He looked at his Uncle and immediately knew he wasn’t going to like the plans set in motion after his phone call. His father’s brother had not been blessed with any children to inherit his portion of the company. The man looked smug and Leo knew that boded ill for his future. Petrina was his Uncle’s goddaughter. Suddenly Leo had a sneaky suspicion that the attorney had set things in motion he was sure to disagree with. Why else would Petrina be here unless she thought she had a chance at getting a ring on her finger?
“Leo!” his father demanded.“Explain what this is all about!”
Leo cleared his throat. “There’s a problem. Patéras, maybe we should discuss things privately...”
“What problem? With the stock?”
Leo nodded. “Yes. I really think we should discuss this first.”
“If the problem is with the stock, the board will hear about it eventually. They might as well hear it now. Tell us.”
Leo glared at the attorney. “Fine. This problem isn’t something we can just make go away.”
“Did you find the stock certificates?” his father demanded.
“Yes, but…”
“No buts! Where are they?”
Leo laid the folder he carried on the table. “In there.” When his father reached for them, he placed his hand on the folder. “He signed them away,” Leo told his father, not knowing how else to break the news.
“What do you mean he signed them away?” Vasil’s voice was very quiet.
Leo watched him carefully, monitoring his breathing and color, just in case the news was enough to cause his heart to seize. “Alexi transferred the stock to an American woman.”
His father was silent for so long, Leo wondered if he was still there.
“Patéras?”
“What is this game you are playing, Leo?” his father asked in a harsh whisper.
Leo sighed. “No game. Alexi signed all of his stock over to a woman named G. Larsen.”
“Gee? What kind of name is that?” his father snapped.
“I really don’t know, and it’s not her name, just the first initial. I’ve gone through his computer and I can’t find any reference to anyone that fits. The only thing I have is an address in Washington D.C. for her.”
Vasil pulled the folder out from beneath Leo’s hand and opened it. His eyes narrowed when he saw the transfer document. “Why would your brother do something like this?”
Leo shook his head. “I don’t know.”
The attorney leaned over and lifted out the papers, flipping through them. He scowled. “These are all legal. He gave away his part of the company.”
“This makes no sense.” Leo cringed inwardly as Petrina walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Leo. Your uncle warned me this had happened and he’s come up with a solution.”
Leo looked at his uncle and then back to Petrina. “What are you doing here?”
“Saving you.” Her smile had a calculating edge. “Your uncle has agreed to sign over his stock to me upon our marriage, giving you a controlling interest in the company once again. It won’t matter what Alexi foolishly did, you’ll still have control of the company.”
Leo stood up, forcing her to step back and remove her hand. “No!”
“Leo…” Petrina’s voice took on a petulant note that normally got her whatever she wanted.
Leo looked at his father. “I won’t be forced into marrying, not even for the sake of the company.”
Vasil stood up, meeting his gaze with an unwavering one of his own. “Go and do whatever you have to do to get this person to sign the stock back over to us. And figure out who this person was to your brother!”
“Don’t you think we should let the attorneys—”
“Okhi! You will go and fix this situation. If you choose not to do so, you can marry Petrina.”
Leo shook his head, anger filling him. “I will not be forced to marry—”
“You will if you want to retain your stock in the company. You’ve had no problem being with Petrina before, and it’s time you stopped playing around anyway. You’re thirty-one years old and it’s time you acted like the heir to an empire.”
Leo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Surely there has to be another way.” He looked at the attorney.
The man only shook his head. “Unless this person will willingly sign the stock back over to you, I don’t see any other option. Without Alexi’s stock, you and your father do not have a controlling interest in the company. Your uncle is free to do whatever he wishes with his stock.”
Leo turned to the man he’d considered family. “You would force me into a loveless marriage?”
“Arranged marriages worked for your father and myself. I don’t see a problem with my solution. Petrina will make you a lovely wife. The board has been lenient with your antics in the past, but the company needs a strong leader at the helm, not one that likes to play as much as he likes to work!” His uncle stared at him, daring him to lash out and prove himself unsuitable for the task ahead.
Leo was furious and growing closer to losing his temper with every passing moment. He turned back to give his father one last stare.“Fine! I will find this person and get the stock back.”
He snatched the file from the table and strode from the boardroom. His fury at being forced into such an untenable situation pounded in his veins. He had his valet ready a bag for him and headed straight for the airport. He wasn’t about to waste any time getting started.
His father and uncle hadn’t put a time limit on him accomplishing this task, but they would. That was the Moustakas’ way. Patience wasn’t a virtue and wasn’t something either of the hardheaded men had a supply of. They would give him a small amount of time to track this woman down, and then they would expect results—a return of the stock, or his ring on Petrina’s hand. Skata! Can this situation get anymore screwed up?
Chapter 2
Washington, D.C. …
Gemma Larsen sighed as she stepped into her small, cluttered office in the bowels of the Smithsonian Museum. In her hand was Tyler’s latest tuition bill. Her brother should have graduated by now, but last year he’d decided to enroll in graduate school. Gemma was happy for him, but with more education came a much bigger price tag. He’d applied for scholarships and fellowships to help cover the staggering cost, but just last week he informed her that he’d been turned down for most of them.
