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She had always hated this boy in front of her, especially with his all-knowing eyes that were so much like his grandfather’s. She had never been able to fool the old man, and neither had she been able to fool his favorite grandson.
The hatred in Dahlia’s hard blue eyes was something he was long used to seeing. Once, he had thought she could be his second mother. But now he knew better. Once a gold-digging bitch, always a gold-digging bitch and Helios, being one of the things that stood in her way of gaining near-complete control of the Andreadis fortune, was someone she thought better off dead.
Although Helios preferred not to have anything to do with Dahlia, courtesy prevented him from ignoring her and he said, “To pay a visit to my dear older brother.”
Dahlia stiffened. “Why do you want to talk to him?”
“Apparently, rumors about me partying in Miami have come out, and they’ve been traced back to my own estranged family as the source.”
Dahlia forced a laugh. “Impossible.” But when Helios started to walk away, seemingly intent on looking for her son, she had no choice but to call him back. “Wait!”
He didn’t stop moving.
“It wasn’t Herod, damn you! It was me!”
Helios stilled. He had a feeling that was the case. He just couldn’t see why Herod would try going against him another time when the past had made it clear his older brother was no match for him. “Why would you have such rumors spread?”
“How would I know you would care about such silly things? You were a lot worse when you were back here in Greece.”
Helios only looked at her, not at all distracted by her change of subject.
Flushing, Dahlia muttered, “There have been talks among the board members of having Herod replaced as chairman. I had to do something to make sure that they wouldn’t think you were better than him.”
“You could have just told them I don’t want anything to do with the company—”
A scornful laugh escaped Dahlia. “Do you think I’m such a fool that I’d believe that?Everyonewants more money, Helios.Everyone.”
Helios inclined his head. “Perhaps you’re right. I like the power that money gives me. But the thing is, I know how to earn my money. I prefer earning my money than having to steal and ruin other people’s lives for it.” His eyes turned steely. “Stop it with the rumors, Dahlia. This is your only warning. Don’t make me come back here again. If I do, it’s to take everything you own.”
She knew he was not making an idle threat, but she didn’t have a choice, either. “Why do you care what people here say about you anyway?” she cried out. “It’s just rumors, and when the board finishes with the voting for the next chairman, it will all be over.”
“I don’t give a shit about your problems. Just put a stop to the fucking rumors and you can go back to forgetting I ever existed.”
Dahlia burst out angrily, “I can’t! I won’t!”
His lips tightened in fury. “Then you’re making the biggest mistake of your life.”
Realizing no amount of begging or reasoning would change her stepson’s mind, Dahlia threw out her last gamble. “If you do, then you’ll never hear from Rick again.” She held her breath right after, waiting tensely for Helios to call her bluff. But when he didn’t say a word, Dahlia could have laughed in sheer relief.
“What has Rick got to do with anything?”
Trying to keep herself cool, Dahlia murmured, “Don’t deny the rumors about yourself. It will only last for a few months at least. Then it’s over and I won’t need Rick anymore.” The fury that blazed from Helios’ eyes made her swallow, but she forced herself to lift up her chin and demand, “Is that a deal?”
Helios knew he had no choice. He loved MJ with all his heart, but he also owed Rick his life. “I swear to God, Dahlia, if I find out you’ve harmed him in some way, I will fucking wrest control of Andreadis Enterprises from your money-grubbing hands myself. And I’ll make sure you’ll not be in a position to ever have it again.”
Only when Helios had driven away did Herod emerge from behind one of the rooms. He had been there from the very start, but the cowardly and humiliated part of him had made him hide and allow his own mother to handle Helios.
Seeing Helios in the flesh had been a shock to his system. Once, they could have been like twins as both of them had the same golden hair and eyes as well as the tall, swarthy build of their forefathers. But now, all they had were the same coloring. Envy and hatred boiled inside him upon remembering how Helios looked. Certainly nothing like the bloated, wasted image that looked back at him in the mirror every day.
“That will only keep him quiet for a while,” Herod said as he entered the living room.
Dahlia wasn’t surprised to see that her son had been eavesdropping all the while. He had always been spineless, but then that was exactly how she wanted things to be as it allowed her control of the family fortune.
“A while is all that we need,” Dahlia murmured.
“And if he finds out that we don’t actually have Rick in our hands?”
“He won’t find out until it’s too late. By then, our problems will be solved and he’d be made to feel like a fool for falling for our bluff.”
