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‘He has cancelled your flight and your hotel booking. He thought you’d want to leave tonight. His jet is at your disposal.’
I blinked. We were approaching one of the back doors and I felt as if I’d been caught by a powerful current in the middle of a river and was being borne along helplessly.
This was happening too fast and my brain felt sluggish. I couldn’t keep up. Something was warning me, telling me I should pull away and get back to my hotel as fast as I could, but I was tired, and I felt sick, and the thought of being home in my own bed that night was too tempting. Flying in one of Silver Inc’s private jets also meant no hassle with Customs or security, no waiting in endless queues or traipsing around airports with heavy luggage. And having to do that felt like too much.
I didn’t know why, after telling me he was going to marry me, he was putting me on a plane back to England, but I was too tired to think deeply about it.
Right now, all I wanted was to be home in my tiny, dingy little flat in London.
‘Okay.’ I tried to retain what dignity I had and not look like a complete mess. ‘That sounds...very nice of him.’
The man nodded, and then I was being hurried out through the back of the mansion, where a black car waited. I was bundled into it, and a few minutes later we were driving through the busy Madrid streets.
Some time later we arrived at Silver Inc’s private airfield. A jet was already waiting on the Tarmac, the Silver Inc tail livery gleaming in the runway lights.
I was rushed aboard, and I told myself I wasn’t disappointed that Constantine wasn’t there to say goodbye himself. No, it was a good thing, because now I could relax and put him out of my mind completely. Get back to my job and the plans I’d made for my baby and I.
Because, while I didn’t have a partner who loved me, I could certainly provide the stability and security I craved on my own. I had an analytical brain and I’d already prepared carefully for the baby’s arrival.
My maternity leave was all booked, as was my maternity care. I’d have to deal with childcare too, once my maternity leave was over, but I had a bit of time to work that out. I’d been saving every penny I’d earned for the last three months, so I had some savings. I could look after myself and my child, and that was the main thing.
I sank into a seat, the soft leather deliciously comfortable. After the emotional turmoil of the wake it was a welcome relief to be in the silent and warm cocoon of the plane, and I could feel myself relaxing, my heart rate slowing.
We were in the air a few minutes later, with a solicitous flight attendant bringing me a cup of ginger tea and a couple of biscuits that she said would settle my stomach. I didn’t ask how she knew I’d been sick, but I drank the tea and ate the biscuits and began to feel a lot better. Dinner was brought to me, too, and it was delicious, and after that had been cleared away I relaxed even further into my seat, the low drone of the engines soothing, making me sleepy.
I’d done what I’d promised myself and I’d seen him. That he’d known about the pregnancy already was distressing, and it made me feel horribly guilty, and all his talk of marriage had been confusing, but I was on my way home now.
It was over and done with. All my secrets were out. I wouldn’t have to see him again until the baby was born, and that was for the best.
I let out a breath. Perhaps I’d close my eyes and rest.
Just for a moment.
CHAPTER FOUR
Constantine
BYTHETIMEmy jet landed at the private airfield just outside Edinburgh I was once more fully in control of myself.
I’d handled the situation in Madrid, suppressing all mention of Valentin’s reappearance. I didn’t want any part of that getting out, because I didn’t want him controlling the narrative, not until the issue of Jenny and her pregnancy had been sorted out.
My lawyers had informed me that, as expected, he’d made a play for control of the company, but I’d instructed them to stonewall him and his team for as long as they could. And, since they were very good lawyers, they could probably stonewall for years.
I didn’t need years, however.
My security staff had let me know that Valentin was now headed to the Maldives with Olivia. I’d sent some of my team after them, to ascertain her wellbeing, but I wasn’t going to waste time going after her myself. Valentin wouldn’t hurt her. They’d once been close friends, years ago, and Olivia was a strong woman. She’d be able to handle him. All that really mattered was that if he was in the middle of the Indian Ocean he wasn’t in Europe, making a nuisance of himself, which meant that I could safely suppress the announcement of his return until I was ready.
He wasn’t going to take control of this story or of my company. I wouldn’t let him. I’d spent years turning myself into my father’s yes-man, since that had been the only way I would eventually be able to take control of the company he’d built. Silver Inc was a powerful force in Europe, and Domingo had wanted to take it global since he’d always been attracted to power. But a psychopath—which, clinically, my father had been, no two ways about it—should never have that much control over anything as large as Silver Inc, and someone had had to steer him in order to limit the damage he could do. That someone had been me, though it had meant my being him to a certain extent, so he wouldn’t see me as a threat.
However, that was irrelevant.
What was relevant was that if Val thought he could manipulate me with Olivia and undo everything I’d done over the past fifteen years then he could think again.
This was going to go my way. And while I dealt with that, I would also deal with the issue of Jenny.
She hadn’t waited for me, as I’d asked, but when the jet had been offered to take her back to England she’d accepted, no doubt thinking she’d be safely deposited back home in London that evening.
Unfortunately for her, that was not going to be the case.
