by Risk, Mona
“Stefano,” she whimpered in a breath.
“Go.” He opened the door for her. “Go, before I stop you.”
She climbed out and stood on the sidewalk, watching the taxi speed away. Hope, desire and love swirled in her mind and her heart, and a tender smile lingered on her lips.
As she entered the hotel lobby a man came toward her. “Ms. Sheppard, I am Anton Benatis, your lawyer. We spoke on the phone.”
“Hello Counselor Anton. Thank you for representing Mr. Zanis. My grandfather counts on you to win the case.”
“I will do my best, counselor.” He gave her a once over and scowled at her shorts and bare legs. “I was worried about you as the receptionist couldn’t find you in your room. I hope everything is fine,” he added with a curious look.
“Everything is fine,” she answered with a placid smile. “We’ll have a vicious fight in court, but I’m used to winning my cases. I hope we’ll be done quickly. I’ll meet you here in half an hour.”
She couldn’t wait to get the hearing over with and be in Stefano’s arms again.
CHAPTER FIVE
At nine o’clock, Ashley walked up the three steps leading to the courthouse of Mykonos, a white stone house with blue shutters, similar to the many others in the harbor. Inside the small lobby a dozen men milled about, talking loudly, gesticulating, and creating an unbelievable racket. Clouds of fumes assailed her with the strong smell of cigarettes. She wrinkled her nose in distaste.
“This way. Sorry, no elevators in the courthouse,” Anton said. And probably no air-conditioning, either. Good thing she bypassed her usual suits and wore a beige skirt with a matching black and beige linen shirt. Anton led her to a stuffy corridor at the end of which they climbed to a second-floor hall with big windows, opened wide to admit a refreshing breeze. He approached a reception desk and talked to the court clerk.
“Our case will be the first one in the main chamber. They expect quite a crowd to attend. The whole town is excited about having a big, modern, luxurious resort that could accommodate a lot of tourists and bring good income to the local businesses.” His enthusiastic tone confused Ashley. Had he forgotten he was her grandfather’s lawyer, not the opposition’s or the town’s supporter?
“Mykonos didn’t strike me as a place where people were unemployed or poor.”
“Everyone can always use more money or a higher salary.”
Taken aback by this new aspect of the conflict that was supposed to be strictly between their opponent, Dimitri S. A. Kostapoulos, and her grandfather, she frowned. “The situation is not about building a resort for the town’s benefit, but first and foremost, it’s about preserving a cherished old house for its legal owner. And that is the way we will handle the debate.”
Had she hired the wrong attorney to represent them? Seriously worried by Anton’s personal preferences, she added with a firm tone. “Just remember that the Pink Villa is very dear to Mr. Zanis. He is paying you a lot to keep it.”
“Of course, counselor, I assure you I am dedicated to Mr. Zanis’ cause,” he said with an obsequious bow. “Let’s take our seats.”
The courtroom was similar to an American one. They sat at a small table and she opened the case folder to study her notes.
“By the way,” Anton added. “If you want to address the judge with a few words, you can do it. This is only a hearing, not the official judgment. I will translate for you.”
“Thank you.” Maybe Anton was trustworthy after all. She started reading the papers she’d organized in the folder. “Is the opponent coming or just sending his lawyer?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to Mr. Theodore Pastroudis in the last two days.”
Without lifting her eyes from her file, Ashley nodded and didn’t bother telling Anton, she had seen Ted yesterday. A half-smile curled her lips as she remembered their encounter and all that followed.
“What are they waiting for?” Anton huffed and checked his watch. “Everyone involved should be present by now. Ah, here is the opposition.”
Ashley raised her head as Ted entered the room, and behind him…Stefano, her gorgeous Greek sailor, in navy pants and light blue shirt. Her pulse raced with joy.
“Oh my God.” She couldn’t hold back an ecstatic smile. Her heart filled with reassurance. He’d told her he’d be waiting for her after the hearing, but he never mentioned he’d attend the session to support her. The hearing promised to be much easier than anticipated. At least Stefano’s presence would help her through the annoying motions with more confidence than usual.
