Page 7 of The Prince's Secret Daughter
She glanced at Raj, who nodded his head. Helen had no idea what that nod meant, but her heart was pounding with fear for her daughter’s safety.
The meeting reconvened a half hour later. Everyone returned to the conference room and Helen sat directly across from Raj. Was Angela safe? What had his nod meant? Helen was so nervous, she nearly spilled the fresh cup of hot coffee Nathan set in front of her.
Yet another woman brought in cookies, this one in a skintight outfit with several buttons undone on her blouse. Everyone in the room could see that the woman was wearing ared, lace bra and no panties. When the woman bent over, there were no lines visible under her skirt.
Harry literally panted with lust. He almost stood up to follow the woman, but Paul stopped him, putting a hand on his arm.
“Later, my friend. She’ll still be here after we sign the documents that outline the terms of the deal.”
Helen was shocked when yet another woman in a skimpy outfit walked in and handed Paul a file folder. Paul opened the folder and slid the papers over to Raj. Raj stared at the papers, blinking as if he too might be infected by whatever drug was making the lawyer and accountant act so ridiculously.
Raj even picked up a pen. Helen held her breath, willing him to understand what was going on.
Thankfully, Raj put a hand to his head, acting like he had a headache. He even pinched his eyes closed, pressing his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose.
“I can’t…!” he paused, then made a show of trying again, blinking as he pretended to focus on the papers in front of him.
Helen breathed a sigh of relief when he put the pen down. “I need an aspirin.” He stood up and left the conference room. Evelyn and Harry looked shocked, then broke into giggles, even leaning against each other as they watched their boss leave the conference room.
Paul and Nathan had obviously drugged Raj’s team. Helen leaned back in her chair, pretending to zone out, eventhough she’d thrown her lunch away, untouched. She was starving, but there was no chance she was going to eat that food.
“Well, that was wild!” Evelyn announced and fumbled as she tried to pull the strap of her briefcase over her shoulder. It took her several attempts, but finally, with Harry’s help, she got it. The pair stood up and followed their boss.
“I think we might be in trouble!” Harry muttered, then spoiled his attempt at seriousness with a giggle.
“He’s going to be pissed tomorrow,” Evelyn announced as they left the room.
There was a long silence after they left. Helen sat very still, wondering what she should do next. She didn’t dare break the silence, fearful that Paul or Nathan would realize that she wasn’t drugged.
“Well that was a waste,” Nathan snapped. “By tomorrow, they’ll have come to their senses.”
Paul grunted, leaning back in his chair, tapping a pen thoughtfully as he watched Helen. “Maybe you should head over to his hotel and offer your…services.”
Helen lifted her hand in a drunken salute. She had no idea what impact the drug would have on her, so she added a slight giggle. “Aye, aye, cap’n!” she said and stood up, walking out of the room as well. At the doorway, she slapped her hand on the frame, as if she she’d lost her balance slightly. But she was perfectly fine.
Once she was far enough down the hallway that neither Nathan nor Paul could see her, Helen abandoned her charadeand hurried to her office. She needed to get out of here. She needed to get to Angela!
With that plan in mind, Helen grabbed her purse. She was grateful her cell phone had been on her hip the whole time, but she checked her purse to make sure that her keys were still there. At the doorway, she paused, slowing down slightly, adding a bit of a wobble. She had no idea who in the hallway was in on the drugging plan, so she started walking drunkenly again, just in case someone was still watching her.
She meandered over to the elevator and took two tries to press the call button. When the elevator arrived, she made sure to lean against the wall, as if she needed help propping herself up. Finally, the elevator doors opened and Helen stepped inside. Thankfully, the doors quickly closed once again. She wasn’t safe, but at least she wasn’t visible any longer. Straightening, she checked her phone, praying that Raj had followed through.
The address to a hotel had been sent to her phone. She thought about going back to the conference room to get a sample of the coffee or maybe the food, but she didn’t want to risk it. Her priority was ensuring that Angela was safe.
Outside, Helen lifted her hand and a cab pulled up to the curb. She stepped inside and directed the driver to the hotel.
As they pulled up outside the hotel, a large man with a heavy, bulky suit jacket stepped up to the cab and opened the door. “Ms. Vittorio?”
Helen gasped in alarm. “Who are you?” she demanded, pressing her hand to her throat. She knew that it was a defensive pose, but she didn’t care. At this point, appearing tough and in control was out the window.
“I work for His Highness.” He gestured towards a door that had a “Private” sign on it. “This way, please.”
Helen cautiously stepped out of the cab and followed the man into the hotel. There were so many people milling about the elegant lobby, she didn’t dare ask questions. But once they were in the elevator, the questions exploded from her.
“Is my daughter safe?” she asked, terrified that she was asking the wrong person, but she had to know.
The man looked at her without any expression on his features. “She is safe.”
Helen closed her eyes, her breath catching as she leaned back against the cold wall of the elevator, almost crumbling with the weight of her relief.Angela’s safe.The thought was a balm to her battered soul, and she nearly gave in to the tears that had been threatening all afternoon. But she fought them back, steeling herself for what was to come.One step at a time.She whispered it to herself like a mantra.
