The Greek Tycoon (11 page)
She went downstairs when she heard
Gregory come home from work, then she sat
Gregory, Heather and Ellie down after
Rhiannon had gone to bed.
“Dad I have some news for you. I
found out today that I am seventeen weeks
pregnant.” Katie said.
“Ok. So you had better call Andreus
then.” He said.
“This is nothing to do with him.”
“He is the baby’s father.”
“So? Like I said to mum, with his
reputation the baby would be better off
without him.”
“He has a right to know.”
“He gave up that right every time he
slept with another woman.”
“Katie why don’t you just hear him
out? The only proof you have is another
woman’s word! If you had caught him in the
act I would agree with you but that’s not the
case.”
“I don’t want to hear from or speak to
“You don’t have to be with him Kate.
Just let him be a part of this child’s life.”
“As if! Dad if he knew about this child
he would demand marriage, he would never
knowingly allow to have an illegitimate
child.”
“I still think you should tell him.”
“Well I don’t. And you have all got to
promise you wont tell him either. Him or
Mel.” The others agreed.
“How many times has he called
today?” Gregory asked.
“About ten times.”
“After four weeks? That should tell you
something Katie.”
“Who’s side are you on?”
“That un-born child’s.” Gregory stood
up and walked out of the room.
Chapter 24
Nikos walked into Andreus’ office the
last week in February. “We’re back!” He
grinned then frowned at the state of his
brother, he looked tired and drawn and in
desperate need of a hair cut and shave.
“Bloody hell! Who died?”
“What?” Andreus frowned.
and frowned.
“What’s happened?” Nikos asked.
“Where’s my niece?” Andreus asked
quickly.
“At the villa with mama and papa. Stop
changing the subject. What’s wrong?”
“It’s a long story.”
“What does Katie say about your
appearance?” Melissa asked.
“She doesn’t say anything at all to me
these days.” Andreus laughed bitterly.
“You’ve broken up?!” Nikos looked
stunned. “Did she say no when you
proposed?”
“I didn’t get a chance to ask.” Andreus
explained what had happened that evening
and how she had ignored him since. “I’m still
calling everyday hoping she’ll talk to me.
How desperate is that after eight weeks?”
“Why would mama say such things at a
huge party?” Nikos asked angrily. “An who
would make up such vicious lies?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”
Andreus yawned.
“When was the last time you slept
bro’?”
“I can’t remember.”
“So Katie is ignoring me!” Melissa
said.
frowned.
“No, not since New Years Eve. She’s
not answering my texts or returning my calls.
Why is she taking this out on me?”
“Probably because you are a part of this
family.” Nikos said.
“But we have been friends for longer!
I’m going to England tomorrow. Nikos can
you call the airline and arrange my flights
whilst I arrange the nanny and call Claire and
Tessa?”
“Consider it done.” Nikos picked up
Andreus’ office phone as Melissa walked out
of the office.
Chapter 25
Katie was sitting in Claire’s living
room talking to Claire and Tessa stroking her
small but already noticeable bump. “So did
you find out the sex of the baby yesterday?”
Claire asked.
“Yeah, it’s a boy, Rhiannon wasn’t very
happy about that.” Katie laughed as the
doorbell rang. Tessa jumped up to answer it
and came back followed by Melissa. Katie’s
face dropped.
“Hey!” Melissa smiled.
stomach with a cushion.
Melissa talked to Claire and Tessa for a
minute then the two girls left the room leaving
Katie and Melissa alone. “So. I spoke to
Andreus yesterday.”
“And?”
“Katie I understand you being upset
with him but why are you ignoring me?”
“You’re part of their family.”
“So! We’ve been friends since we were
five years old.”
“I know, but I don’t want anything to
do with that family ever again.”
“Including me? Is it that easy?” Katie
jumped up and the cushion fell to the floor.
“Easy? None of this has been easy for
me.” She shouted.
“You’re pregnant?!”
“Yes.”
