The Billionaire’s Blackmailed Heiress(42)

From a corner of the room Mina had stood with her hands clasped over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock as she had watched Alice check for a pulse before she had sat back on her heels, her head turning to look at Mina.

“I’m sorry Mina” she had started, seeing the tears that had rushed up to the other woman’s eyes, her head shaking fervently.

“No…no…no” was all the she could manage, the words long moans of pain as she had looked back at her mother on the bed, shock so evident on her features.

Standing up Alice had moved over to Mina taking her into her arms in a comforting embrace, leading her gently from the room.

“She is at peace now” she had whispered as the whole situation had crashed down on Mina, her legs buckling as she had fallen onto her knees to the ground the tears now flooding from her in heartrending sobs.

It was late, well after ten, but Nikos had remained at his office, feeling the need to work, to not be at the villa, so empty for some reason. With a frown he had wondered why he would think that, it never had been before. Picking up the top paper before him he had re-read the contract, his mind once more seeing Mina’s smiling face filling his thoughts, a warm sensation filling his belly.

Scowling he had given a sigh of annoyance, realising that this was the fifth time he had read the same sentence, annoyed at his lack of focus. Nikos Dupris was a very disciplined man, and it confused him that Mina Lane was causing such turmoil in his nicely ordered life. If she did not want to talk to him fine, she had a lot on her mind, her mother’s situation not a good one, cursing as he had once more realised that he had not followed the meaning of the words before him, restarting the sentence once again.

The ringing of his mobile phone had pulled him from these thoughts, as he had answered the call, forgetting to check the caller ID, again not something he ever did.

“Nikos Dupris” he had stated, his tone businesslike as he had once more moved his eyes to the start of the sentence, his whole body quickly stiffening as he had heard Mina, her voice hardly audible as she had sobbed on the other end “N…Nikos”.

Sitting up straight he had gripped the phone “Mina, what is it, what’s wrong?”

“M…my…mother” had been all she could manage, as he had closed his eyes, knowing only too well what that meant. His voice had been soft, soothing as he had quickly risen, moving from his chair “I’m on my way Mina…I will be there soon” another heart-wrenching sob the only sound as he had hung up, Nikos quickly leaving the building.

Reaching the Villa Aqua the driveway had been full with the doctor’s car and ambulance, he assumed to take away her mother. Moving quickly into the airy cool building he had scanned the area for any sign of Mina, his eyes finally falling on her as she had sat so silent, so still in a chair tucked into the corner. Around him paramedics, police and the nurse he had hired milled around, the area strangely quiet for the number of people moving around it. Quickly moving over he had hunched down before her taking her hands which still clutched the cell phone she had used to call him, her body stiff, face pale and shocked.

Taking her hands into his, she had looked over at him, those beautiful eyes of hers so full of despair and sadness, the hurt and loss tugging at him, Nikos wanting to pull her in close to take away all the pain in those eyes.

“We should go” he had whispered so gently, not sure what to say, as she had shaken her head. About to say more her eyes had flown to the general area, a low moan of pain like a wounded animal leaving her as the body of her mother had been moved out to the waiting ambulance. Tears filling her mournful eyes, spilling down her face as she had began to shake, her hands in his trembling violently. Whispering gently he had sat up besides her, pulling her into his arms as she had broke down into heartbroken sobs, her small body wracked with them. Nikos had been only able to hold her against him and make soothing sounds against her head wanting so badly to in some way stop all the hurt she was feeling.

As he had held her, the area around them had slowly emptied, the nurse, doctors and paramedics casting sympathetic looks in their direction as one by one they had all left. Finally only Alice remained, looking at Nikos offering to stay with Mina. He however had shaken his head softly as he had smiled warmly at her for her concern. Promising to phone the next day, she too had left leaving two of them alone, Nikos rocking her in his arms, hers around his neck clinging to him, her head against his shoulder.

For half an hour he had held her, neither talking as he had soothed her against him. When she had finally moved from him her eyes had been red and puffy, her features haunted and full of such pain. Holding his breath, he had never thought her more beautiful than at that moment, his hand stroking her softly.