LITMIR.BIZ

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‘How can you sit there claiming to be as innocent as a Madonna? You systematically defrauded members of my family and our lifelong friends and business acquaintances, and left them penniless,’ he hissed.

      His big fists clenched on the table and she stared at them, suddenly frightened of his intense passion.

      ‘But that’s the point—I didn’t,’ she protested, her voice wobbling alarmingly. ‘It…it wasn’t me—’

      ‘You disgust me!’ he scathed. ‘Have you any idea of the consequences of your crime in our close-knit society? Our family bank here in London was seen as the safest place this side of Fort Knox. People relied on us. Trusted us. No wonder Taki got drunk! His own wife had destroyed his family business, his family honour and innocent lives. He’d lost his job and his own honour—’

      ‘Honour!’ she choked.

      ‘Yes! Ever heard of the word?’ he taunted.

      ‘You hypocrite!’ she said breathily, forgetting Taki’s dishonesty and attacking Leon’s instead. ‘How can you sit there and talk of honour when you forgot to mention your engagement to another woman while we were together?’

      That went home. He recoiled as if she’d slapped him, his skin suddenly taut and sickly pale.

      ‘That was a matter of honour—’

      ‘Yes, I know. Honouring some long-standing family arrangement,’ she said scornfully. ‘You used me for sex—and you talk of honour.’

      ‘Don’t try to wriggle out of this,’ Leon retorted, white-lipped. ‘The truth is that Taki was appalled at what you’d done. And he got so paralytic that some bastard mugged him and left him to die in the gutter. Your actions caused his death.’

      Frozen in horror at Leon’s twisted interpretation of the facts, she tried to speak. But his accusation had stunned her with its cruelty and all she could do was to slur helplessly, ‘It’s a lie! I’m…I’m…’

      ‘Guilty on all counts,’ Leon finished in disgust. ‘Now, I hope you understand that I feel I owe you no sympathy. My family means everything to me and you ripped it apart with your evil scheming. You destroyed my only brother—’

      ‘No—’

      ‘Are you denying,’ he went on relentlessly, ‘that you cold-bloodedly married him out of petty revenge—?’

      ‘I loved him—’

      ‘Liar! He said you’d asked for a divorce.’

      Emma bit her lip hard. She hadn’t wanted to split her family up. But she’d had no choice. Leon knew nothing of the agonising that had gone before her painful decision.

      ‘Y-yes, but—’

      ‘Don’t bother to find excuses,’ Leon said, growling. ‘Taki had served his purpose. You’d seen a way to make me pay for marrying Marina and you took it. Well, congratulations. You succeeded in making my life hell.’ His eyes glittered. ‘Forgive me,’ he ground out through his teeth, ‘if I return the compliment.’

      She gave a low moan and buried her face in her hands, all hope virtually abandoned. His Greek heritage made him proud and hot-blooded and deeply devoted to his family. In his eyes, she’d harmed that family. And so he wanted to destroy her. And how better than to take away the baby she adored?

      Panic and despair filled her head as defeat stared back at her. But she knew she had to rouse herself and make one last attempt to convince Leon that he’d jumped to all the wrong conclusions.

      ‘You must listen to me,’ she begged. ‘You’ve got it all wrong. I’ve done nothing to be ashamed of. I’m truly innocent—’

      ‘Sure. You, and everyone in here,’ he mocked.

      ‘No, I am—’

      ‘You knew what was happening,’ he said snarling. ‘You were the financial director—’

      ‘That’s the point, I wasn’t, it was in name only I swear—’

      ‘Stop it!’ he snapped furiously. ‘You’ve perjured yourself enough.’

      ‘Leon,’ she mumbled, ‘you’re not giving me a chance—’

      ‘Did you give Taki a chance? Or those people who are now living on pittances instead of healthy pensions? My family will have to pull out all the stops to ensure they don’t suffer, thanks to you. It could take us years.’

      It was hopeless. He was implacable. ‘How can we have become such enemies?’ she asked miserably. ‘Once…’

      The rest of her words died in her throat. His eyes blazed with such an intense hatred that every muscle in her body turned to water, her hands feebly clawing at the table for support as she struggled to stay in her seat and not slide to the floor in a boneless heap.

      Leon’s face suddenly loomed close to hers and she found herself pinned in place by the anguish that ripped at his face.

      ‘Once! Once we were lovers,’ he said in a terrible, raw whisper. ‘My passion matched yours, my hands caressed your body. My lips knew yours, our bodies pulsed together—’

      ‘Leon—’ she said, breathily brokenly, unable to bear any more.

      He touched her face, his fingers trembling with a barely contained passion. She assumed it to be a shuddering anger and shrank back in distress.

      Leon’s nostrils flared. ‘I’d never have come within a mile of you if I’d realised the depths of your viciousness—that you could blame Taki for the fraud.’

      ‘It was him,’ she insisted hopelessly.

      ‘Pity the jury didn’t agree with you,’ he countered.

      There was a sudden silence between them. They were at deadlock. Emma gave up. Her late husband’s betrayal was no longer important.

      Alexandra’s future was. The next few moments could affect her child’s life for ever. Sick and weak, she rallied the last drop of energy in her body.

      ‘Shun me,’ she declared, her voice shaking with emotion. ‘Hate me, think what you like. Forget I ever lived if that pleases you.’ Panic rose within her like an uncontrollable flood and she raised a tearful face in one last passionate plea. ‘But let me have the child I love.’

      ‘Not in a million years,’ he replied coldly. ‘I won’t let Taki’s daughter be brought up in an English prison by a callous, cold-blooded female. She’s out of your reach now…not even in this country.’

      Abruptly he rose to go. Emma couldn’t speak, could barely think for shock. Her beloved Lexi was in Greece! A cracked sound filtered through her trembling lips as the reality hit her like a stone. Her mouth quivered as a terrible emptiness enveloped her. She hadn’t a hope of getting her baby back.

      The nausea rose to her throat and sweat beaded her forehead. Hardly aware of her surroundings, she struggled for control, afraid that she’d be sick, then and there.

      ‘You’re…a monster!’ she whispered in horror.

      ‘Am I?’ he said curtly. ‘And what kind of mother are you? Did you once think of Lexi while you were plotting your criminal activities? Did you ever wonder what would happen to her if your fraud was discovered? Were you so wrapped up in your own selfish need for vengeance that it didn’t matter what happened to any of the people who had the misfortune to be involved in your life?’

      Emma gazed at him tearfully. ‘But…I love her,’ she mumbled.

      ‘And I have her best interests at heart,’ he countered grimly. ‘She will remain with me. I came to put your mind at rest. Lexi is safe and content and will be well cared for. She will be taught to be honourable, well-mannered and honest.’

      It sounded so dutiful. So utterly empty of warmth and affection.

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