The Art of Forgiving a Greek Billionaire by Marian Tee Read Free Book Online Page B

at every turn. You treated her like trash, and now you think I’ll let you waltz back into her life like nothing happened?”
    The words of Mairi’s aunt did not create fresh wounds inside him. It only made the ones that still existed burn more deeply and painfully. “I know,” he said tightly, “how much I hurt her. That’s why I’m here now. I need to tell her I’m sorry and that I love her—”
    Vilma’s responding laugh was scornful. “You have a very strange way of showing your love for Mairi.” Her next words took on a biting tone. “I’ve been following Greek business news closely, Mr. Leventis. You have been removed from your own board, almost all of your assets have been frozen, and half of Greece’s high society consider you as persona non grata. Don’t you think you have more important business to take care of back home?”
    “Mairi is my life.”
    Somehow, the words rang true even to Vilma’s ears, and she hated it. “Mairi is the same woman you believed was interested in you for your billions, Mr. Leventis. Why would you think she’d want to see now?”
    “I made a mistake not trusting her. I won’t do it again.” He added fiercely, “I won’t hurt her again.”
    “And that will make it all right, you think? To admit that you were wrong?”
    His voice did not change when he answered, “I will beg if I have to.”
    Her face hardened. “Then beg.”
    “Please give me a chance to speak to your niece. I just want to speak to her. It’s all I ask. Even a phone call – a text message or email. Any form of communication would suffice.”
    “On your knees.”
    Damen did not say a word, did not hesitate even for a millisecond. He simply got up from his chair and went down on his knees, uncaring of the scores of eyes that swung to him incredulously at his action.
    Even when he had his billions at his disposal, Damen had not been able to uncover a single clue about Mairi’s whereabouts, and he knew the chances of finding Mairi had become slimmer the moment he lost access to his own wealth.
    If begging was the only way to have a chance to see Mairi, then so be it.
    Vilma also slowly came to her feet.  
    And then she took the glass of water from the table and threw it at Damen. “That’s for making my niece suffer and for not protecting her from almost being raped.”

~ Nine ~
     
    Alina Kokinos felt suffocated by how crowded Miami’s airport was. It was her first time to find herself in such a situation. In the past, her family’s wealth had kept her from this. When their plane landed, there would always be a chauffeured car waiting on the grounds to whisk her off to wherever she wanted, with her passport and all travel documents processed while she remained in the comfort of the Kokinos jet.
    But life was different now.
    She was no longer an heiress, wasn’t even sure she had the right to use her family’s name now that she had been disinherited.
    Craning her neck, she tried to search the crowd for a familiar face, but there was none. Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she re-read the anonymously sent message for the nth time.
    If you would like to be the one to tell Damen Leventis where Mairi Tanner is, book a flight to Miami at this date and time. You will know then.  
    When Alina had received the message, she hadn’t paused to think. She had gambled the last of her money on the flight and left Greece – her first time to do so alone.
    Now here she was, feeling like she had been the victim of a prank.
    After all, it really did not make any sense. She really did not have anything to do with the rollercoaster affair between Damen Leventis and Mairi Tanner. She was simply a bystander, one who had won her freedom when they fell in love but found her heart enslaved when the two had parted and she saw a side to Damen Leventis that she thought she would never find in a Greek male.
    Ten more minutes and then she was out of here, Alina told herself before moving to another section of