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So no. The only conceivable way forward, the only way to change the tide of public opinion on a reputation he hadn’t actually lived up to in the last three years, was this. This event. It had to be absolutely perfect. So as the flashbulbs strobed through the night, he smiled his most charming smile, waved and stopped to speak with reporters even though his skin crawled and his face hurt. Perhaps Célia had been right not to accompany him along the carpet after all.
‘It’s been such a wonderful event, Célia. You’ve done really incredible things here, not to mention the life-changing amount of money raised.’
‘You’re very welcome. Estía is a wonderful charity and it’s one very close to Loukis’s heart.’
The wryly raised eyebrow from Estía’s CEO was hardly subtle, but he accepted her statement without comment.
‘Loukis Liordis has been deeply involved with every decision on this evening’s event. It was incredibly important to him that it was perfect.’ Nothing Célia had said was a lie—it was, however, open to interpretation. And looking at the now thoughtful expression on Mr Sideris’ features, she felt at least satisfied that she had worked hard to achieve both aims of the night. To help the charityandLoukis’s reputation.
Throughout the evening she had caught glimpses of him as he met and spoke with everyone present, celebrity and charity member alike. She’d tried to ignore the way that every adoring female gaze followed him—not that she could blame them. He was simply stunning—magnetic even as each woman present seemed to be drawn towards him consciously or otherwise. Célia had tried to block out how tactile he was, always touching someone on the arm, leaning forward into space Célia considered far more personal than not. But what she really marvelled at was how unconscious it seemed to be for him. He just...didthat. For a person who shrank back into the shadows at every opportunity, Célia found herself oddly jealous at the ease with which he interacted with others.
‘That’s very kind of you to say, Mr Sideris.’
Célia jumped at the sudden and shocking proximity of the man she had just been thinking of. An action painfully visible to both men. She felt the blush rising on her cheeks and cursed her pale skin tones. Loukis speared her with an odd expression—one of either confusion, disdain, or even quite possibly both—before turning back to Estía’s CEO.
‘I very much look forward to doing business with you again,’ he said, grasping Sideris’ hand in his own.
‘Likewise, Mr Liordis. Likewise,’ returned the CEO, before departing with the wife that had been waiting patiently in the background.
Célia retrieved her phone from her trouser pocket, most definitely a benefit of her attire that evening, and clicked through the security pin code to retrieve the web browser she had found earlier.
‘One roaring success, Mr Liordis.’
He took the phone from her hand, using the tips of his fingers as if not wanting to make physical contact with her. It made her plunge her hand into her pocket. It made her feel...hurt having seen him be so open with all the other guests present that evening.
‘What am I looking at?’
‘The online results for this evening’s events,’ she said, the excitement at their achievement that evening cutting through any preceding thoughts. ‘With over two hundred and fifty thousand unique visitors to Estía’s website in the last four hours—’
‘Two hundred and fifty thousand? That doesn’t seem that much.’
‘Loukis, you’re incredible. Truly. But you’re not a Kardashian. It’s great, trust me.’
‘For who, Estía or me?’
‘Forboth,’ she replied, feeling like growling. ‘If it helps at all, then the majority of those visitors’ page impressions were to your bio on the site. But perhaps you’ll be happier with the fact that you’re currently across nearly every social media site, four international news agency websites and you’ll be on the front cover of the early morning edition ofThe Times. In five different countries.’
‘What about the American press?’
She was going to kill him. She wasreallygoing to kill him. His inquisition seemed solely focused on his own ego and it was destroying any sense of pride and accomplishment she felt at having not only pulled the whole event off—in little less than a month—but also ensuring it was actually a success, despite what Liordis apparently thought. She snatched her phone from his hands, unable to avoid that irritating zing that served only to fuel her ire, and walked away.
‘Is it going to be in the American press?’ he called after her.
‘Why does it matter?’ she tossed over her shoulder.
‘It just does, Célia.’
He was using that tone again. The one that she instinctively knew was morehimthan anything else he’d said. It caused her to pull up short. Again. She didn’t need to check her phone for the answer. ‘Yes,’ she said, finally turning back to him. ‘Happy now?’
‘Nai.’
He didn’t look happy. He looked more determined and more than a little...triumphant? It was an odd expression. It was...utterly devastating. Her heart began to pound in her chest and she wanted to run. To get away from him as fast as possible.
‘Where are you going?’ he demanded.
‘Back to my hotel. I have an early morning flight back to Paris.’
‘I’ll take you.’
