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For a frantic moment was tempted to run after him, but she stopped herself in time. What was the point? Zander didn’t want her. He’d proved that by walking away. All he’d wanted was the island, and thanks to Marina he’d lost it.
‘Oh, dear, what a shame,’ Marina cooed smugly and Lauranne whirled on her, all thoughts of discretion forgotten as her anger rose to the surface with frightening speed.
‘How dare you? Do you know what you’ve done?’ Her voice shook as she stepped towards the other woman, totally ignoring the others, who were watching her passionate outburst in astonishment. ‘Do you know what you’ve done?’
Marina lifted her chin but she took a step backwards, her expression suddenly alarmed. ‘I haven’t done anything,’ she said, her face a picture of innocence. ‘You and Zander have done it all with your deceit and your lies.’
Lauranne shook her head, so angry and worried about Zander that she could barely speak. ‘There was no deceit. I love Zander and I always have. The only reason our relationship crashed five years ago is because you worked so hard to make it happen and you’re the reason it’s crashing again now.’ Her eyes sparked angrily and she saw the older woman tense, her expression startled.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Oh, yes, you do, Marina.’ Lauranne gave a humourless laugh. ‘You set us up five years ago, but do you know something? I don’t even care about that any more. All I care about is what you’ve just done to Zander.’ She broke off, not knowing whether to sob or scream, so angry and upset that her breath was coming in pants. ‘He wanted this island so badly. Not because it made good business sense but because he made a promise when he was a little boy. A promise to his grandmother, who he adored, made when he was hardly old enough to know what he was promising.’
Emotion choked her and she broke off and covered her mouth with her hand, thinking only of Zander, oblivious to the silence around her.
Kouropoulos was watching her with an odd expression on his face and he pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘You knew that?’
Lauranne lifted damp eyes to his and her hand dropped to her side. ‘Yes, I knew that. And I know how hard it was for him to tell me. Zander struggles to trust anyone and it’s because of women like you—’ she turned back to Marina, her eyes flashing with anger and contempt ‘—that he feels that way. You are a snake.’
Marina flinched and glanced nervously at her boss but he was still looking at Lauranne.
‘You seem astonishingly committed to your role as Zander’s defender, young lady.’
‘I would do anything that helps give Zander a sense of belonging,’ she confessed hoarsely, ‘and if you’re wondering why he can’t commit himself to family life then just ask Marina for some clues.’ As she realised miserably that she had insulted her host and blown Zander’s chances of gaining the island her slim shoulders sagged.
Kouropoulos looked at her thoughtfully. ‘You love him that much?’
‘Yes. And I’d do anything to make him happy. Absolutely anything.’ She turned to Tom with an apologetic shake of her head. ‘I know you think I’m crazy—’
He rolled his eyes but then stepped forward and gave her a hug. ‘What I think is that you can’t help yourself,’ he said gruffly, wrapping his arms around her and glaring at Marina. ‘And I also think you’ve done enough. I’ll be taking Lauranne home when she’s had a chance to pack.’
Lauranne felt tears prick the back of her eyes and blinked them back. She was not going to break down in front of Marina and Kouropoulos. Despite her emotional outburst and her frank confession, she still had some pride.
Now that the deal had fallen through, Zander certainly wouldn’t need her any more and she didn’t want to hang around any more than she had to or she’d make an utter fool of herself. She might as well go home with Tom.
The fact that Zander had walked off told her everything she needed to know.
He didn’t want her.
Kouropoulos turned to Tom, his expression impossible to read. ‘There is no flight until this evening. Why don’t you come up to the house with us and give Lauranne a chance to gather her things together—’ he hesitated slightly ‘—and do whatever else she needs to do?’
Lauranne looked at him suspiciously. What exactly did he mean by that remark?
There was nothing left to do except go home.
CHAPTER TEN
HAVING packed her things, Lauranne found that she couldn’t face joining them in the house so she walked up the path to the white cottage and this time made her way down to the private beach. The path was narrow and steep and she stumbled several times but eventually she made it, and slumped down on the sand, her arms clasped round her legs.
Her emotions were changing so rapidly that she couldn’t keep up with them. Anger had turned to misery and then back into anger. How could Zander have just walked out like that? Was he still suspicious of Tom, even after everything she’d told him? She was so furious she could hardly think and she didn’t know whether to sob out loud or hit something.
And she had no idea where he’d gone. He’d just vanished. Exactly like last time. Just seeing her within a few metres of Tom seemed to fuse his brain cells and she was forced to admit that what she and Zander shared was so fragile that the slightest puff of wind sent it splintering into pieces.
Couldn’t he see what Marina had done?
Was he really that blind?
But then they didn’t really have a relationship, she reminded herself, sniffing hard and brushing away a stray tear with the back of her hand.
