Page 34 of Greek's Temporary "I Do"

‘About how difficult that time must have been for you.’

‘I don’t know how you could have. You were too busy trying to save a company my mother nearly destroyed.’

He nodded. ‘It’s no excuse, but that was a really hard time. Dad had just stepped down from the day-to-day running of the company, and I was working flat-out.’

Mina had broken off their engagement and he hadn’t even had time to work through that. He’d been pulling nineteen-hour working days to retain the few clients that had stayed, to keep the workforce on so that when they did get new clients they could fulfil the work orders. He’d refused help from his father, because to accept it would admit that he was failing, and he wouldn’t even let himself think about asking for help from the brother who had all but disappeared from his life.

‘I wanted to prove myself. I shouldn’t have taken it out on Gwen, I know that. Even though I’d told her not to do it, to engage that client, I think that Gwen saw me as a child, an upstart and that she knew better.’

‘A little like how you see me?’ Helena asked, her tone light, but something serious in her gaze.

And he realised then how truthful that statement was. He felt the sting acutely.

‘A little. Yes,’ he admitted. ‘I still think that you’re playing a very dangerous game in trying to plug the charity’s financial hole yourself, I won’t lie to you. But I understand why you’re doing it. And, ultimately, it’s your choice as CEO.’

She nodded, but didn’t look convinced.

‘What is it?’ he asked.

‘I... What if...?’

He waited. Whatever her fear was here, it was important to her and he couldn’t rush it.

She looked down at the table. ‘What if it’s not enough?’

The desperation in her tone cut him to the quick.

‘For who?’ he asked.

‘The board. My mother.’

The latter was a near whisper that broke what little was left of a very cold, hard heart.

‘It needs to be enough for you, Helena. No one else.’

Leo knew that better than anyone, because he’d learned it the hard way.

CHAPTER EIGHT

WRAPPED IN A TOWEL, wet hair piled into a messy bun on top of her head, Helena looked tiredly at the dress she was supposed to wear to the lunch Leander had arranged for them at a trendy restaurant that also just happened to be owned by a potential client for his company.

Helena hadn’t for a second begrudged Leander using these opportunities to drum up prospective business, at least...not until he had disappeared and left Leo and her in this mess.

She let the printed silk of the dress slip through her fingers as she wondered what would have happened if Leander had stayed. What if she had arrived at the church to find him rather than Leo waiting for her at the top of the aisle?

Yes, everything would have been easier. She and Leander would have smiled and pretended to be the perfect couple. Kissing Leander would have felt silly and stupid, and not far off what it would have felt like to kiss Kate!

But kissing Leo...

Goosebumps pebbled the skin on her forearms.

It can’t happen again.

She forced away the throb of desire that undulated through her body like a wave against the shore. Three days. She just had to get through three more days. As long as they kept to the schedule, she’d be able to make it.

She’d won a huge victory with Jong Da-Eun and Leo had wanted to celebrate that. Yesterday had been wonderful, she admitted to herself. Seeing Leo like that again, talking to him like she once had. He’d been impressed by her, she’d seen it. And that meant more to her than he’d ever know. So much so that she’d confessed her secret doubts—that saving Incendia wouldn’t be enough. To make up for the board’s doubts in her, her mother’s rejection.

He’d told her that it needed to be enough for her, but she couldn’t help but feel that nothing she did would fill the hole created by her mother’s mental absence and the loss of her father.

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