The Ransom by Chris Taylor Read Free Book Online Page B

the creases lining his forehead and the crow’s feet in the corners of his eyes, he’d either spent way too much time in the sun, or else had waved good-bye to thirty some time ago. Not that she had a thing about age. In fact, she didn’t have any set of criteria with which to judge a potential boyfriend.
    Always a high achiever, in high school she’d been too caught up in Pythagoras’ theorem and solving quadratic equations to be bothered with boys. Attending a prestigious all-girls school hadn’t helped. Opportunities to socialize with the male species had been limited to a school dance twice a year and the right to be partnered by someone to her high school graduation. In the end, she’d chosen a male cousin for the role, a choice her ever protective father had quietly applauded.
    Even her university days had been filled with more work than play. Following in the footsteps of her forebears, she’d enrolled in a degree that combined economics and law. Having been awarded a full scholarship, she’d felt the need to put even more effort into her studies in order to pay tribute to the honor she’d been bestowed. And that had paid off. She couldn’t deny her enviable university results had led to the numerous job offers from illustrious law firms right across the country in the weeks prior to her graduation.
    Of course, she could have gone to work for the firm set up by her grandfather. Although her father no longer practised law, her choice to begin her career in the firm founded by her family would have been met with paternal pride and satisfaction. But, in the end, she’d chosen Breakers, a large law firm based in Sydney. It not only allowed her to put her exceptional legal skills to use, but also, the firm had an enviable reputation for philanthropy, an attitude and way of life she held in high esteem.
    Zara had been raised with the knowledge her mother had been born in a tiny village in the Philippines where the majority of its residents were unemployed. Anna Mendoza’s family had depended upon the mercy of charities and philanthropic entrepreneurs in order to survive.
    Zara had always loved hearing the story her father told about how he’d traveled to her mother’s village as part of a group of volunteers working for a charitable organization during his university days. Her father told her many times, that within moments of meeting Zara’s mother, he’d known she would one day become his wife.
    Two years after their initial meeting, the recently graduated lawyer returned to the village and claimed her for his bride. After marrying Zara’s father, life became much different for Anna Mendoza, but Zara never forgot the stories her father told her about the poverty and desperation that had influenced her mother’s early life.
    It was one of the reasons why Zara gladly worked eighty-hour weeks and was rarely home before Brittany’s bedtime. Part of every billable hour she recorded was donated by Breakers to charities around the world. It meant her social life was largely non-existent, but that was a sacrifice she was prepared to make. Over the years, she’d never had cause to lament her lack of boyfriends. Until now… until the arrival of Detective Black.
    A wave of emotion surged through her, leaving her feeling fluttery and restless. With it came the wholly unfamiliar feeling of jealousy when she remembered the smile he’d given to the house maid. So what if he’d flirted with Emily? The girl might not have an original thought in her head, but she was pretty and fun and knew how to make a man smile. Zara had watched her in action with a few of the younger gardeners on more than one occasion. She could hardly blame the detective for being interested.
    With a disgruntled sigh, she turned away from the window and paced the length of her sister’s bedroom. She was more than content with her life. She was happy with how things were turning out.
    She worked hard at a job she enjoyed. She was surrounded by a