Page 5 of The Prince's Secret Daughter
Raj's muscles tensed with the instinctual urge to leap over the table and confront the perpetrator, but the shock of seeing Helen again, so unexpectedly, arrested his movements. He remained rooted in place, torn between the desire to speak with her or to simply drag her out of the room and...! His thoughts veered into dangerous territory as a memory of kissing her flashed vividly in his mind.
Demanding answers seemed like the more sensible course of action. He needed to know where she'd gone five years ago. He had left Chicago to aid his oldest brother during an emergency, with the intention of returning to bring Helen to his country, but fate had cruelly intervened, shattering his plans into a million irretrievable pieces.
Five years—a lifetime of missed opportunities, of dreams deferred and promises left unfulfilled. Joran, his brother, had endured his own trials during that time, nearly losing his twin sons in a harrowing ordeal that had left him reeling. Unaware of the pregnancy, Joran had vanished, leaving behind the woman he adored and the sons he never knew he had.
As Raj grappled with the weight of their shared history, a steely determination settled over him. He needed answers!
"Gentlemen!" Paul Grishom's voice rang out, accompanied by the sharp clap of his hands as he surveyed the room, his gaze alighting on each person present in turn. Enthusiasm sparkled in his eyes as he acknowledged their presence, and he inclined his head slightly in deference to Raj. "And Your Highness! It's truly a pleasure to finally convene and delve into discussions regarding some potentially profitable business endeavors."
A congenial smile played upon Paul's lips as he scanned the room, his body language open and welcoming. "I see that everyone has a cup of coffee," he remarked, his tone genial. "Why don't we all take a seat and allow me to explain the enticing opportunities that my client has to offer? With any luck, the proposal will prove tantalizing enough to secure your interest as well."
As he spoke, Paul's gestures were expansive, his hands gesturing in harmony with his words, emphasizing the gravity of the opportunity at hand. His eyes crinkled at the corners with genuine warmth, inviting his audience to share in his optimism for the adventures ahead.
With a hum of eager anticipation, everyone settled down around the polished conference room table. Raj had brought several members of his business team with him for this initial meeting. They all suddenly seemed to be abnormally cheerful this morning, but Raj wasn’t sure why. He sat down as well, taking a middle seat as Paul took the chair at the head of the table.
Evelyn, his attorney, sat down next to him and giggled. Evelyn was a sixty year old woman who had spent her career tearing people to shreds in both the courtroom and the conference room. She was a sharp, demanding corporate lawyer who had looked out for any legal issues on just about every business deal he considered.
And shenevergiggled!
“This is going to be fun!” she whispered and wiggled on the leather chair.
Harry, his accounting guru, snuffled, which Raj suspected might have been a swallowed laugh. But the grey haired gentleman forced his amusement away and pulled his black leather chair closer to the polished table.
“I think everyone is familiar with the meeting participants,” Paul said, starting the meeting. “How about if we just dive right in? We can take a peek at the property my clientwants to sell and you, Your Highness, can determine if you are interested in buying it.”
Nathan, the smarmy-looking son, chuckled and leaned back against his chair, flipping through the pages of the binder that a clerk passed around to each attendee.
Raj took the binder and opened it, but his attention was on Helen, who was sitting right across from him. Had that been strategic? He watched her, but she kept her gaze down. He noticed that the woman didn’t hand Helen a binder.
That was odd. What the hell was going on?
Then, Helen looked up at him. Straight into his eyes. He could see the surprise and recognition in the way her soft lips fell open. Before Raj could interpret her look, she glanced nervously at Paul, then Nathan, then back to Raj.
Her body seemed stiff and…what was the warning in her eyes?
Raj was distracted by her furtive glances, but also by his team’s giggles. Those two never,ever, giggled.
Something was seriously wrong.
But Paul started going through the details of the proposal. Raj pretended to concentrate and he managed a few valid questions. Evelyn and Harry were silent, but Evelyn was writing notes in the margins of the binder’s papers. However, when Raj peeked at the notes, they were just squiggles.
What the hell was going on?
Three hours later, Paul clapped his hands together. “I understand that lunch has been delivered. Why don’t we take a break and eat?” he suggested, placing his hands on the table before looking around at everyone.
Raj nodded sharply and closed his binder. Lunch, or more precisely, a break, was a good idea. He wanted to speak with Evelyn, Harry and, most especially, Helen. He wanted to grip her arms and demand that she tell him what the hell was going on!
Before he could call out, Evelyn laughed and took Nathan’s arm in an almost sexual manner. The creepy bastard was leading Raj’s normally sharp-tongued lawyer from the room and they were laughing about something. Harry followed, but the accountant’s gaze focused a bit too intently on the pretty assistant who had come in to clean up the pastries that no one had touched.
Helen stayed behind. She still seemed nervous, but Raj wasn’t sure why.
He noticed that she glanced towards the doorway and stiffened. Then she turned and, biting her lower lip, she walked around the conference room table towards him, a seductive sway to her hips.
She tilted her head slightly, trying to be enticing. Raj was…entranced. He wanted her and the obvious invitation in the way she moved, plus the promise in her eyes had his body tightening as memories of their time together flashed through his head.
Chapter 4
Helen moved closer, her steps deliberate as she tried to channel a confidence she didn’t feel. She drew in a steadying breath, attempting to project the inner seductress she thought she could be. But beneath the practiced calm, all she really wanted was to get the hell out of this office, to escape the heavy weight of the situation, and to find her daughter.
