Her astonishment was convincing. Very convincing.
But not to him. It only made him angry—like a wounded jaguar.
‘Are you going to try and deny it?’ he retorted.
‘Yes! Of course I am!’
‘And what else are you doing to try and deny?’
‘What do you mean?’ Her voice was hollow, strained.
‘Tell me—what was my main attraction to you, Flavia? What made you stop totally ignoring my calls and get in touch with me? Accept my invitations?’ He paused. A deadly pause. ‘Have an affair with me …?’
Her eyes were wide, so wide, as she made herself answer. Emotion was storming through her. Making it hard to speak. Impossible to think.
‘Because … because I couldn’t say no to you …’
Leon’s gaze speared her. ‘Really? Or because you couldn’t risk saying no to me …’
That flush came again—a fateful, betraying dull flaring of colour staining her cheekbones. Staining her conscience.
‘I have to explain.’ It was a whisper. A plea.
‘Do you? I don’t see why. Your father gave me all the explanation I need.’ His voice was chill.
Her expression stilled. ‘What did my father say to you?’
Now it was her voice that was chill. Leon’s face hardened. ‘He said quite a lot.’
Flavia’s chin lifted. A cold pit had formed in her stomach. ‘What did he tell you?’
What lies has he fed you—and why are you believing them?
She wanted to shout the words at him—but the cold inside her was taking over, freezing through her veins. Paralysing her.
Leon’s level gaze never left her face. ‘He said that you were determined to hang on to this place—whatever you had to do to keep it.’
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Leon’s eyes were like the talons of a hawk, tearing into her. Cruel and pitiless.
He was speaking again, and she had to force herself to hear him through her faintness.
‘You wanted to keep me sweet so I would be likely to bail out your father. Until your father told you he didn’t need me any more—then you didn’t either. So you left me.’
She shook her head violently. ‘No! No—Leon—listen. That wasn’t why I left!’
She stepped forward, as if to cling to him, but his hands closed over her elbows like a vice. Holding her away from him. His face was dark like thunder.
‘Don’t lie to me!’
‘Leon—listen to me—please!’
‘No—you listen to me. I have one question—one question—and it’s a very simple one.’ His eyes skewered into hers, like stakes. ‘Did you or did you not finally answer my calls to you and agree to go out with me because I was going to rescue your father’s company? Just tell me the truth—yes or no?’
Her mouth opened—then closed. Her face worked.
‘Leon, I have to explain—’ She tried to speak but her throat was closed, stricken. Guilt and shame washed through her.
He thrust her back, letting her go, and she swayed.