Ted settled at the opposition table. Stefano sat beside him. He met her gaze with a stern look and didn’t return her smile. What was going on?
Her smile disappeared. Her pulse accelerated.
“Ah, he came after all,” Anton muttered.
“Who?” Still holding Stefano’s gaze, she mumbled the single word in a weak voice.
“Mr. Kostapoulos. He’s sitting next to his lawyer.”
“Mr… No.” Her breath stalled in her throat and her heart squeezed in denial and pain. “No,” she repeated while urging Stefano to refute the horrible possibility. He kept looking at her, a deep scowl between his eyebrows. “No, no.” He couldn’t be such a contemptible sleazebag. There must be an explanation.
The bailiff called, “All rise.” Ashley rose.
Her eyes still fixed on Stefano, she hardly paid attention to the judge’s entry and nudged Anton with her elbow. “What’s the name of the man next to Theodore Pastroudis?” She asked under her breath, hoping against hope, that she misunderstood his identity.
“I told you. He is Dimitri Stefano Alexios Kostapoulos.”
Oh God, he’d deceived her, tricked her, lied to her. Oh God, last night was a sham. A sob gurgled from deep in her throat. She hiccupped and inhaled to suppress it.
“Snake. Monster. Imposter,” she mouthed for him to read her lips. “Traitor, bastard, despicable SOB,” she uttered louder when he trapped her gaze.
Beside her, Anton shifted uncomfortably. “Hmm, you may be right. Kostapoulos would do anything to get what he wants.”
So that explained why he’d invited her onto his yacht, why he seduced her and…and…
Scenes from last night played in her memory. Three hours ago, she was still reeling from his kisses, asking him for a repeat, and he offered a quickie.
“I’ll kill him,” she groaned and met his somber look.
“Shh, counselor. Please watch your words. We are in court. The judge may hold it against you if he hears you.” Anton squeezed her hand, but the gesture didn’t appease her. Nothing could appease her as long as she kept staring at those beautiful lying eyes.
The judge glared at her and banged on his desk with his gavel. With effort, she averted her gaze, looked at the file on the table, and tried to calm her fuming rage.
“The judge is calling the plaintive,” Anton translated. “Mr. Pastroudis will present the case, then I will counter.”
Ted said something to the judge, then turned toward her. “I will talk in Greek and then translate every sentence in English for Ms. Sheppard’s benefit.”
“Thank you,” she automatically said, then bit her tongue. These snakes deserved poison not thanks.
“My client, Dimitri Stefano Alexios Kostapoulos, is requesting a permit for the demolition of the building known as the Pink Villa, located at 100 Thalatastriou Dhormo, and another permit for the construction of a beach resort. Said resort will encompass a hotel of five-hundred rooms, three swimming pools, a children’s playground, several restaurants, cafés, bars, boutiques.” He went on and on describing the new buildings.
In spite of herself, she cast a few glances toward Stefano. Instead of paying attention to his lawyer, he focused on her with the same grave expression. His eyebrows arched when he caught her looking at him. Once his lips parted on a please, but she averted her gaze and clasped her hands in her lap to hide their trembling.
Her breathing labored, she liste
ned to Ted’s presentation and weighed his arguments.
“We already have the plans for the new facilities that will bring immense revenues to our town.” Ted approached the judge to hand him rolls of blueprints while the audience clapped hands. His lengthy speech had given her the time to recover some self-control.
“It doesn’t bode well,” Anton mumbled. “The residents are delighted with the resort idea.”
“The Pink Villa is falling apart and represents a constant threat to our residents and tourists. We can’t expose our children to danger when they play in that area.”
Ashley pinched her lips and furiously scribbled notes on her pad.
“As you all know, the Pink Villa belonged to Mrs. Elena Kostapoulos, who died forty days ago. May her soul rest in peace.” Ted crossed himself three times and everyone followed suit, including Anton.
