With her words, his pleasant exterior had slipped, a cold dark look on his handsome face
“This has nothing to do with OUR company…it is because you are sleeping with him”.
Mina had gasped in hurt shock as she had spun round to face him, her mouth open to deny his words, to tell him that she had promised him long before they had become lovers. He however, had stepped even closer to her, his eyes only just suppressing the fury his whole body showed in his rigid stance.
“Oh Nikos is clever Mina” Mina had raised her small chin glaring at her step brother.
“What do you mean by that Alexander?” she had asked, her voice low, seeing as he had laughed at her “He has you exactly where he wants you”.
The other man had become serious, his eyes blazing down at her “You were his deciding vote, his ace up his sleeve, but then your mother died sooner than he had expected”.
He had not even paused as the pain had crossed her face.
“He had to find some other way of controlling you….making sure that you remained docile and obedient”.
With a contemptuous look he had snarled at her “So he made you his mistress….and what a willing little thing you were”.
Mina’s eyes had flown open with disbelief, her head shaking vehemently “No…no you’re wrong” her voice lacking conviction as Alexander had continued.
“You really think that some nobody school teacher from England, and the illegitimate daughter of his worst enemy would really attract a man like Nikos Mina”
His eyes scathing as he had rounded on her.
“Grow up little SISTER. He is using you, and once the vote is over you will be thrown back into your sad little life”.
Continuing to shake her head, she had moaned softly “No, no, no……I don’t believe you” as Alexander had pulled her around as she had tried to turn away from him. Pushing a card into her hand his look had changed.
“You can beat him Mina. Make him pay for what he is doing to you…what he has already done to you. There are people willing to pay you five million dollars if you vote against him”.
With her head still bent, he had ploughed on.
“Take the money. You owe him nothing”.
As the card had slipped from her fingers, he had placed it onto the table beside her, before turning and leaving the room, Mina struggling to hold the tears within her. Moving over to the window, she had stared unseeing out of it, her insides churning so alarmingly. His words had struck a chord; Nikos was a man of the world, and she a teacher. What could she possibly expect from him? The knowledge that she was kidding herself hurting, her heart crying out for what she knew she could never possibly hold onto. Moving from the room, she had returned to their bedroom, her mind in turmoil. Curling up onto the bed she had felt the pain fill her. The pain of the loss of her mother and now the knowledge of the inevitable loss of the man she loved, too sore even for tears, sleep finally freeing her from the avalanche of hurt.
Several hours later, Nikos had moved back into his home. In his hand the large bouquet of flowers filled the room with fragrance as he had smiled, his eyes scanning the area for Mina. Frowning he had moved into the living room, before the dining room. With a small scowl he had made to leave before his eyes had fallen on the small card on the walnut table. Picking it up his eyes had widened in disbelief, seeing the name of his competitor and the number written on the back. Flinging the flowers to the ground, he had felt the anger swell within him, her betrayal making that anger turn to rage as he had strode from the room, running up the stairs looking for her.
Entering their room, he had found her curled up on the bed in a deep sleep, but not a relaxed one, her face not serene but drawn her features showing such pain. Pausing for a second, his body once more reacting to the woman before him, he had chastised himself reminding himself of her betrayal before moving forward and grasping her shoulders none too gently to wake her, feeling as she had jumped in shock.
As Mina had awoken from her nightmare-infested dreams, her eyes had opened abruptly frowning in surprise, shock filling her features. Seeing a furious Nikos before her, her mouth had opened to ask what was wrong, but silenced before the words could leave her mouth as he had cut over her, waving the card in her face.
“What the hell is this Mina?” his voice full of the anger his face showed.
“You are selling me out…after everything I did for you…you are voting against me?”
Still groggy from sleep, she had fought to understand what he was saying, before the memory of Alexander had returned to her. With a wary look, she had opened her mouth to explain.