Page 32 of After-Hours Heir

He had been battling some sort of attraction to her for years, separate to the texts. Would they have succumbed to their attraction even not knowing?

The idea was an intoxicating one.

And yet, he rejected it. The idea that he and Sylvie were anything like fated was a ridiculous one. He didn’t believe in fate.

He believed in fighting until you had no breath left in you. That was when you got what you were owed. And only then.

“I suppose not,” he said. “I wasn’t born with money. I wasn’t born with a family legacy to inherit. I have fought for my survival.” He felt a strange hollowness at the center of his chest. He looked behind her, his gaze meeting the back wall. “Do you know, I read somewhere that human beings can die from loneliness. I thought that was fascinating. And it reinforced the decisions that I made as a youth. If you cut out the part of yourself that craves connection, you would be amazed at what you can accomplish. No matter the circumstances. It is a strength. A survival skill.”

He looked back at her, and he saw concern on her face. He didn’t like it. It made him feel something warm that seemed to surpass that block of ice. He didn’t want to feel that.

“What do you mean…fighting for your survival?”

“You are always fighting for your survival. If you think you aren’t, then you are putting yourself in danger.” He shifted topics. “I will call my lawyer and make sure that the documents are not processed. That means the sale will never go through. Everything will be as it was.”

Any interest or curiosity he’d seen on her face the moment before vanished, replaced by anger. “You know you’re a bastard for holding this over my head.”

“Perhaps. But are you not somewhat mercenary for being swayed?”

“No. It’s a terrible time for me to have to figure out something new to do with my life. Maintaining the company maintains a legacy for my child.”

“Your child has a father who’s a billionaire.”

She looked down at her hands then back up at him. “Yes. I suppose. But we’ll see how long your interest lasts. And whether or not you decide—”

Fury made him interject. “I will never abandon my child. I will never leave them to fend for themselves. Never.”

It was rare for him to show emotion. Or maybe it was just rare for him to feel it. But the way she looked at him, with a deep measure of skepticism, irked him. “Never,” he said again.

“I don’t trust you,” she said. “And why should I? Why should I trust you at all?”

“I’ve done nothing to earn your trust. I have done nothing to earn anyone’s trust,” he said. “And I won’t start now. I also don’t give my word. Not lightly. And really, not ever. Because I do not make promises to people. But I will promise you this. My child would be cared for. Always. They will never worry about a thing. Ever.”

“And what about me?”

He looked at her, and he chose to focus on the coldness in the center of his chest. “What about you?”

“I need assurance that I’m going to be taken care of. That you won’t take our child away.”

“I would not,” he said. “Because I believe…more than one parent must be involved.”

“We will sign an agreement.”

“Obviously there will be a detailed prenuptial agreement.”

She stared at him, and the nod she gave was almost imperceptible, but it was there. “Excellent. I will call my lawyer and have the paperwork for the acquisition stopped.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

SYLVIEWALKEDBACKto the office on numb legs. She was going to have to tell everyone that the acquisition was off. And that they had a very substantial injection of cash promised by Christos Onassis.

And it was inevitable that the rest of the story would come up.

She felt like she was in a haze. How was this possible? If her father were alive, she would’ve had the fortitude to tell Christos no. She would’ve been able to cope well enough to reject him. It needed to be done. Instead…

She had seen the easy way, and she had taken it.

Really? You really think the easy way is being married to Christos Onassis? It has nothing to do with the fact that you’re…fascinated by him?