and on your own. You must be proud of them.’
‘I am. And you are not?’
‘Of course I am. I wish I had them running my companies, especially Aristo. He beats us both hands down.’
‘They both have good genes. I think Aristo got the best of both of us. However things ended between us, nobody can deny your business acumen. Your achievements are proof of that.’
‘Thank you. You know, there was a time when I felt intimidated by you, by your success, your power, your money.’
‘What, you mean you are not anymore? I must be losing my touch. Age can do that to you, you know.’
‘My darling Elli, we are not getting any younger…’
‘Are you going to bombard me with another marriage proposal?’
‘No, I wouldn’t dare. But we had something special, you and I.’
‘Had, Andrew, had. A long time ago.’
‘I am glad you called and came here. In fact I was going to call you.’
‘Yes? Why?’
‘Have you spoken with Katerina since she got back?’
‘No, I didn’t get the chance. Why? Has something happened?’
‘No, it’s nothing to worry about. But it has to do with me and you and Andros’ family.’ He paused. ‘Elli, would you believe me if I told you that I have changed, that I want to have some sort of relationship with you all?’
‘Is that why Katerina came to see you? Is it a daily trip of a guilty conscience? How long will it last before you are back to your old ways?’
‘Elli, after all I have put you through you would be right not to believe me. But I want this. I really do. I want us all to be a family again, if not like we were back then when we were married, at least the closest thing to what we could have been.’
‘So you are ready to tell Aristo and Vasilis that you are their father?’
‘Yes.’
‘Even with all the cynicism that I see things after all these years, I have been waiting a long time for you to say this.’ Her eyes began to water and her lip quivered. She tried to hold back the tears. Her face betrayed her, though.
‘Elli, if I didn’t know better I would say that you are about to cry.’
‘Don’t you believe it.’ She smiled through wet eyes. ‘You got me there. I will not pretend otherwise. What excuse could I have? That I have dust in my eyes?’ She paused. ‘Look, Andrew, despite what you may think, I am human and not ashamed to show weakness, where appropriate of course. I will tell you though. You have been lucky.’
‘Lucky?’
‘Yes, lucky that the truth has not come out in all these years. That nobody even hinted at the truth before Aristo and Vasilis. It was a luxury to go about your business all these years without interruptions, without complications without the tension of a revelation and condemnation by gossip. Now you cannot afford to avoid it any longer, we cannot afford for our children not to know the truth. You have an opportunity to at least go some way to righting the wrong against them. Don’t waste it and don’t delay. The longer we leave it now that you have taken the decision the higher the risk of them finding it out through a third party, even if this has not happened for such a long time.’
‘I really want to make it up to them.’ He paused. ‘And Elli, I feel no animosity towards you anymore. I no longer hate you. I have changed.’
‘I’m beginning to believe you. How are you going to go about this? Will you be coming to Cyprus?’
‘Yes, I am planning a trip in the next few weeks.’
‘Excellent. Then we hope to see you then. Now I will tell you what I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘It must be important for you to come all the way here.’
‘Yes, it merits a private face-to-face discussion.’ She paused. ‘Andrew I have learned that you are behind the purchase of the 10 % stake that the Manoukios branch of the family has in the Valchern Corporation.’ At his hint of a protestation she raised her hand in a gesture for him to stop. ‘You are going to tell me that it’s not true, because your name does not appear on the papers as the registered owner of the shares. But I know that there is a secret agreement between you and Manoukios.’
‘There’s no point asking how you know. Your sources of information have always been impressive.’
‘Exactly, so why go through the charade of creating this elaborate scheme to cover your identity? Unless it’s because you have seen the articles of the company. Of course, you know that no shareholder can sell even a single share to an outsider, but only to another existing shareholder. And there is no preemption option, so that a shareholder cannot offer his shares to other existing shareholders and, if there is no interest to buy, then that shareholder may go outside to offer to sell. Money must have passed between you. You must have paid them a considerable sum for the use of that stake, haven’t you?’
‘Yes, I have. I knew they were looking for a legal exit, a way to monetise that stake than simply receiving dividends which they will still continue to receive. They are the owners of the stake after all.’
‘What do you mean you knew? How did you find out when I did not get even the slightest wind of this? That’s very strange behaviour on Manoukios’ part not talking to me first.’
‘I don’t know.’ He paused. ‘Elli, I just want to be involved more closely with my family.’
‘So it’s simply noble intentions, is it?’
‘Yes.’
‘You have a funny way of going about it.’ Elli paused and looked Andrew hard in the eye. ‘To cause trouble, you mean. And here am I almost being convinced that you had changed and sincerely wanted to come back to the fold.’
‘I do, Elli, I really do.’
‘You have always been a master actor which has not harmed you in business.’
‘Elli, this is not acting.’
‘The question now is what you mean by “involved” and how you will be using whatever limited power that 10 % stake gives you and how you will be voting that holding. Are you planning to buy more shares? If Manoukios was prepared to make a deal with you, probably there are others eager to release some equity, and “some” is an understatement, some value from stakes that are worth hundreds of millions of US dollars and are locked in.’ She paused. ‘Andrew if you have any plans of attempting to gain control, an idea that, surely, you could not be stupid enough to entertain, I do not need to remind you that I am the 60 % controlling shareholder. I don’t know what you may be hoping to achieve apart from making my job difficult with constant challenges and trying to disrupt the operation of the company with delays; perhaps for a monetary benefit to your own companies?’
‘I wouldn’t dare to cause any trouble for you. I have no doubt the eagle-eyed Elli would be watching my every step ready to intervene and crush me, if I put a foot wrong. The last thing I would want would be to incur your wrath. “Hell hath no fury for a woman scorned”, isn’t that right?’
‘Andrew, do not patronise me. I would not put it past you to do something like that. You are a ruthless businessman after all. You do have it in you. You have done it before to other companies.’
‘Trust you to hold such a low opinion of me when I have expressly been clear about my honourable intentions, me trying to get into your good books again and you insulting me by doubting me.’
‘I will put this matter to one side for now. Let’s concentrate on helping you to build up bridges with the family and especially introducing you to your sons who don’t know they have an aspiring father living and breathing in prominence in the business and society circles of Australia.’
‘Thank you, Elli, for giving me another chance. I thought after what you’ve said that you would be dead against it now.’
‘You disappoint me, Andrew. You should know me better than that.’
When Elli returned to Limassol, there was a message from Giorgos waiting for her. He had heard from James Calvell in New York. The hacker had a name for the descendant of the abducted child from 1453.
‘And he still lives in Crete?’ Elli asked.
‘Yes, in Ayia Galini.’
