Page 4 of The Prince's Secret Daughter
“Helen!” Paul snapped, stopping her explanation. “I brought you into my company to dazzle the client,” he continued in a fierce, low tone. He leaned in, his eyes giving her a silent warning as his tone turned ominous. “The numbers in this package are what we’re presenting today.”
Nathan came in and Helen glanced in his direction. The man’s casual smile was gone, replaced by an angry façade that startled her. Dread was seeping into her, but she wasn’t sure why.
Helen tried again, needing them to understand the import of her new understanding. “Paul, you and Nathan are the rising stars of the investment world here in Chicago. You both came out of nowhere two years ago and have created such a buzz about the work you’re doing.” She glanced at Nathanagain, noting that he was clenching his jaw. “Don’t ruin your reputations with this deal!” She tapped her notes with her pen. “It isn’t going to work. The numbers aren’t right.”
Nathan moved over to the coffee machine and started brewing a fresh cup. Helen ignored him and focused on Paul. “This deal,” she continued, “is bad! The current property owner is facing a major lawsuit and, if we sell it to this investment company, then the potential new owner will have to take on the burden of the lawsuit. It could be financially devastating and derail any profits for…,” she hesitated, shaking her head. “Well, when I include the potential construction costs and the possible liability, there won’t be profits for decades.”
A steaming cup of coffee appeared in front of her and she jerked back, startled.
“Have a fresh cup of coffee before we go into the meeting, Helen.” Nathan leaned forward, his face less than an inch from her own, a frown on his blandly handsome features as he glared at her. “And keep your mouth shut!”
Paul sighed and Helen automatically accepted the cup. He stood up and took the hand-written notes from her. “Your job today is to dazzle the client. That’s the reason we brought you onto the team, Helen.” His voice was low and firm. He braced his hands on his desk. “If the clients start to question this deal, it’s your job to distract them.” He paused, letting the implication hang in the air for a long moment. “Do you understand, Helen?”
She didn’t, but Helen nodded, feeling as if she were being threatened. His next words confirmed her suspicions.
“Good,” Paul said with a slow nod. “You wouldn’t want anything to hurt your beautiful daughter, would you?”
Helen’s breath caught in her throat as she stared wide-eyed at the man. Was he seriously threatening Angela? She replayed the man’s words in her mind, trying to translate them into truth. Had he just…?
The coffee mug started to burn her fingers. She shifted her hold, her grip trembling.
“Let’s go,” Nathan announced without any of the threat lingering in his voice now. “Just drink your coffee and let’s get this deal closed. I want Dark Angel Investments signed as a client and everyone agreeing to the terms of the project by the end of the day.”
Helen stared into the man’s eyes. Gone was the friendly guy. The man standing in front of her was glaring at her. She looked at Paul and he merely lifted a pale, blond eyebrow at her.
As those two bustled around, gathering up papers and coffee mugs, pens and notes, Helen stared at them, sifting through the relevant words and coming to one horrifying conclusion. “You hired me to…distract the clients?” she whispered, feeling like a fool.
“Now you’re starting to understand,” Nathan replied. Paul chuckled.
“We hired you for your looks and killer figure, honey.” Paul winked at her. “Oh, and your reputation. Now, why don’t you undo another button on that blouse before we enter that conference room, eh? It will help you do your job.”
Paul had the audacity to pat her hand as he walked by her. “Let’s go, Helen. We can’t keep the client waiting!”
Helen moved towards the door because…what choice did she have? Angela was in danger! Her baby darling, her precious, sweet, little girl was being threatened if she didn’t…what? Seduce the client? Distract some disgusting man from realizing that Paul and Nathan were leading them into a money pit of a deal?
Helen turned and carefully stepped forward, only because Paul and Nathan were waiting for her. Her thoughts were spinning with emotions and fears, so she almost stumbled. Did they have someone at Angela’s day care, ready to take her if she didn’t cooperate?
Helen couldn’t take the chance.
She needed time. Time to figure out a plan. And perhaps the best way to do that was to go along with their demands. Or, at least, pretend to go along with them, for now.
So, instead of tossing her coffee into the bastard’s face, she continued towards the doorway. She jumped in surprise when Paul pulled the papers out of her arms. He didn’t even allow her to hold on to the briefing.
“You won’t need these,” Paul told her, then put a hand to the small of her back and nudged her out of his office.
The conference room was right next door, so it was a short walk, not enough time for Helen to figure out a plan. Should she just continue walking down the hallway? Her office, where her purse, her keys, her wallet with her id and credit cards, bank card and everything she’d need…was on the other side of the building. There was no way she could get all the way there, then get down the elevator or stairs, then out of the building before Paul or Nathan stopped her.
So, she entered the conference room, unaware of the stunned, terrified expression on her face.
“Sit down,” Nathan hissed into her ear low enough so that only she could hear. “Drink your damn coffee and smile.” He patted her butt. “We’ll do the rest.”
Chapter 3
Raj's shock morphed into a simmering rage as he watched Helen enter the conference room, her presence igniting a tempest of emotions within him. The spread of coffee and pastries lay forgotten before him, his appetite overshadowed by the burning need for answers. How dare she slip away earlier this morning? His security personnel had failed him, and he seethed with indignation at the thought of her evading his surveillance.
As Helen settled into one of the leather conference chairs, her beauty struck him anew. For a long moment, he stood with his back against the window, watching her, drinking her in while trying to maintain his rage.
Then she shifted and…something within him shifted as well. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but Raj's anger flared after witnessing the younger man slap Helen’s butt. His fists clenched involuntarily at the disrespectful gesture from Grishom's son, an unexpected surge of protectiveness coursing through him. How dare he lay a hand on her like that? The thought sent a surge of fury coursing through Raj's veins, his jaw tightening with barely contained wrath.
