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“Yes.”
Something in the other man’s voice alerted him. “Where?”
“She’s in Spain.”
“She said she wanted time to think. Apparently she decided she needed distance, too.”
“And other things.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Check your fax machine.”
Sandor lithely jumped to his feet and crossed the room to where his personal fax whirred. Two sheets were in the printer tray. He picked up the top one, it had Hawk’s company’s logo and said, “For your review.”
The sheet underneath was a newspaper clipping in one of the smaller European tabloids. It was obviously not a cover shot, but an interior article. It showed Ellie dressed much more provocatively and trendily than her usual attire. She was with an attractive dark-haired man standing beside a casino table. The man had his arm around Ellie’s shoulder and his expression was nothing short of possessive.
For some strange reason, Sandor felt like he couldn’t breathe.
“Go back to your computer. I sent additional photos in an encrypted file.”
Sandor didn’t know how the other man knew he’d gotten to the fax machine and had looked at the tabloid picture proclaiming a well-known playboy had a new plaything, who had been labeled as nothing more than his “woman of mystery.”
Evidently Ellie’s identity was unknown. Considering the fact that she did not court publicity, he was not surprised. And if the playboy was as wealthy as he looked, he could keep her name from even determined reporters.
Sandor checked his e-mail and there was the one from Hawk. He opened it, typed in the password Hawk fed him over the phone and a picture materialized on the screen. It was of Ellie and the man kissing on the beach. He scrolled down and the pictures got more condemning. Ending with one obviously taken through a window of the couple together in bed…naked.
“Destroy the pictures at your end,” he barked.
“Done.”
“Thank you, Hawk.”
“I’m sorry, Sandor.”
Sandor nodded and hung up the phone, realizing as he did so that Hawk would not have seen his head’s movement.
The pain of betrayal tore through Sandor as he tried to wrap his mind around the evidence presented to his eyes. Ellie had slept with another man.
He muttered a very ugly Greek word.
It did not help.
He’d believed she was a woman of integrity. He had believed her when she said she loved him. So, what had this been? A last fling before marriage? He could not accept that. He wanted nothing of marriage to a faithless woman.
The pain coalescing inside him was from disappointed hopes he told himself. It had nothing to do with a lacerated heart. His heart had stopped bleeding a long time ago.
George Wentworth called an hour later. “The security team have located her.”
“In Spain?” Why he asked when he had the evidence of the pictures right in front of him, Sandor did not know.
“Yes. She’s flying home today.”
“Thank you.”
“So, are we on target for the merger?”
“We will discuss it after I have spoken to Ellie.” Why he felt compelled to tell her that the relationship was over before he told her father, he did not know.
She’d shown that their relationship meant nothing to her.
“Fine, fine. I’ll talk to you Monday then.”
Sandor allowed George to think all was well and hung up the phone. They would talk on Monday, but it would not be about the full merger that would be based on marriage between Ellie and Sandor.
Ellie called Sandor when she arrived at her apartment Friday night. It was late and she was tired, but at peace about her decision.
Silence greeted her at the other end of the line when he picked up. It was his cell, maybe the connection was bad. Though she’d noticed that his cell phone had problems much less frequently than hers. Sandor just seemed to control whatever was around him better than the average person.
“Sandor?” she asked, trying to see if the call was still connected.
“I am here.”
“I’d like to see you.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Okay. Do you want to come by here?”
“I will.”
“When?”
“I will be there after breakfast.”
“Great.” Maybe they could spend the day together. She’d missed him.
The line went dead and she realized the call must have dropped. She didn’t bother calling him back. She was too sleepy and she would be seeing him in the morning.
The next day, Ellie was up early. She didn’t know what time Sandor considered after breakfast, but she was ready at seven-thirty. He didn’t arrive until nine.
