Elli was not amused by the wave of nostalgic sentiment that seemed to have overcome Andrew. His sudden show of emotion took her by surprise and, if it was a seductive technique, it was not working. ‘Andrew, there’s been too much water under the bridge for grudges or animosity and for anything more than friendship. I didn’t ask you here to revisit a romantic liaison.’
‘Liaison? Is that how you see it now? You could fool me. If my memory serves me right, it didn’t feel like that at the time. It was deeper and more special than a simple romantic affair.’
Andrew, you know as well as I do that the honeymoon did not last long before the problems and your drinking started. What’s surprising is how we held it together for as long as we did. In retrospect we shouldn’t have let it reach the stage that it did. Every room we were in together became a battleground. Being tired from the constant rows led us to end up hating each other for turning everything into a battle.’ Elli’s tone became gentler. ‘But that’s all in the past. Life is too short for regrets and ‘what ifs’ and journeys into the past. Now, though we are here alone, except for the staff of course, I’m sure we can behave as adults and find something other than a romantic liaison to amuse ourselves. Do you fancy a swim before lunch?’
‘I’d love to.’
‘Good. I’ve asked Marios to get the boat out.’
‘The boat? I was thinking of something simpler, here. What do you have in mind?’
‘We will be sailing to Ikaria and having lunch on board. It’s only about an hour to get there.’
‘That sounds like a fantastic idea. You never cease to surprise me even after all these years.’
‘Well, you haven’t seen me for quite a few, at least not properly. Distant glimpses at various events and meetings don’t count.’
CHAPTER 41
Valchern Corporation Headquarters Limassol, Cyprus
Andrew left after a four-day stay to go to Cyprus and Elli planned to enjoy the rest of the week alone in peace. She was dozing by the pool when her mobile rang.
‘Hello?’
‘Mum, it’s Vasilis. I think you have to get back here. Manoukios has called an extraordinary board meeting.’
‘He what? When?’
‘Tomorrow at ten o’clock in the morning.’
‘He is in a hurry. Do you know why?’
‘No, he didn’t say.’
‘But he is obliged by law to give warning of the reason of such a meeting. I’ll be back in Limassol tonight. In the meantime try and find out as much as you can.’
She had been waiting for this for sometime. She was wondering when Manoukios would declare his hand. She had not believed Andrew. She had had a cold feeling about him since their discussion a few days ago. But she didn’t show him anything to indicate that she had been suspicious.
Let him be lulled into a false sense of security. In the meantime, she had been doing her preparation and had unearthed some interesting information about Manoukios.
Elli landed at Larnaca International Airport at midnight. A car took her straight to her house in Limassol where she had a meeting with her son Vasilis.
‘Vasilis, have you studied the information I have had collected on Manoukios and his family?
‘Yes.’
‘Do you understand what’s going to happen at that meeting tomorrow?’
‘Yes. I think Manoukios and the others are going to have a fit.’
‘Good. You know, if they do, that would make it easier and spare them the embarrassment that I have in store for them.’
The set was the boardroom of the Valchern Corporation headquarters in Limassol, Cyprus.
‘I call this meeting to order.’ Elli called out to silence those present and let proceedings roll.
‘Elli why are we here? Why all this formality? And it’s Sunday of all things. Why the urgency?’
‘The impatient Dekon.’ She looked across the table. ‘Maybe Manoukios should tell us. He was the one who called this meeting after all.’
Manoukios hesitated. He was suddenly afraid of Elli. Up to that moment he felt confident and cocky of having the upper hand, of turning the tables on Elli and her domination of the company that he despised for so long. He could not wait to finally settle the score with her once and for all.
He felt that with allies like he had now, this was the moment to strike, when she was at her most vulnerable, her moment of weakness, seemingly distracted by other matters, or so he thought. He was determined to press his advantage.
But Elli had other plans and he did not have the vaguest idea of what was in store for him. Her authoritative manner shocked him. His courage evaporated. His bullying demeanour was surprisingly mute.
Elli decided to encourage him and perhaps intimidate him a bit more. ‘Well? Are you going to enlighten us?’
Again silence from the other end of the table.
‘No, maybe not.’ Elli paused. ‘Since Manoukios has shockingly lost his tongue, let me tell you. We are here, because one of you has been assisting an outside coup and stirring things.’ Elli paused for effect.
There were gasps of shock around the table. Dekon expressed everybody’s question apart from the perpetrator who was fidgeting and shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He was so transparent, thought Elli. He was never one to control and hide his feelings. He would be a very bad poker player.
She would have expected him to clam up and look ashamed. But no, not Manoukios. That would have been too much to ask. Too big a demand on his intelligence and ample common sense. God ran out of brains when he made this one, Elli thought.
His belligerence raised its ugly head. Instead of staying quiet, he stood up, defiant and defensive, reckless or unaware that Elli held all the cards. He didn’t care if he betrayed himself in the process.
‘Why should you be the one to still lead this company? I think it’s time for the chair to move to one of the other clans. You are no longer fit to run the company. I move for a vote of no confidence in you and for your removal from the board.’
‘Do you think you have the numbers?’
‘I’ll take that chance.’
‘Would you like to tell us why?’
With a smug expression on his face he launched into his indictment. ‘You have been using company funds illegally for a futile personal project or a quest for which the company will obtain no financial gain.’
There were audible gasps around the table even if some of the other shareholders for whom Manoukios was the spokesperson knew about this. It was still shocking, as it was the first time the authority of the head of the family and the head of the company had been at least openly challenged in a public venue.
Manoukios was on a roll, or so he and his allies thought. He continued, laughably undaunted, blindingly digging deeper holes for himself as he went along.
‘Unless, of course, it is for the pursue of treasure or something valuable in which case it belongs to the company and it should therefore be shared proportionally amongst the shareholders as an extraordinary tax-free dividend. Elli, is it treasure that you crave and are searching for so obsessively?’ There were murmurs and nods of agreement with his last proposal.
‘If you actually check your records you will realise that everything was paid for through my own personal funds. That was a cheap shot, Manoukios.’ Elli ignored his other allegations. It was none of his business.
Elli thought that her mere presence at this meeting and her obvious confidence should have been enough to indicate to him that he, and the person or persons he had allied himself with, had already lost.
He had played with fire and was about to get burned. He had no idea of the fate Elli had in store for him for
