The Greek Billionaire’s Indecent Proposal
Chapter 52

Soraya’s POV

Stacy, Sasha and I sat by the gazebo while they filled me in on the next social event on the calendar. The kids were running around by the grass with kites that John had helped them build, their giggles could be heard from where we sat. Sasha was warming up to Stacy and I and was more engaging than she had been proving that her silence and shyness were because of Sofija.

I had been training with Dorian and Xander for the past three weeks. The combat training was brutal and Dorian did not spare me any pain at all just because I was a woman or Xander’s wife. In fact it was for that exact reason that he came hard on me, I was grateful for it because I didn’t want to be babied. He kept saying though that I learned quite fast as I found ways to bend his rules and pin him to the ground a couple of times.

With Xander it was harder to trick him because it was like he knew exactly what I was thinking. He anticipated my every move and would chuckle every time he pinned me down and I sighed in frustration.

“Excuse me Madam, you have a visitor in one of the sitting room areas” one of the housekeepers smiled at me.

“I have a visitor? Who?” That was strange considering that all the people I knew in Greece lived in this house. Both Stacy and Sasha looked at me questioningly.

“It’s Mr Kastellanos Senior, The senior Madam is not feeling well so he requested to see you instead.”

Gaia had been a little off since Sofija’s funeral, I checked on her every morning and evening and instructed the head housekeeper to make sure she ate her meals. I had arranged for the doctor to come in to check on her and he had said all she needed was some rest and TLC, she was going through the stages of loss. Sometimes I would take the kids with to see her and they always seemed to cheer her up, especially Kai. He had a way of just making people feel better.

“Ask the nannies to come and get the children and please wait until they get here okay?” I ordered the housekeeper.

“Yes Madam.” She smiled politely.

“Ladies please come with me to the house, I do not want to face that man by myself.” I said more to Stacy than Sasha.”

Michail’s smile broadened when he saw us, “Aaah, the Adamos wives. You look like angels ladies.” He beamed.

“Mr Kastellanos.” I acknowledged him. I didn’t want to shake his hand again and have him do what he did the day we met but he came close and planted a k**s on both my cheeks lingering as he did that.

“Please, call me Michail. And you must be Stacy… Hector’s wife. Sasha I have met before.” He continued to smile.

John appeared out of nowhere and waited for me to give him an order, he always anticipated our needs and made sure he was there to fulfil each and everyone of them. “Would you like something to drink? What’s your drink of choice?”

“I will have a bourbon, John knows which one I like.” He signalled to John.

“John please ask Helga to make the ladies her delicious iced tea and perhaps a platter for Mr Kastellanos.” He bowed his head in respect then walked away.

“You know what Soraya, I wish my son had brought me a daughter in law like you. There’s something about you dear, I don’t know if you see it in yourself. All my daughter in law is good for is spending money and throwing lavish parties. You need fire to be a Dona and I see it in you just like I saw it in Hera.” He looked at me thoughtfully.

“Being put on a pedestal worries me, I would hate to disappoint people and their expectations.” I smiled politely.

He chuckled, his chuckle was a low rumble, he was definitely trying to charm me. “You have a way with words my dear. I actually hoped that you and I could talk privately, I have a little business I’d like to discuss with you.” He said.

“I think it would be best if Xander and Hector were to be present, I don’t know much about the business.” I explained politely. John came and placed the drinks on the table then went to stand by the door.

“Do I frighten you Soraya? Xander has declined my offer to pay for your wedding, I assume it’s because you have a problem with it.” He looked me dead in the eyes.

“Whatever gave you that impression? I’m not one for fancy things Mr Kastellanos, I’m okay with the small ceremony I had in Phoenix. There is more to life than overly expensive weddings. I have everything I need.” What I actually wanted to say was that he needed to stop trying to creep me out.

“It’s just that you remind me so much of my daughter, I have always wanted Xander to move on and replace someone to spend the rest of his life with. The fact that he found another Hera…” he smiled but I noticed that the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“With all due respect, I’m not another Hera, I am me. Hera and I are two different people. I wish people would stop trying to act like I’m living under her shadow.” I don’t know if he was trying to get me angry or to lose control but I wouldn’t let him. Stacy and Sasha had been observing quietly

“Take a walk with me; in the garden will you. Indulge me?” He said.

I stood up and so did Stacy and Sasha. I signalled for them to sit. “It’s okay ladies, we will be back soon.

Xander’s POV

Moretti’s body was battered and bloody. He could barely see out of his one eye as I showed him the video of his mother and daughter. He tried to act tough and stay calm but I could see the panic in his eyes.

I had broken one of his arms during my session with him and it was hanging limply.

“You are wasting your time Adamos, I don’t know who this immoral little teenage brat is.”

