His lips tightened in fury. “Then you’re making the biggest mistake of your life.”
Realizing no amount of begging or reasoning would change her stepson’s mind, Dahlia threw out her last gamble. “If you do, then you’ll never hear from Rick again.” She held her breath right after, waiting tensely for Helios to call her bluff. But when he didn’t say a word, Dahlia could have laughed in sheer relief.
“What has Rick got to do with anything?”
Trying to keep herself cool, Dahlia murmured, “Don’t deny the rumors about yourself. It will only last for a few months at least. Then it’s over and I won’t need Rick anymore.” The fury that blazed from Helios’ eyes made her swallow, but she forced herself to lift up her chin and demand, “Is that a deal?”
Helios knew he had no choice. He loved MJ with all his heart, but he also owed Rick his life. “I swear to God, Dahlia, if I find out you’ve harmed him in some way, I will fucking wrest control of Andreadis Enterprises from your money-grubbing hands myself. And I’ll make sure you’ll not be in a position to ever have it again.”
Only when Helios had driven away did Herod emerge from behind one of the rooms. He had been there from the very start, but the cowardly and humiliated part of him had made him hide and allow his own mother to handle Helios.
Seeing Helios in the flesh had been a shock to his system. Once, they could have been like twins as both of them had the same golden hair and eyes as well as the tall, swarthy build of their forefathers. But now, all they had were the same coloring. Envy and hatred boiled inside him upon remembering how Helios looked. Certainly nothing like the bloated, wasted image that looked back at him in the mirror every day.
“That will only keep him quiet for a while,” Herod said as he entered the living room.
Dahlia wasn’t surprised to see that her son had been eavesdropping all the while. He had always been spineless, but then that was exactly how she wanted things to be as it allowed her control of the family fortune.
“A while is all that we need,” Dahlia murmured.
“And if he finds out that we don’t actually have Rick in our hands?”
“He won’t find out until it’s too late. By then, our problems will be solved and he’d be made to feel like a fool for falling for our bluff.”
Herod nodded. “Do you by any chance know where Rick is?”
“No, and I don’t really care. I’ve paid the best in the business to find out where he is, and it seems he’s vanished into thin air. I doubt Helios’ men can come up with better results. Whoever it is that’s gotten a hold of Rick, they’re undoubtedly experts at making people disappear.” Her lips formed a smile tinged with malice. “I actually wish I knew who has him. I’d like to hire them myself and get them to make Helios disappear, too. Then our problems would be solved forever.”
Chapter Eleven
“ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE good to go home alone?” Yuri asked as he and the others stopped at the edge of the hangar. They had all come to see Helios off, who was flying back a day earlier. The rest of them had their own tasks to take care of in hopes of finding out where Rick was.