Page 34 of Undercover Billionaire

Ari made a note to add Prishna’s name to the list of staff members he was going to single out for praise.

Sadly, the same could not be said for Jean Paul, the suave, silver-fox maître d’. He’d been scurrying around all night being generally smooth and charming, making the women giggle in faux outrage at his jokes and flattering male egos left, right and centre. But it was what Ari saw as he was leaving the restaurant that boiled his blood.

Distracted by the double whammy of pleasant memories and nagging guilt, as he’d been on numerous occasions today, he almost missed the incident and would have altogether had he not been forced to step around a group of people who’d decided to stop in the middle of the dining room for a chat. His diverted path took him close by the entrance to the kitchen which had been artfully disguised by a couple of large potted palms.

Because of Ari’s angle and proximity though, the plants did not mask Jean Paul just inside the kitchen door, pressing himself against one of the waitresses. The act was clearly unwelcome as she twisted her face away to avoid his lips and, when he groped her breast, she pushed at him, escaping his hold and scurrying out the kitchen through the door at the opposite end to where Ari was standing.

It took a few seconds for what Ari had seen to compute. To realise he had actually just witnessed a senior male staff member of great power and esteem assaulting a junior female member of staff.

At work.

With a restaurant full of people surrounding him.

A nerve ticked in Ari’s eye and a blood vessel throbbed in his temple.Gamoto.The arrogance of the man that he would do something so awful and soopenlywas stunning.

He obviously knew he could get away with it.

Rapidly prioritising his actions, Ari hurried to check on Jean Paul’s victim first. He spotted her darting out the main door. ‘Miss,’ he called after her. When she didn’t respond, Ari put on a burst of speed and called ‘Miss’ again, as he grabbed her arm to stall her flight.

She turned, her big brown eyes large in her face. She was slight with skinny arms and barely looked twenty. ‘Luzviminda,’ Ari said, reading her nametag, hoping he was pronouncing it correctly. ‘Are you okay?’

She nodded, but she was trembling, reminding Ari of a scared little bird. ‘I saw what happened… back there, at the restaurant. That’s not okay.’

‘Is fine,’ she said, her voice small as she forced a smile on her face that looked both miserable and petrified. ‘Nothing happen. I want no trouble.’

Ari eased his hand away in case he was scaring her more. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, keeping his voice gentle. ‘I’m not trying to scare you. My name is Ari. Ari George, I’m a passenger and I saw what he did to you. You need to report it.’

Her eyes grew to the size of saucers. ‘Oh no.’ She shook her head vehemently. ‘I just need break.’

‘He’s not allowed to do that to you. I will report him if you don’t.’

Ari just couldn’t let this go, no matter how much poor Luzviminda wanted him to.

‘Oh no, please… Is okay.’ Her eyes swam with tears as she appealed to Ari. ‘I can’t lose job. My family… I send money home.’

And Ari would bet his last cent Jean Paul knew it too. The blood vessel in his temple moved dangerously close to popping.

‘Has he done this before?’

She shook her head again. ‘Please… I okay.’ Then she whirled away, walking as fast as she could from Ari and the dining room without drawing any attention to herself.

Ari’s fists clenched by his sides as his blood pulsed at his temples. That… bastard. That slimy, detestable sonofabitch. How could he do that to someone he owed a duty of care?

He wanted to storm into the kitchen and plant his fist right in that smug asshole’s face. And kick him in the balls while he was down. Give Jean Paul a full demonstration of how it is to feel weak and vulnerable and powerless. How it is to have someone touch you in private places without your permission.

But he knew if he went in there now and sacked him on the spot, threw his weight around, he’d blow his cover. Not to mention give that sleazy bastard a reason to launch legal action for assault if the urge to hit him got the better of Ari.

So he did the next best thing. Luzviminda might not feel that she had a voice, but he certainly did and Jean Paul’s days were up. Ari withdrew his phone from his jacket pocket and dialled Theo’s number.

* * *

The staff were abuzz the next morning with the news of Jean Paul’s sacking. Of course, the HR team didn’t say exactlywhy, only that the long-time maître d’ had been let go after a ‘passenger complaint of misconduct’. He’d been dismissed forthwith and would be leaving the ship at Santorini.

The second in charge, a Venezuelan guy called Ramon, who was efficient, well liked andnot sleazy, had been promoted effective immediately.

Kelsey glanced out the nearest porthole as she trekked to a table who had requested more coffee. The majestic spine of Santorini rose out of the deep blue volcanic cauldron in which it sat. The whitewashed houses dazzled in the sun, their iconic blue roofs like sirens to cashed-up tourists.

The iron tracks of the cable car glinted in the sunshine and, at the bottom of the cobblestone road that zigzagged up to the village of Fira, donkeys and their masters waited patiently for the passengers who had forked out for this unique mode of transport. It would be a good day with two other cruise ships also anchored nearby, waiting to discharge their passengers.

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