The Other Side of Greed
Page 30
“Who’s that?” I ask. Next to me Emma makes another drooling sound. “Callum Sandersby.” She fans her face, then catches me observing her with amusement. The name rings a bell.
“Hollywood heart throb,” she gushes.
“Neville never had that effect on you,” I remark.
“The perks of my new job.”
“Go on, then,” I urge her. But like me and Fredrich, Emma chooses to stay here and observe things from a distance. Kyra seems to be at home with her famous friends. I'll go over soon, once they've all caught up.
“Would it be too unclassy to ask for their autographs?” Emma asks, searching the pockets of her jeans. Kyra beckons to me, waving at us to come over.
“Here,” I pull out a pen from my shirt. “You could get him to sign your arm.”
Emma takes the pen. “Him? I want them both.” And off she marches.
This has taken some getting used to, Emma in jeans and casual clothes. My polished and efficient PA is now doing a stellar job working for Kyra, but everything about her is different. Her face is softer, she laughs more, she glows.
Kyra said the same about me a few days ago. She told me she'd noticed a change in me. When I tell her that she was responsible for the change, she refuses to take credit for it.
Neville loathes me and my new business ideas, which isn't a problem for me. He says it’s just as well that my father has stepped away from the business otherwise he would die of a heart attack.
I don't keep the old man appraised. He's far too frail, and not always with it. My mother looks after him, but he also has private nurses to tend to him. He's not the sharp and astute man he used to be. I don't allow myself to get angry at him for what he did to us, to me and Kane, by keeping us apart.
But what I can do is reach out to Kane and try to make up for the lost years between us. A thought pinches the edges of my brain, leaving a sharp pain to cut through me.
What if Kane isn't here anymore? What if he ...
But that's as far as I'll let myself think.
He is alive. He has to be.
I will find him and we'll be together again.
Fredrich swipes a hand over his face before sniffing his armpits.
“They're not going to kiss you all over,” I tell him. “They've both got boyfriends.” I assume he's salivating over Elias' girlfriend and sister.
“Emma,” Fredrich murmurs. “She's single, isn't she?”
My eyes threaten to eject from their sockets. “Emma?”
He nods slowly.
“She's a few years older than you,” I tell him, not that age matters. Or social strata.
I glance at the group of people he's staring at, but all he can see is Emma. And all I can see is Kyra, even though there's a heavyweight champion and a Hollywood movie star in that group.
“You were supposed to be getting all set up in the new warehouse, not making eyes at her, or planning your next move.” I pat Fredrich on the back.
“I was,” he growls back.
“We should go over,” I suggest but he shakes his head, surprising me. This huge hulk of a guy is too shy to be around Emma. I would never have guessed.
People didn't surprise me before. Not even the Jessicas of this world. I had them all figured out; the ones who surprise me are these people I prefer to be around more than anything—the Redhill crew. They surprise me, and always for good reason.
We've also recently learned that the fire started because a gas line connected to the factory ruptured and a tiny spark must have set off an explosion which caused the fire. It was nothing to do with Neville at all.
“One of us needs to go over. It doesn’t look good.”
Elias glances in my direction as I walk towards him. He reaches out with his hand. “Good to meet you,” he says, as Kyra introduces us.
“Great to meet you.” His handshake is everything I would expect from a heavyweight champion. I'm about to shake hands with the movie star next when someone tugs at my shirt from behind.
“Brandon.” It's Stefan.
“Hey, buddy.” I turn around and we high five each other. It's been a while since I've seen the kids because they don't come to the food nights anymore. The outcome of the fire could have been so much worse, and we were lucky they got out alive. They should never have been there that late at night in the first place. After what happened, I insisted on getting Yvette help. Now she has a nanny whenever she needs it. I've also helped the family to move into a bigger place, somewhere nicer and safer.
Kyra tells me that I can't get too involved, and that we’re doing all we can to help people, but how can I not get that involved when it comes to children?
The guilt I carry with me is like a chokehold, slowly taking my breath away. Helping Stefan and his family is my way of doing the things I wasn't able to do for Kane.
Stefan tells me what he's been up to, and how much he likes his new school, and about all the friends he's made. That makes me happy.
I bend down so that my eyes are level with his. “Elias Cardoza is over there.” I recall how ecstatic he was on the night Eli won the fight.
“I know. I saw him talking to you, but I wanted to talk to you first.”
I swallow. Because when a child looks at you with admiration, and picks you over a heavyweight champion, it's hard not to be moved.
“It's cold out here.” I rub my arms. “How about we go inside and get some burgers?”
“Lemme get a selfie with Elias first.”
“Meet you inside, buddy.”
He runs away, just as Kyra comes up to me. “That boy adores you,” she says, taking my hand. We watch as Elias poses with Stefan and Holly who has come out of nowhere. Their faces are all lit up with happiness and they look nothing like the kids I first saw.
I look at Kyra. Her eyes are glassy. “It's never too late, Brandon.”
I was supposed to persuade her, albeit into doing something that was so wrong for her. But the tables have turned and now she's the one persuading me, except she’s coaxing me into doing the right thing.
It's why I love her so much. So much. Her love for me is fierce and strong, and I can feel it in every cell of my being. It shines so brightly that I no longer recognize the man I used to be.
The man Neville misses.
The man Emma is proud of.
The man Kyra loves.
“I'm going to reach out,” I tell her. “I'm going to find my brother and make amends.”
