Securing the Greek's Legacy by Julia James Read Free Book Online Page B

advantage of her floundering.
    ‘The purpose of our marriage would be solely to ensure Georgy’s future,’ he said. ‘Once that has been achieved, then...’ he took a breath, never taking his eyes from her ‘...then there will be no need for it to exist.’
    She blinked. ‘I don’t understand.’
    ‘This is what I envisage,’ Anatole explained. ‘Marriage between us will surely secure Georgy’s adoption—we are the closest living relatives he has—but once he has been adopted then there will be no compelling reason why we have to stay married. We can get divorced.’ His expression changed. ‘Provided Georgy continues to be raised in Greece.’
    ‘Why is that so important?’ she asked.
    ‘Timon will insist,’ he answered. He paused a moment. ‘Timon will make Georgy his heir. He will inherit the Petranakos Corporation when Timon dies—just as Marcos would have done, had he lived.’
    Lyn frowned. ‘But you are his grandson too,’ she said. ‘Why won’t you inherit?’
    Anatole gave a quick negating shake of his head. ‘I am Timon’s daughter’s son—I am not a Petranakos. I have my own inheritance from my late father and I do not ,’ he emphasised, ‘seek Georgy’s. What I do seek—’ he took a scissoring breath ‘—are the powers required to run Petranakos until Georgy’s majority.’ His eyes rested on Lyn. ‘I do not need to tell you how very grave the economic situation is in Greece at the moment. Unemployment is rife and causing considerable distress. The situation at Petranakos is...difficult. And it has become more so since Timon’s illness. Worse, when Marcos was killed Timon decided to make a distant Petranakos cousin his heir—a man who, quite frankly, couldn’t run a bath, let alone a multi-million-euro business in a highly precarious economy! If he inherits,’ Anatole said flatly, ‘he’ll run it in to the ground and thousands will lose their jobs! I will not stand by and watch that happen!’
    He took another breath and kept his eyes on Lyn, willing her to understand what was driving him. ‘I know exactly what I need to do to get it on track again and safeguard all the jobs it provides. But for that to happen Timon will insist that Georgy grows up in Greece.’
    She heard the steel in his voice, the determination. Yet that did not change her reaction to what had to be the most absurd, insane suggestion she’d ever heard in her life! Even if he was wishing they could divorce later...
    She opened her mouth to say so, but he was still speaking.
    ‘You can see just why a marriage between us makes sense! Not only does it keep the adoption authorities happy, but it keeps Timon happy too! He will know that Marcos’s son will be raised in Greece, under my guardianship, once his days are gone.’
    And that, Anatole knew, would be exactly what Timon would want. He would expect Anatole to take care of Marcos’s son, raise him as his own.
    That is what I want, too!
    The realisation hit him as his eyes went once again to the diminutive figure in the buggy. Emotion welled through Anatole. Of course he would look after Marcos’s son—there was no question that he would not! He had known of his existence such a short time, known the tiny bundle for even less, but already that tiny bundle had seized upon his heart. He would never abandon him— never . That was an indelible certainty now.
    Whatever it took to make certain of it!
    Whatever...
    ‘It’s still impossible! Completely impossible!’
    Her voice, still high-pitched and strained, made him twist his head back round to her. She saw his expression change. Something about it sent a shaft of fear spearing through her.
    He spoke quietly, but there was a quality to that quietness that made her tense—something about the way his veiled eyes were resting on her. ‘Please understand that if we cannot agree on this, then...’ he paused a moment, then said what he knew he must say to her, to make it clear that he was set on this