Better get it over with. She slid the envelope open. She fell into her desk chair in shock. “Twenty thousand dollars? By September first? It might as well be a million! God, Tyler. How do you expect me to come up with that much money?”
She felt tears of failure sting her eyes and dropped her head onto her desk. Her phone rang and she answered it without glancing at the caller I.D. or lifting her head. “Hello?”
“Gem? Hey, what’s wrong?” It was Aimee, her best friend.
“Hey, Aimee. Just another wonderful day in my life.”
“What’s Tyler done now?” Aimee’s voice took on a hard edge.
“I got his bill for next year in the mail today and made the mistake of bringing it with me to work. I just opened it,” Gemma told her, tears clogging her throat.
“Oh, sweetie! How bad is it?”
“Bad, Aimee. Really bad. Twenty thousand dollars for one year? How am I going to come up with that kind of money?”
“Why are you even considering this your problem?” Aimee fired back. “Tyler’s twenty-two years old. He should take responsibility for his own finances, not expect you to pay for everything. Look, he decided to go to graduate school so he should take out a loan or get a decent paying job to cover the cost.”
“He has a job,” Gemma protested.
Aimee gave an unladylike snort. “Delivering pizzas a few hours each night and playing video games all day, everyday, isn’t a job and you know it! Tyler’s using you and you’re allowing him to act like an irresponsible kid. You need to focus on you and Damien for once
.”
“My parents…”
“Have been gone a longtime sweetie, and they would have never allowed Tyler to be so irresponsible. It’s time for him to grow up.” Aimee’s voice held compassion and kindness.
Gemma swallowed. It was hard to argue with Aimee. Knowing how tight Gemma’s money situation was, her friend had moved in with her two years ago to help ease some of the financial burden. But even with Aimee’s support, they still lived paycheck to paycheck. “I promised Tyler I would help put him through school…”
“A four-year degree, not graduate school. That’s on him.”
“I know we don’t see eye to eye on Tyler, but he’s getting good grades and after he finishes, he’ll be much more employable and then he can stand on his own feet.”
“You’ve been living paycheck to paycheck for so long, I don’t think you really see how Tyler’s using you.”
Gemma took a breath, having heard this same thing from Aimee more than once. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll think of something.” I always do.
Aimee snorted again. “If you find a way to make an extra twenty grand in the next three months, hang onto the secret. We’ll market it and make a killing. Sweetie, you don’t even make that much in three months’ time.”
“I know, but maybe I can pick up a few side jobs. I’ll figure out something.” Gemma bit her lip. “I should get back to work. I have to pick Damien up before five P.M. tonight…”
“Let me do it.” Aimee said. “I’m already off and was headed home anyway.”
“Are you sure? You probably have all kinds of things to do…”
“I wouldn’t have offered it I wasn’t willing to do it. Stop being so self-sufficient and let someone help you out for once.” The censure in her voice was the kind only a best friend could get away with using.
Gemma winced. “Fine, but don’t feed him too many snacks or he won’t want his dinner.”
“Yes, Mom. I’ll take care of him. You forget about that letter for the rest of the afternoon and get some work done. We’ll see you this evening.”
“Thanks, Aimee.”
“Don’t mention it—and I mean don’t.”
Gemma smiled as she hung up the phone. I’m so lucky to have a friend like Aimee. The woman had stuck with her through the worst time of Gemma’s life. When her parents died, Gemma’s life changed drastically. She’d taken full responsibility for raising her younger brother. At the time, she’d been romantically involved with Jason Stephens, her college boyfriend of two years. She’d believed they were heading for marriage.
Jason had been very supportive of her handling her parents’ affairs—until she announced Tyler would live with them till he was finished with school. Jason threw a fit. He’d tried to force her to let her brother go into foster care. Gemma shook her head. It was still hard to believe the man she thought she’d knew intimately was so selfish, lacking any compassion for others. She’d tried to make him see her brother was her responsibility, but he’d finally made her choose between her brother and him. She’d chosen Tyler. And I’d make the same decision again today!
Aimee had been there as she’d struggled with being not only an older sister, but both mother and father to a teenage boy. She’d encouraged Gemma to find some normalcy for herself. Gemma had gone on several dates, but the moment the guy learned she was raising her younger brother they’d broken things off.
Gemma exhaled loudly. So what! Aimee’s worth a thousand dates. At first, the rejections had hurt, and then she just stopped putting herself out there to be hurt. Even the thought of getting romantically involved with anyone left a sour taste in her mouth. Men are an additional problem I just don’t need in my life!
At least I have Paris. Gemma smiled. That was the only break in her self-imposed isolation she’d allowed—and what a break it was. Aided by too much champagne and a suave Mediterranean man who’d swept her off her feet. Her smile faded. That disappointment was the worst of all.