“When are you planning on telling
Andreus?”
“I wasn’t planning on telling him at all
but I guess you will take care of that.”
“He has a right to know!”
“And I deserved to be treated with
decency and respect, which I never got from
YOUR family.”
“Nikos adores you, so does Theo.
Sophia is old fashioned and was totally out of
dressed her down for what she has done. As
for Andreus he is totally an completely in love
with you, he never cheated on you and he
never would. Who told you these disgusting
lies?”
“How do you know they are lies?”
“I know Andreus Kate, he would never
cheat. Besides when would he have had a
chance to? He was always at the office so he
could be with you at the weekends.” Melissa’s
voice softened. “He’s a mess Kate, he doesn’t
look like he has eaten, slept or shaved since
you left.”
“Speak to Courtney Lennox.”
“She told you the lies?”
“Whatever you want to call it, yes it
was her.”
“Trust me Kate, they are lies. That acid
tongued bitch has been trying to get her claws
into him for years, he has never been
interested in her.”
“Are you going to tell Andreus about
the baby?”
“I have to honey. He has a right to
know.” Katie nodded and walked out crying.
Heather was sitting in the living room
watching the television whilst knitting
walked in sobbing. “Hey what’s wrong? Is the
baby ok?”
“He’s fine. Melissa turned up at
Claire’s house.”
“She’s back from America?”
“Yes and she is going to tell Andreus
about the baby.”
“I know you don’t want to hear this but
I really think it is for the best. I also think it
would be better coming from you rather than
Melissa.”
“It’s probably too late for that, she’s
probably already called him. I am going to
ask Claire to baby-sit Rhiannon tonight, I bet
you any money you like he’ll be here tonight
and I don’t want her to be here when it all
kicks off.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” Heather
agreed. Katie called Claire and arranged for
her to pick Rhiannon up from school.
Andreus was sitting at his desk
pondering over his sketch which would bring
in millions when his desk phone rang. “Hi
Helena.” He answered to his reception.
“Andreus, Melissa is on the line.”
“Ok put her through.” He waited for the
connection. “Hi Mel, what’s up?”
“You need to come to London now.”
“Yes.”
“And she’s willing to speak to me?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Did she tell you who told her the
lies?”
“Courtney Lennox.”
“Damn, I should have guessed.”
“Andreus, there’s something
else…Katie is pregnant, I would say she’s
about six months.”
“Oh my God! She was never going to
tell me was she?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she would have
after she had, had it.”
“When it would have been too late. She
knows I would want to be there to see my
child’s birth.”
“You need to come over Andreus.”
“I’ll get the next flight.” He hung up
and called the airline.
Chapter 26
Andreus arrived at Heathrow airport at
seven o’clock, Melissa was waiting in
arrivals, he walked over quickly and hugged
her. “How did she look?”
“Tired, but otherwise ok. Better than
“Jeez thanks a bunch.”
“Did you call Courtney?”
“Yes, she denied everything of course
but I threatened her with a slander case if she
ever says anything like that about me again.”
“Dirty little whore.” Melissa mumbled.
“Why did she do it? I didn’t think you two
had been in contact for ages!”
“She tried it on with me when I was in
New York in July she obviously doesn’t like
being turned down so many times.”
“Why was she even at the New Years
ball?”
“She came with Luke Hamilton.”
Melissa drove him to Katie’s family home.
“Do you want me to wait for you?”
“No, I could be a long time especially if
she doesn’t let me in and trust me I wont be
leaving until she does.”
“Call me when you have spoken to
her.”
“I will.” He kissed her cheek and got
out. He watched her drive away drive away
before walking to the door. He took a deep
breath then pressed the doorbell. Gregory
opened the door surprisingly quickly.
“Hi Andreus.” He smiled. “Before I let
you in I need you to tell me honestly if you
ever cheated on Katie.”
“Ok.” Andreus followed Gregory
inside. Ellie and Heather stood up and left the
room. Katie was sitting on an armchair
twiddling her fingers nervously.