“Fifty percent of the shares are held by an American who hasn’t set foot in Mykonos for sixty years and doesn’t care about our beautiful island. One would wonder why he’s protesting the demolishing of the Pink Villa and improvement of Mykonos. That man caused the biggest scandal and so much pain to the Kostapoulos family—”
“Objection your honor,” Ashley blurted with as much assertiveness as if her heart was not twisting with pain. “You have no right to cast aspersions on the good name of an old man who has never stopped loving his Elena. He wants to preserve the Pink Villa as a shrine to their love.”
“Objection sustained,” the judge said. “Mr. Pastroudis, no verbal attack on the opposition.”
Ashley turned toward Stefano with a scathing look. “But of course what do cold-hearted contractors know about love or feelings. All they want is to achieve their goals at any price, regardless of whom they trample on their way.”
“Ms. Sheppard,” the judge admonished in broken English. “I just told Mr. Pastroudis to respect the opposition. That applies to you too.”
She didn’t bother to answer. Ted finished his presentation and sat.
“Anton, I will present our argumentation,” she said with a peremptory tone. “You translate.”
“But, Mr. Zanis hired me for—”
“I’ll start, and then you may fill in if I forget something.” Winning the case would be a small revenge for her bruised ego, but nothing would ever soothe the betrayal of her heart. She trusted herself to put the right tone in her response to Ted.
Anton explained to the judge her decision. All eyes turned to her curiously. Stefano had never stopped looking at her. He now scowled.
She stood and walked to the center of the room, addressing the judge. “Your honor, I came all the way from the USA to attend this hearing. Mr. Zanis is my grandfather. He’s also an eighty-two-year-old man in poor health. In Mykonos, you heard of this scandal and the feud between Mr. Zanis and the Kostapoulos family.” Crossing her arms, she surveyed the audience and studied their expressions, as her words were translated in Greek. Mostly curious smiles, interested looks, and a few sarcastic grins.
“Let me tell you the beautiful but sad story of two young people who loved each other. George Zanis—Yorgho as he was called here—was twenty, from a relatively poor family, who couldn’t afford to send him to college. He made the big mistake of falling in love with the prettiest girl in Mykonos. Elena was the daughter of the powerful mayor and richest man in town. To be able to ask for her hand in marriage, Yorgho worked two and three shifts a day as a mechanic and saved all his money. And then he did a crazy thing for the girl he loved. He bought an old house no one wanted, renovated it, and offered it to his girlfriend.”
During translation, she scanned her audience and let her gaze rest on Stefano. “As a lawyer, all I’ve seen in my life and in my personal experience are jerks who take advantage of innocent girls, or womanizers who collect nights of pleasure.”
A collective gasp answered her bold accusation. Stefano narrowed his eyes.
“But these young people were different. Innocents who believed in love. Unfortunately, Yorgho was rejected by Elena’s family. As a last resort to win her hand in marriage, he decided to seek his fortune in America and come back a rich man to marry her. Elena promised to wait for him. Like many young lovers, they gave in to their passion and shared a night in each other’s arms. Big mistake,” she spat out, with a disgusted glance toward Stefano who smiled.
God, how she wanted to punch that smile. She turned toward the judge. “You know the rest. A pregnant Elena was forced to marry to save the honor of her family. She lost the child two days before her wedding. What you don’t know is that Yorgho and Elena remained friends all their lives and exchanged letters once or twice a month. Elena visited the Pink Villa regularly to read her best friend’s letters.”
Ignoring Stefano’s new scowl, she continued, “Now your honor, how could you deny an old man’s last wish to preserve the gift he’d given to his love?”
“Ms. Sheppard, I appreciate your presentation. I am sure everyone here has been touched by this amazing love story. But does Mr. Zanis plan to come and live in the Pink Villa?” the judge asked as he tilted his chin.
The question was crucial to the outcome of the hearing, but she couldn’t lie to win her case. “Mr. Zanis is too sick to travel.”
“Therefore he may never step again into the Pink Villa. Why would he prevent the good residents of Mykonos from enjoying a new resort and the income it would bring?”
“The Pink Villa holds sentimental value.”