She’d found herself pregnant and all alone, no knowledge of where the father had gone, or if he would ever return. She wasn’t even completely sure he’d told her his real name, a fact that still grated on her nerves even two years later. God, I was such a sucker back then!
Gemma had quit believing in her own judgment where men were concerned after that. Now she kept to herself, worked as many hours of the day that she could, and loved on her little man. It was hard and lonely, but Aimee was always there to cheer her up. Besides, the minute she walked into the apartment this evening and held Damien in her arms, all of the day’s troubles would disappear.
He was her world, and none of this other stuff mattered in the least. The money needed for Tyler’s schooling was concerning, but she’d figure it out just like she’d done numerous times before. The fact that this was almost twice what she’d needed to come up with a year ago was like getting punched in the gut, but it was for her baby brother. I want him to succeed, and if I need to cut back to see that happen—well, that’s just what I’ll do.
Gemma pushed the tuition letter into her purse, trying to forget she’d even seen it. She turned to the work in front of her. Past and future can just take a backseat for now. Things have always worked themselves out before. They will do so again. Somehow…
Chapter 3
Washington, D.C.
Smithsonian Museum of Modern Art…
Leo navigated the museum, making his way towards the escalator that would take him to the third storey. He was impatient to make up for the lost time. In the past, coming to the U.S. was as easy as filing a flight plan and making sure his passport was current. Today it was a different story. Given the increased security measures, there had been forms to fill out and approvals needed before he’d received clearance to land his private jet at Dulles National Airport. While Leo understood the need for caution in these troubling times, his impatience to resolve the issue surrounding his brother’s stock was eating at him. I want this over and done with.
He’d hired a private investigator en route to the States, providing him with the address of G. Larsen and asking the man to find out everything he could about the woman in twenty-four hours’ time. Thanks to the lack of time, the private investigator’s report wasn’t all that thorough. Leo had been promised pictures of G. Larsen, but as of yet they had not arrived.
He stepped off the escalator on the third storey of the art museum and walked towards the left gallery, reviewing what he did know about this person.
The ‘G’ stood for Gemma. She was twenty-eight years old. She worked at the Smithsonian Museum in the art restoration department and lived with a man named Damien. The private investigator hadn’t included any work history for him. Leo assumed he was a freeloader and Gemma was carrying the financial burden for them both.
She lived in a rough part of Washington D.C. The report suggested he shouldn’t venture there unescorted due to the high crime rate. The man promised more information for him tomorrow, but Leo wasn’t content to wait. He’d called the museum upon landing at Dulles and was now headed towards the gallery where he was told Gemma Larsen would be working today.
He stepped into a large exhibition room. Glancing around, he saw a group of three women gathered around a table at the far end. Several other visitors were present, including a group of school-aged children and their tour guide. The guide wore a headset and droned in a monotone about the paintings displayed on the walls and the artists who had created them.
Leo took advantage of the other people to draw nearer to the small group of museum employees unobserved. Of the three women, one of them most definitely was not his target. The older woman had graying hair and spectacles perched on the bridge of her nose. No way she’s twenty-eight.
The second woman had long blonde hair, pulled up on top of her head in a neat ponytail. When she spoke, Leo cringed at her high-pitched voice. I hope she’s as young as she sounds. Maybe sixteen, seventeen possibly, but clearly still in her teens.
That left the thi
rd woman. She had her back to him. The tour group stopped in front of her and Leo mentally cursed, impatient to see what she looked like. She appeared to be very trim, possibly a little over five and a half feet tall. Her auburn hair was pulled haphazardly to the top of her head, secured with a cheap plastic hair clip. Even though the curve of her neck was delicate, her hands drew his attention.
Her long fingers moved skillfully over the area of the painting she was carefully cleaning. She moved her tiny brush in small strokes. He was amazed to see that her nails were completely unadorned. When her left hand came into view, he saw she wasn’t wearing any rings. Was I given the right information?
The report stated Gemma lived with a man named Damien. Leo had assumed that meant she was married. But if this is Gemma, and she wears no ring, is she living with a man without the benefit of marriage?
In Greece, she would be an embarrassment to her family and herself for acting in such a way. What on earth would cause Alexi to give a fortune to a woman like that?
Just then, the woman’s cell phone rang. She pulled the device from her apron and excused herself to walk a few feet away. Leo drew close enough that he could overhear her side of the conversation.
“Aimee? What’s wrong?” Leo could hear the worry in her voice, but then her husky laugh belied that assumption. “Well, I’m happy to know you’ve been thinking about me. Care to share this brainstorm with me?”
There was silence. He observed her from behind a pillar, watching as she listened intently to whomever was on the other end of the call. He could still only see the back of her body.
“Are you serious? Aimee, that’s the most hair-brained scheme I’ve ever heard of. Firstly, I can’t line dance, let alone entice men by swinging around a metal pole. Secondly, I don’t think even exotic dancers can make the kind of money I need inside of three months.”
Single Daddy's Valentine: (A Small Town Fake Fiancee Romance) Page 20