“Everybody would suspect the cheap hotels for this kind of things. But never the high-end ones.Sounds like this person is in deep trouble.”
“He is,” Alex agreed.
“And who is this person?”
Alex reached behind him and withdrew an envelope. He then, pulled out some photos and spread it over the desk.
“His name’s Hector Petrides. I believe he’s your biggest competition in the hotel and restaurant world.”
Nikos cursed under his breath. He looked at the photos that were spread on his desk. He couldn’t help but feel smug as he realized his best competition in business and with his wife was basically screwed.
“No wonder he’s made it to the top quickly! It was because he had some illegal help. And no wonder he’s got so much money!”
Alex laughed. “And you play fair and square, my friend?”
“Most of the time,” Nikos replied with a laugh.
“So what do you know about him?”
“Just the usual. He’s one of those rags to riches type.”
“I have intel that he’s now in hiding from the drug syndicate. I think there was a problem with one of the shipments. It was delayed and he lost them a lot of money. Right now, anyone who knows him or who is close to him is in deep trouble.” Alex explained.
Then he peered up at Nikos as though awaiting some kind of reaction from him.
Nikos noticed his intense stare and immediately his heart started to race. He had a feeling that his friend’s next words won’t do him any good at all.
“You have no idea, do you?” Alex scrutinized Nikos’ expression. His friend truly appeared to be clueless.
“About?” Nikos asked.
“About why I really am here...I discovered something. I thought you should know.”
“Go straight to the point, Alex,” Nikos barked.
Alex reached towards one of the photos and withdrew one that looked as though it was taken at some kind of lounge. The man in the photo clearly was Hector Petrides and he was dining with a woman who had her back turned.
Alex gave him the next photo and this one was of Hector’s dinner companion. His heart stopped completely when he realized that it was none other than his wife.
“Show me everything,” Nikos commanded in a hoarse voice.
“Are you sure? You know that I am a thorough man,” his friend replied hesitantly.
“Yes. I know you came here because of this. Now, show me.”
Alex reached behind him and pulled out another folder. This one contained all the research he had done on both Hector and Cassia. He gave it to Nikos and noticed that his friend’s hand shook with anger as he flipped through the photos.
Alex was there during their wedding years ago.
He admitted that he was a different man then. He had laughed along with the others at the thought of Nikos getting married and had laughed equally harder at the catastrophic events. It was public knowledge that Nikos and his wife did not live together and that Nikos carried on having his affairs.
But something must have changed for him to react this way...
Nikos’ jaw almost dropped the moment he saw Cassia’s smiling face in one of the pictures. Then, his heart started to race and fury flooded his veins. His emotions were evident in how his fingers shook as he leafed through the photos. His breathing became harsher and his entire body became rigid in posture.
Nikos flipped through several pictures. One was dated about four to five years ago when Cassia finished college. She was in a toga and smiling beside Hector who looked so proud of her. She waved around her diploma and her eyes shouted her happiness to the world.
The second photo was Cassia cutting the ribbon of her first fashion shop. Yet again, it was Hector who was beside her. Next it was Hector cutting the ribbon to his first restaurant and Cassia was standing right beside him and holding his hand. There were several photos of them throughout the years. Every new shop Cassia opened, Hector was there for her.
Nikos finally understood.
He was right. It was Hector Petrides she was having an affair with. No wonder they kissed like lovers during the auction. This was also the reason she was asking him for a divorce. She said she wanted to move on with her life but the truth was she wanted to settle down with Nikos’ greatest competition.
He snorted when he thought that Hector was still his competition even when it came to his own wife. He hated the fact that he was there through the years with her and he was not. He should have been the one with her during her life’s greatest achievements and not Hector.
But you never cared, Nikos.
He brushed her off ten years ago and was even happy when she left Greece to go and live her life somewhere else. He didn’t even inquire as to what happened to her. He just continued on sending her the money she wanted. He was happy that he still got to continue the playboy lifestyle he loved so much.
