All In by Simona Ahrnstedt Read Free Book Online Page B

had never been discussed for obvious reasons. Alexander De la Grip hadn’t taken his calls. And it had become clear during their lunch that Natalia would never go against her family. No, that route was closed.
    â€œMy wife wants to buy a castle in Sweden. Apparently all of her friends are doing it,” said Gordon. “Where is SkÃ¥ne anyway? Is there anything for sale there? Y’all have a bunch of castles for sale, right?”
    â€œThe nobility in SkÃ¥ne are as snobby as hell. They’re going to hate you. You’ll love it.”
    â€œThen you’ll have to come by and say hello,” Gordon said. “We’ll throw a big party.”
    David smiled. He and Gordon had that in common—a total lack of respect for old-money names.
    â€œDavid?”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œWas there anything else?”
    â€œMaybe.” David had no idea why he was asking. There was no rational reason, but he spoke the word all the same. “I need your help with something,” he said slowly.
    â€œMore money? Should I talk to my bank?”
    â€œNo, it’s something else,” David said. “You know Sarah Harvey, don’t you?”
    â€œThe singer? My first wife sang in some choir with her, and we’re godparents to Sarah’s daughter.”
    â€œI need a favor.”
    Â 
    Five minutes later David hung up, wondering what he was actually doing. But he shook off the sense of having set something in motion that he couldn’t control and instead called out for his assistant, Jesper Lidmark, a young student from the Stockholm School of Economics. Jesper came into the office and gave David a questioning look.
    â€œI want to send something to Mrs. Gordon Wyndt,” David said. “It needs to be really exclusive and look expensive. Call Bukowskis and ask them to pick a vase or something else we can send.”
    Half an hour later, David received a call from Gordon.
    â€œIt’s arranged.”
    â€œThanks,” David said. “Now I owe you a favor in return.”
    â€œCan I ask what this is all about?”
    David heard the dog yelping in the background, and he could picture Wyndtham Castle: green hills, a steaming pool of Italian marble, party tents and celebrity guests, an extensive renovation that had destroyed centuries of patina and reverberated through the British and American press.
    â€œA deal,” he lied.
    â€œYeah, right,” Gordon said dryly and hung up.

6
    â€œA re you going to see him again?” Åsa asked, inspecting the red floral dress on the hanger she’d just pulled out with a critical eye. “You and the pirate?” She glanced inquisitively at Natalia before hanging the dress back on the rack. She was too curvy to get away with a pattern that big.
    â€œUh, no,” replied Natalia, fingering a jacket. Gray, of course. That woman was hopeless when it came to clothes. Åsa wasn’t even sure if Natalia owned any clothes that weren’t gray, beige, or possibly navy blue. That’s what happened when you spent your days competing with testosterone-overloaded finance guys. And when your fashion advice came from a mother who thought anything that looked good on a young woman was vulgar. It killed your taste in clothes.
    â€œBut you liked him,” Åsa said. Natalia’s cheeks turned pink. So, not even super cool Natalia De la Grip could withstand bad boy David Hammar.
    Ã…sa pulled out another dress and scrutinized it carefully. This green color would actually suit her. She glanced over at the clerk hovering nervously in the periphery. “In my size?” she asked curtly. The clerk nodded and hurried off.
    â€œDo you have to sound so unpleasant?” Natalia said, now holding up an insipid jumpsuit and looking like she was about to whip out her gold card.
    â€œDon’t you already own one of those?” said Åsa, looking at the jumpsuit with disdain. Natalia visited her