“Well then I guess you won’t mind when I slice her up daily just to annoy you? You won’t mind what I do to her? It shouldn’t bother you since you don’t know her.” I played the video again and her voice sounded out so audibly. “Quite a pretty little thing, she must get it from her mother, does she know that you killed her mother?”

“You have double standards Adamos, you won’t work with me because I take advantage of women and children but here you are willing to hurt a young pregnant girl to get to me.”

“I think that it’s part of the irony that makes up your life Moretti, you have a daughter and she’s young and pregnant yet you use girls like her to make you money. You got yourself in quite a predicament there, well you and your not so well hidden family. Karma is a bitch.”

“What do you want? For me to tell you that you won?”

“No I want to make you suffer just like you planned to make me suffer. An eye for an eye, a limb for a limb. Literally.” I laughed out loud. “I know, it’s not funny”

“It will haunt you, it’s not in your code to hurt women.”

“But it’s in my code to destroy my enemies and I’m not adverse to using any means possible…oh and by the way I suppose I should thank you for something… My wife has been enjoying this new found power that was brought about by your actions and Iv got to tell you Moretti, she has no remorse whatsoever. You should see her torturing Nikolaj, the man is a mess.”

I looked at Yannis and Leon. “Put him back in his cell, I have had enough fun for today. When I do return later I will be bringing his daughter here with me.”

I turned to walk away and Moretti yelled. “Adamos! Come back here.” He was so out of breath from screaming when I tortured him but because he had so much pride, he acted like all that had happened didn’t faze him. It didn’t stop his breathing from being laboured

“Stop wasting my time, I have businesses to run.”

“I will tell you who paid the Cirillo brothers to help me but only if you spare my daughter. You and I both know those boys don’t have enough sway at the ports, their shipping business gets a lot of help. They have a benefactor.”

“That doesn’t interest me.” I said casually.

“It should, considering that this person is someone you know very well. Someone who was okay with betraying you.”

“My sister doesn’t have the power to move large amounts of money to make huge payments.”

“ No no no” he was enjoying this, he even smiled. “Your sister is not even a small fish in this sea, she’s a speck of sand at the bottom of the ocean. This person is a motherfucking shark.” He smiled deviously

“Okay I’ll bite… if the name is worth it’s weight in gold then I might be inclined to let your family go.”

“I want your word, you don’t break your word. Thats another one of your codes.” He breathed out heavily.

“Fine Moretti I will let her go.”

“Your father in law, Kastellanos. Ask the Cirillo brothers they will confirm it.”

Anger coursed through me but I kept my composure.

“You don’t look upset about it” he looked disappointed that he hadn’t gotten to me.

“Loyalty is a fickle commodity it seems. I will let your daughter go after I confirm, she might have a scratch or two or three on her. But I’ll let her go.” I smirked at him. “I mean to be fair, you did take something precious from my wife.”

“You wouldn’t…” he looked mortified at the thought.

“I did say an eye for an eye.” I turned and walked out. Leaving him raging and yelling. I could still hear his screams as I reached the fourth level of the stairs going up.

Soraya’s POV

We strolled slowly as he admired the garden, he took a couple of long deep breaths and smiled. “I used to walk these gardens with Hera when I came to visit you know, she was eight years old when I first brought her here with me. She used to enjoy getting lost in the maze and replaceing her way back out. She took it as a challenge, eventually it would take her just fifteen minutes to get to the middle of the maze and back out again.”

“The kids have begged me to try it with them, I haven’t found the time to do it just yet.” As we walked I heard the sound of little feet running up to us, I turned to replace Kai running up to me with Ajana right behind him.

“Mommy, are you going to the stables? Can we go horse riding today?”

“Kai Alexander what did Daddy say about running away from the nannies?” I looked at him sternly.

“But they want us to sit still and that’s boring.” He sulked and looked at his feet. Ajana copied him and plonked her thumb in her mouth and her other hand reached out for Kai’s. I made a mental note to talk to Xander about getting her to see a child trauma specialist.

“Can we walk with you?” He asked.

“Let them come, we can take a walk to the stables like they want to. Hello there Kai, Ajana.”

“Hello.” They chorused and smiled at him. “Your hair is grey just like my grandpa’s.” Kai observed.

“That’s because I’m a grandpa too, I’m your grandpa too you know.” Michail said.

“Really? How come I don’t know you?” Kai eyed him suspiciously. This made Michail laugh.

“That’s because I lived here and you lived in Phoenix.”

Kai looked up at me, he was waiting for me to confirm the piece of information. I didn’t say anything, I just looked ahead and shoved my hands in the back pockets of my jeans.

