It was only after unfolding it completely that she realized it was a cheque, not from Konstantinos but Anastasios, and for a truly obscene amount.
Her stomach dropped to her toes and she sobbed, but not for Konstantinos, so much as for how Anastasios had made her feel. For as long as she lived, she wouldn’t give him another thought. He didn’t deserve that.
Despite her mountain of debts, she tore the cheque in half in a wild burst of anger, the cathartic act almost convincing her she could actually succeed in forgetting this whole unpleasant business.
* * *
Anastasios pressedhis back against the stone wall of the townhouse, eyes closed, breath coming in hard spurts as he reckoned with what had just happened, mind going into overdrive.
He was no inexperienced teenager.
He’d had plenty of experience controlling his baser urges, but this was something else. He couldn’t explain it. There were no words to do justice to the level of need he’d felt for Phoebe bloody Whittaker. He knew only that she’d looked at him and something had exploded in his gut, propelling him across the room, making him kiss her, drag her to her bed. Hell, how close had he come to actually having sex with the woman?
And why was he now racked with a sense of remorse for stepping away from that?
Was this what it had been like for his father?
Disgust wrapped around him, filling his mouth with acid.
How had he allowed this to happen?
Straightening, he forced himself to focus on the world beyond him, on the street, the cars, the facts at hand. They’d kissed, that was all. It wasn’t a big deal. And now he was going to push her from his mind. He’d paid off his father’s responsibilities, and the matter would never be spoken of again.
Chapter3
AT FIRST, HE’D THOUGHT she was responsible. The call from a friend of his, Tommy Hardin, who happened to own a tabloid paper in the UK, had a sleazy story about Kon and a young Australian woman being in a secret relationship. There was even some speculation about a baby.
As far as he knew, that part was, at least, false. There had been no evidence of a child in that bedsit, so unless she’d given it up for adoption…
Had Phoebe sold the story to the paper? But to what end? He’d double the amount Kon had wanted her to have, simply to get her out of their lives for good. Perhaps for revenge, against Anastasios?
“Mate, I don’t want to run it, but I don’t know if I can sit on it forever. The source will just go to another paper. Can you deny it? Give me some proof it’s not true?”
Anastasios ground his teeth. “Who is the source?”
“I don’t know. Honest to God. They went to one of my photographers.”
“What kind of evidence do they have?”
Tommy let out a low whistle. “It’s true?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“I think it’s just a report at this stage. Idle gossip.”
“Then that’s all it is.”
“I’ve always liked your mum, Tasso. I don’t want her seeing this. The timing is particularly bad.”
Anastasios’ expression was grim.
“There’s more.”
“What?”
“The source reckons he might be able to get your father’s alleged mistress to talk. If the money’s right. Reckons she’s in a real mess, financially speaking. I’m not telling you this because I’m going to buy her story, but someone else might…”
Anastasios swore under his breath.