Without another thought about her, he had carried on with his life.
So this train of thought about being there during the greatest accomplishments in her life was a big fat nonsense. Maybe he was just feeling a bit possessive of her because technically she was still his wife. Nikos shook his head to clear his thoughts and then flipped through some more photos.
“She’s in danger from this drug syndicate, Nikos. Good thing she’s known as Cassia Adrasteia, the famous designer. That will make it a little harder to find her. But when they learn of her, they will get her so that they could lure Hector in. I don’t know anything about your marriage but I assumed you wanted to know this information.”
“I do. Thank you, Alex.”
“What are friends for?” Alex laughed.
“What do you plan on doing about Hector Petrides?”
“Believe it or not, I’m hired by the government for this particular mission. It’s about the drugs. I have to find their location, how the shipment goes and all those details. For this, I need Hector Petrides. Once I have everything, all his deeds would be exposed and he’d be imprisoned.”
“I see.”
“Do you think your wife knows about all of this?”
“I don’t know.”
“But do you intend to tell her?”
“Of course. She’s convinced herself that she wants a divorce from me. Now I know that it is so she could go with Hector. Can I keep these other pictures for evidence?” Nikos asked.
He picked up the folder that contained pictures of Hector and the drug syndicate. He also took the picture that showed Hector with his back towards probably millions of dollars worth of drugs.
“Sure. What do you intend to do now?” Alex asked.
“There’ll be no divorce. I’ll keep her safe.”
“If you need any help with your security detail, let me know. I know the perfect men for the job,” Alex offered.
“Once again, thank you for this Alex. One more thing though, I have to ask...have you heard anything about the ones who kidnapped me?”
Alex bowed his head.
"I’m sorry, my friend. Not as of yet. I have tried and tried to find information about them but they cover their tracks well. I have followed everything that Antonio’s wife told me but I always hit a dead-end.”
“I understand. It’s all right, Alex. I know that you are doing your best.”
There was a knock on the door and the waiters came in and brought their food. The conversation was much lighter this time. They talked about each other’s work and compared the differences. They also reminisced about their past and how they always got into trouble as teenagers.
As their lunch progressed, Nikos started thinking of the ways that he could use this information over Cassia. Now, he could force her to go with him and insist that it was for her safety.
And if she didn’t know anything about Hector Petrides’ activities yet, then surely she was in for a huge shock.
CHAPTER 14 - RESCUED
“There’s been a change of events. The higher-ups would spare all of us if we pay the amount of what was lost.”
A chorus of murmurs went around Sebastian’s men at this spark of hope. The drug cartel never gave second chances but it seemed as though fate was throwing them a bone.
“But how can we pay millions of dollars?! The latest drug shipment was a big one and it was worth too much!” one of his men cried.
“The men in charge of the shipment disappeared off the face of the earth,” one of Sebastian’s men reported. They’d searched for weeks but to no avail.
“We are still the head of this territory and the blame will fall on our shoulders for this slip-up,” another interjected.
“Unless we find a way, we’re all dead men.”
Suddenly, Sebastian had an excellent idea. His men looked at him as though they thought he finally lost all his screws when he smiled and then laughed.
This was a perfect opportunity. He could get money and have his revenge at the same time. The timing couldn’t be any more perfect. Besides, he’d waited too long already...
“I have a plan. Exhaust whatever resources would be needed. I expect you to succeed or we are all dead men.”
“What do you want us to do, boss?”
“Get me Nikos Demakis.”
November 18, 2013 (The Next Day)
Cassiopeia
Fifth Avenue, New York City
“What do you mean you won’t be able to make it?” Cassia breathed into the phone.
“I’m sorry, princess. There are so many things I have to do right now. I won’t be able to make it to our dinner later and I also won’t be able to go back the rest of the week. I’m not sure when I’ll go home but something’s come up. I’ll call you and keep you informed, I promise,” Hector explained. His voice sounded strained and he spoke too fast.