Page 60 of The Billionaire's Demand

Eliana was in the kitchen, washing up Miki’s tea things. Miki himself was snuggled up with his ya-ya, watching a cartoon with her. Eliana could hear their chuckles, and it warmed her. This was what she had shaped her life around—that orphaned little boy and his bereft grandmother, victims of a fate that had stripped Miki of his parents, his ya-ya of her only child.

I took this on—I must see it through.

The problem was brutal: lack of money. If she had more money then she could move Miki and his grandmother out of the city—install them in a little house somewhere, with a garden, space for a growing boy. But there was no money for any of that—only just enough for keeping their heads above water as it was.

Would Leandros think her impoverished, penny-pinching life now her just desserts for what she’d done six years ago? He’d been shocked by Miki’s existence, but would he think it was simply up to her to deal with it?

After all, he’d let her walk away—had made no attempt to come after her. Had simply accepted what she’d told him and left her to it.

She gave an inner sigh. She must not think about Leandros. He was gone from her life, and that was all there was to it. She had a life here to get on with—such as it was.

She put Miki’s dried dishes away and fetched some vegetables from the fridge to make a start on supper. Her days were very much the same—a routine she was getting used to. She got on well enough with Miki’s grandmother, though they had little in common other than Miki.

A sliver of apprehension went through her. Living here with Miki and Agnetha did increase the risk that word might somehow get back to Damian’s father...

The sound of the doorbell made her jump, as if she had conjured up the very thing she feared. Frowning, she went back into the living room, glancing at Agnetha and Miki, still absorbed in watching their cartoon.

She unlocked the apartment door, pulling it open.

And stopped dead.

It was Leandros.

‘Hello, Eliana.’

Leandros made his voice even, as if turning up on her doorstep was an unexceptional circumstance.

She was staring at him, her hand flying to her throat, shock on her face.

‘May I come in?’ he asked.

Numbly, she stood aside, and he walked in.

In the living room, he nodded politely to Miki’s grandmother.

‘Good evening—I am sorry to disturb you unexpectedly, but I would like to take Eliana out to dinner. I hope that will not inconvenience you?’

His entry had made both Miki and his grandmother look up. An expression of interest formed on Miki’s face. And then recognition.

‘That man,’ he announced, pointing at Leandros.

Leandros smiled at him. ‘Yes, that man who came to the park with you. You went on the slide.’

‘Whee!’ corroborated Miki happily.

Then he went back to watching his cartoon.

His grandmother, Leandros could see, was looking across at Eliana, an uncertain look on her face.

Then: ‘You should go,’ she said. ‘I’ll be fine with Miki.’

Leandros looked at Eliana. She was looking fraught.

‘Please,’ he said to her. ‘I thought we might go back to that place we tried last time—the fish was good.’

She opened her mouth. ‘I... I...’

‘Good,’ he said. ‘That’s settled.’ He smiled. ‘Do you want to get Miki to bed first? I can help if so.’

---