“Hi Kate.” He smiled as he sat on the
chair next to her. “Why are you nervous?”
“I’m not.” She was shocked to see how
he looked, tired, unshaven, his hair looked
longer and like he had been continuously
running his fingers through it.
“Yes you are, I can tell.”
“Ok, I am. I’m waiting for you to start
shouting at me.”
“What would be the point in that?
Shouting solves nothing, it would just upset
us both and the baby.”
“I’m sorry I never told you about the
baby.” Tears filled her eyes. “I was scared you
would make me go to Greece until I gave
birth then send me home and keep the baby.”
“Wow! You have a very low opinion of
me.”
“Is that surprising?”
“Kate, if you had told me who had told
you those awful lies in the first place, we
would have had this sorted in no time.”
“Lies.” She laughed bitterly.
“Yes, lies. I have never cheated on a
“So why would Courtney Lennox say
those things?”
“She has tried it on with me more times
than I can count in the last ten years, I have
turned her down every time and the most
recent was in New York in July, I told her I
had met the love of my life. She has obviously
taken it badly.”
“What about those other women?”
“There are no other women darling.”
“So you don’t know a Giselle in Paris?”
“Yes I do, we had a relationship three
years ago, it ended six months before I met
you.”
“Ok, how about a Keeley in Sydney?”
“Yes, we had a holiday romance when I
was twenty three. Anyone else?”
“Isabella in Milan?”
“Yes, we were together when I was
twenty four, we got engaged then we broke it
off three days before the wedding.”
“Sharron in England?”
“Bloody hell! She really has done her
homework! We were together for four years
between the ages of eighteen and twenty two
whilst I was at university.”
“Ok, Leoni in Greece?”
“What? How the hell does she know
about Leoni?”
“No there isn’t Kate.” he rubbed his
hands over his face. “Leoni was my first ever
girlfriend, we started dating when we were
twelve. I loved her so much Kate, you’re the
only person I have loved since.”
“Why did you break up?”
“We didn’t. She died when we where
sixteen.”
“Oh my God!” Katie closed her eyes.
“How?”
“She was walking to meet me at the
cinema, a car mounted the pavement and
killed her instantly.”
“Oh Andreus!” She took his shaking
hand and kissed it. “I am so sorry.”
“I still feel guilty for it. I would
normally have collected her but I was running
late and she and to walk alone.”
“Sweetheart, it’s not your fault, these
things happen as unfortunate as it may seem
there is nothing we can do about it. You are
not to blame. I cant believe that bitch used
Leoni’s name to break us up, that’s sick.”
“I don’t know how she even knows
about her!”
“People like her find out everything.”
“So you believe me? About
everything?” Andreus looked up hopefully.
quickly and in depth if it was made up.”
“Katie, I’m in love with you.”
“I love you too.”
“Will you come back with me Kate?”
“Andreus, I cant!”
“Why not? I have told you the truth,
you said you believe me. What’s the
problem?”
“Your parents. They will never accept
me, they disapprove of our relationship and
don’t tell me they don’t, I heard your mum
say it.”
“I’m not going to dispute it, she told me
exactly what she said as soon as I confronted
them. Papa does not disapprove of you, he
adores you. Mama apologised, she has had it
in the neck from papa, Nikos and I.”
“That doesn’t mean she will accept me
as your choice.”
“She has to Kate. This is my life and I
will choose my wife not her. I told them that
night that they either accept you and
Rhiannon or I am out. I’ll disown them Kate,
as much as I love them I want to be with
you.”
“You can’t do that!”
“I can and I will.”
“Wait a minute! Wife? You said you
would choose your wife?”
was trying to find you to ask you when I
found your dress and a letter instead.” Katie
closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry I ran away again. I should
have found you and spoken to you there and
then.”
“Yeah you probably should have, but
you were hurt and upset. We can make this
work Kate, with or without my family. All I
need is you, Rhiannon and our baby.”