‘Mr Liordis,’ she replied.
‘Loukas, please,’ he said, charmingly, refusing to return to his seat until she had taken her own.
They ordered their drinks, his gaze not once wavering from her face as she requested a tonic water, as if he didn’t need to look for confirmation of her situation. Although no expression passed over his features, she realised in an instant that it wouldn’t do to underestimate this man, despite his lazy demeanour. Whether he realised her pregnancy or not, he had the grace not to allude to it.
‘You are here with your husband?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ she said, unable to keep the smile from her face.
‘Ah, then I will not keep you from him for long, for this place is a paradise for lovers.’
Loukas proceeded to explain that he’d been looking for a charity to put his energies into for some time, but had been hampered by his reputation. He was charming, self-deprecating, but with a fierce intelligence she recognised from her husband. She read between the lines and a little thread of excitement curled through her as she realised that he needed them as much as they needed him.
But, for all his practised charm, Ella found herself longing for the dark edges and plain speaking of her husband, figuring them somehow more real than the careless façade Loukas was presenting.
The meeting was going well. Really well. He had listened with a focus that simmered beneath the languorous gaze, had questioned a surprising amount of the finer details, yet Ella had risen to each one—and she could tell that he was impressed. Impressed and tempted. However, she could feel the ‘but’ on the horizon and she began to feel the first prickling of concern.
‘This is a very strong business plan, Ella. Your anticipation of many of my concerns has been impressive, and I really would like to look into this further.’
‘But?’ she asked with a smile to take the sting out of her fear.
‘But I do have one concern. I’m not quite sure yet that your company is financially viable enough to do what I need you to do for me.’
‘I assure you that we are.’
He grimaced as he shook his head, clearly not convinced, but also clearly not refusing them outright. ‘If you can show me that there is more capital, say between four or five million, then I would readily sign the papers. But without it…’ He trailed off and shrugged apologetically.
As Ella’s stomach dropped, her mind furiously spun, filtering through her private bank accounts, calling to mind Célia’s own investments. There was one option, her only option. But would she take it?
‘Would you be willing to give me two days?’
‘Of course,’ he replied. ‘I do believe in your company and what you are offering and would very much relish the opportunity to work with you and your clients. Get in touch when you’re ready and we’ll talk.’
* * *
Roman had been pacing almost since the moment Ella had left to meet Liordis. Whether because of the effect he had had on her last client meeting or that he had come to see just how much this meant to Ella, this meeting had eclipsed even his own business interests in importance.
And while he had been the one to bring Loukas to the table, still as yet undiscovered by his wife, he had not been assured of the outcome. In what felt like a matter of minutes Ella returned, and he was shocked to find, when he checked his watch, that nearly two hours had gone by.
He realised immediately that something was wrong. The way she looked not at him but at the horizon, her mind clearly whirring away rather than relishing the joy of success. It ate at him, and even the knowledge that he should wait until she was ready couldn’t prevent the question falling from his lips.
‘What happened?’
‘He… Loukas does want to sign with us…’
‘But?’
She let loose a gentle, not quite bitter half-laugh at something he couldn’t fathom.
‘He doesn’t think we have the capital to do what we say we can.’
‘He’s wrong,’ Roman declared with a finality that surprised them both.
‘Maybe…maybe not. He made some suggestions that were surprisingly astute—’
‘Given his reputation?’
‘Yes. It would most definitely not do to underestimate him. But I can’t deny that those suggestions might stretch us, given our current finances.’
‘Yes, but trying to arrange for more capital could stretch you further,’ Roman responded, quickly seeing to the heart of her concern.
‘Maybe. But…’ She turned to him then, her hands rolling over each other before her, an unusually insecure gesture from his wife. ‘But if I were to sell you my shares in Kolikov Holdings—’
‘No.’ Roman’s quick, determined response surprised them both.
‘Roman,’ she chided. ‘Will you hear me out?’
‘I don’t need to.’
‘Roman,’ she tried again, and he realised that she just couldn’t see it. Couldn’t see how giving him her shares, how handing control over to him would tempt him. Would give him the power to take it all away. She would hand over the very thing that kept him on a leash. And instinctively he knew. He knew that should she lose that hold, should she lose the last bargaining chip she had with him, it would destroy everything. Because he would be unable to resist putting those shares to the very use that she would not want. No matter how much she had come to mean to him, no matter how much he wanted to be more…he simply wasn’t capable of it. He couldn’t change. He had needed to be a monster to fight Vladimir and he was still that same monster. His…feelings for her hadn’t changed that. And if he did use the shares to achieve what he wanted, the cost to Ella would be devastating. Her pain and the shock of a second betrayal…it would