“It’s not a good enough reason.” He tapped his table with the gavel. “Mr. Kostapoulos, you can buy Mr. Zanis’ half. The court will send him his due. I hereby grant the permits to demolish the Pink Villa and build a tourist resort.”
“A moment, please, your honor,” Stefano said in Greek and then English.
What now? Hadn’t he caused enough problems? Ashley spun her head toward him.
“I want to assure Ms. Sheppard I was deeply moved by her story. I for one want to believe in love,” Stefano said.
“No kidding,” she muttered under her breath.
“I am ready to give up my project of demolition. I will repair the Pink Villa and transform it into a museum dedicated to Yorgho and Elena. That is if Mr. Zanis agrees to sell his shares.”
“What about the resort, Mr. Kostapoulos?” The judge asked.
“I will build it next to the Pink Villa. The land is big enough.”
The courtroom burst into applause, and the judge tapped his gavel on his table. “Quiet, please. Well, Counselor Sheppard, you must be pleased with Mr. Kostapoulos’ very generous offer.” The judge crossed his arms, waiting for her decision.
Stefano captured her gaze for a few seconds. All she wanted was to claw out his eyes and scratch the smirk of his face. “I have to call my grandfather.”
“Go ahead. Call him. I want to reach a decision regarding the villa,” the judge said impatiently.
Grandpa answered right away, as if he was waiting for her call. She briefly explained the situation. “I can’t believe it.” He harrumphed, and then cursed in Greek. “Kostapoulos changed his mind. Why?”
“Who cares about his reasons? I’m coming home tomorrow, and you’ll keep the Pink Villa. Aren’t you happy?”
“What would I do with an old house now? I don’t plan to travel.” His voice sounded so defeated Ashley doubted her hearing.
“Grandpa, what’s going on?” Was her grandfather becoming forgetful under the stress? Worried now about his health and mental faculties, she pressed, “You were so determined to prevent him from demolishing the villa. You do remember that?”
“Of course, I remember. But I’m not pleased with this outcome. Sweetheart, let me talk to the judge,” he added in a perfectly sane tone. “I have a solution that will satisfy everyone.”
For once she wanted to scream at her grandfather. “Fine. I’ll put him on.” She turned to the judge and handed him the phone. “Mr. Zanis wants to talk to you.”
“Oh?” The judge took the cell phone, said so
mething in Greek to her grandfather, and then ended the call and banged on his table with his gavel. “The court is called into recess. I want you all to leave and be back in fifteen minutes.”
She grabbed her purse and strode out, grateful for the reprieve. Her nerves stretched thin by that snake’s betrayal, she couldn’t wait to be on her own and drop her mask of poise.
As she stepped in the hall, strong fingers grabbed her arm. “Ashley, I have to talk to you.” His voice kicked her pulse into overdrive.
She tried to ignore the heat scorching her skin and glared at his hand and then at his face. “I’m made of tougher stuff than your grandmother Elena, which means I’m not afraid of causing a scandal. Let go of my arm or I swear I’ll slap you without hesitation,” she uttered and clenched her jaws so hard it hurt.
“I’m sure you would.” A hint of a smile curled his lips, but he dropped his hand. “Ashley, I have to explain—”
“Go to hell, Mr. Kostapoulos.” She snatched her arm away, spun and stalked away.
God, give me the strength to keep a cold façade.
With tremendous effort, she forced herself to continue at a steady pace. She crossed the street to the boardwalk and the seashore. Exhausted by her inner struggle, she sat on a street bench and rubbed her skin where his fingers had touched her, but she couldn’t suppress the tingles that had sprouted all over her body and in the most forbidden places. Tingles that she’d welcomed last night and early this morning. Tingles that Stefano had transformed into an inferno of desire and later into a fountain of pleasure.
Pulling a bottle of water from her oversized purse, she gulped half of it to soothe the acidity of her stomach. Whatever the judge’s decision, she’d be on a plane in a few hours heading to Athens and then New York. For now, she should remain calm, composed, professional, as if she hadn’t died a little, deep inside.