She lifts up on her toes and kisses me. “Oh, Brandon. That's wonderful. Just wonderful.”
She's taught me that it's not too late, that every life is precious, and that people can be saved.
I should know, because she saved me.
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Thank you for reading THE OTHER SIDE OF GREED! I hope you enjoyed Brandon and Kyra’s story as much as I loved writing it.
There’s more to come in THE SEVEN SINS series. Even though these books can be read as a standalone, some of the characters interconnect. If you haven’t yet read Eli’s story, you can do so in THE WRATH OF ELI
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A boxer who wants the belt, a journalist who wants the story ...
Elias Cardoza gets a shot at the world heavyweight title but nobody expects him to win. But this fighter from the mean streets of Chicago is determined to prove everyone wrong.
Harper Lindstrom, a journalist from the local paper, has to shadow him for a month.
Elias despises her on sight. He doesn't need this diva prying into the past he is trying to ease.
One-Click THE WRATH OF ELI
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If you want to read about the Hollywood movie star mentioned in this book you’ll want to check out THE LIES OF PRIDE which features Eli’s sister, Nina, and the Hollywood heartthrob she saves.
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If you want to know when Kane’s book will be ready, SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER:
http://www.lilyzante.com/newsletter
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If you’ve read all of THE SEVEN SINS books so far and are looking for something else to read before the last two books are ready, you can one-click THE PROMISE.
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This is the FREE prequel to a rollercoaster ride of a romance between a tormented billionaire and a debt-ridden single mom.
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I appreciate your help in spreading the word, including telling a friend, and I would be grateful if you could leave a review on your favorite book site.
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Thank you and happy reading!
Lily
Booklist
The Seven Sins:(New Series) A series of seven standalone romances based on the seven sins. Steamy, emotional, and angsty romances which are loosely connected.
Underdog (FREE prequel)
The Wrath of Eli
The Problem with Lust
The Lies of Pride
The Price of Inertia
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The Billionaire’s Love Story: This is a Cinderella story with a touch of Jerry Maguire. What happens when the billionaire with too much money meets the single mom with too much heart?
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The Promise (FREE)
The Gift, Book 1
The Gift, Book 2
The Gift, Book 3
The Gift, Boxed Set (Books 1, 2 & 3)
The Offer, Book 1
The Offer, Book 2
The Offer, Book 3
The Offer, Boxed Set (Books 1, 2 & 3)
The Vow, Book 1
The Vow, Book 2
The Vow, Book 3
The Vow, Boxed Set (Books 1, 2 & 3)
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Indecent Intentions: This is a spin-off from The Billionaire’s Love story. This two-book set consists of two standalone stories about the billionaire’s playboy brother. The second story is about a wealthy nightclub owner who shuns relationships.
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The Bet
The Hookup
Indecent Intentions 2-Book Set
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Honeymoon Series: Take a roller-coaster journey of emotional highs and lows in this story of love and loss, family and relationships. When Ava is dumped six weeks before her Valentine’s Day wedding, she has no idea of the life that awaits her in Italy.
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Honeymoon for One
Honeymoon for Three
Honeymoon Blues
Honeymoon Bliss
Baby Steps
Honeymoon Series Boxed Set (Books 1-4)
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Italian Summer Series: This is a spin-off from the Honeymoon Series. These books tell the stories of the secondary characters who first appeared in the Honeymoon Series. Nico and Ava also appear in these books.
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It Takes Two
All That Glitters
Fool’s Gold
Roman Encounter
November Sun
New Beginnings
Italian Summer Series Boxed Set (Books 1- 4)
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A Perfect Match Series: This is a seven book series in which the first four books feature the same couple. High-flying corporate executive Nadine has no time for romance but her life takes a turn for the better when she meets Ethan, a sexy and struggling metal sculptor five years younger. He works as an escort in order to make the rent. Books 4-6 are standalone romances based on characters from the earlier books. The main couple, Ethan and Nadine, appear in all books:
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Lost in Solo (prequel)
The Proposal
Heart Sync
A Leap of Faith
A Perfect Match Series Books 1-3
Misplaced Love
Reclaiming Love
Embracing Love
A Perfect Match Series (Books 4-6)
Standalone Books:
Love Inc
An Unexpected Gift
An Ordinary Hero
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Acknowledgments
As always, I would like to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to my amazing group of proofreaders for their patience and support, and for calmly accepting my ever-changing deadlines. These ladies check my manuscript for errors, typos, inconsistencies and strange words and phrases which often find their way into my story.
Without them, I wouldn’t have the confidence to release each book and I am eternally grateful for their help and support:
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Marcia Chamberlain
April Lowe
Dena Pugh
Charlotte Rebelein
Carole Tunstall
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I would also like to thank L J Andersen of Mayhem Cover Creations for creating the awesome cover.
Also, a big ‘Thank you’ to Karn Jones for coming up with the title to this book. It was perfect for this story.
About the Author
Lily Zante lives with her husband and three children somewhere near London, UK.
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Connect with Me
I love hearing from you – so please don’t be shy! You can email me, message me on Facebook or connect with me on Twitter:
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Copyright © 2021 Lily Zante
The Other Side of Greed (#5 The Seven Sins)
Ebook Edition
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All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.
The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book through the internet or any other means without the prior written consent of the author is illegal and is punishable by law.
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This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously and do not bear any resemblance to any real person, alive or dead.