We got to the stables but it was quiet, the stable hands were nowhere to be found. All of a sudden there was a man that appeared out of nowhere, he looked like he was a bodyguard or henchman. His smile was conniving. He had a gun in his hand.

Michail’s look turned from charming to cold and evil.

“Your son should have been Hera’s son!” He said furiously. “Xander went and looked for a woman that looked like my daughter to replace her.” His voice never losing its vehemence. He suddenly took out a gun and pointed it at me.

My heart started to race but I tried to keep calm “I am tired of hearing that I look like your daughter! I don’t even know what she looks like!” I hissed, taking the kids hands and pulling them to me. “Kai honey I need you guys to run back to the house as fast as you can okay.”

“No mommy, I want to stay with you.” He looked scared but he stood in front of me like he was ready to protect me, Ajana’s hand still in his.

“The kids are not going anywhere, I’m leaving with Kai, I am going to raise him as Hera’s son. Michail declared.

“You must be crazy.” I laughed incredulously. “I always suspected that you had a few screws loose.”

He laughed, “you have no idea.” He c****d his gun with it still pointed at me. “Now, you can choose to be difficult and die while fighting or you can save these kids the trauma and just let Leander lead you away to one of the stalls and shoot you quietly.

“My Daddy is going to hurt you if you hurt my mommy mister.” Kai yelled at him. Ajana began to cry.

“Your daddy is not here little one.” He laughed out loud.

The man behind Michail walked towards us. Kai ran towards him and kicked him hard on his shin so hard that he yelled out. He tried to reach out for Kai but he ducked.

Michail was distracted for a few seconds so I took the chance to run towards him and disarm the gun off him with a technique that Xander had taught me. I pointed the gun back at him and moved backward. “Kai honey come here, take Ajana and run please listen to me.” Ajana was behind me now but Kai stubbornly stood in front of me.

“Mommy no…” Kai began to cry as well. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“Put the gun down lady.” The henchman snarled at me.

“Why don’t you put your gun down” I yelled back at him. My mind was racing as I tried to think of my next step. If only the kids were not here. I could feel the panic threatening to rise inside me.

The henchman moved rapidly towards me and I fired a shot that hit him on his foot. He began to yell as he fell to his knees, the horses began to freak out from the gun sound. I was trying so hard not to shake, I had missed the intended target. I had aimed to hit him higher. The kids covered their ears as they continued to cry.

Michail rushed forward and I quickly pointed at him making him stop.

“We’ve established that I’m not afraid to use this.” As I said this the henchman raised his gun again but I pulled Kai aside and fired first and it landed on his chest this time. He fell backward as b***d began to soak the ground. I wanted to cry out, I had just shot a man dead… was he dead?, this was not target paper practice at the warehouse, it was real life, I had just shot a man down. What was worse was that Kai and Ajana were there watching. I pointed the gun back at Michail

“Kai, baby run please. Take Ajana and go and look for uncle Simon now.” I begged him trying not to breakdown but my voice was croaky.

He shook his head stubbornly. I took my phone out and gave it to him. “Call Daddy now and tell him what’s happening. Stand behind me.” He listened.

“Okay fine I will leave.” Michail said. He looked worried now. I knew what he was thinking, this had not gone the way he expected it to. He hadn’t expected me to fight back at all, that’s why he only brought one man. His driver was in the car waiting probably.

“No you won’t, you are going to take that rope there and tie yourself up to that horse stall. Do it now before I put a bullet in you Michail!” He walked slowly towards the rope. “Don’t make me shoot you because I will shoot you.” I reminded him.

Hector POV

“Dorian just got back to me, he questioned all three of the Cirillo brothers. They were sent by Kastellanos to help Moretti to get to you. It turns out Kastellanos has been keeping tabs on you for quite sometime. The moment you married Soraya he knew.” I was on the phone with Xander.

“I have to talk to him but on neutral ground. We have to tighten security again, they shouldn’t have access to the house.” Xander ordered.

“Xander I don’t see how we come out of this without a war. Kastellanos seems to want to hurt you.”

“I want to hurt him too, if it’s war he wants them I will give him a motherfucking war.”

“He’s Kastellanos, it’s not like we are dealing with the Cirillo brothers.

“When have you ever known me to back away from a fight Hector? He doesn’t scare me, I gave him respect because he was my father in law but now he’s my enemy. Hold on Soraya is calling me on my other line.”

I could hear him talking on the phone and it seemed like something was wrong. When I heard him say ‘don’t hang up okay buddy, I’m on my way’ it confirmed my worries.

“Hector, there’s trouble at home. Meet me there as fast as you can.” He yelled over the phone.

“What’s going on Xander?”

“Kai is on the line and I can hear Soraya asking someone to tie themselves up. I’m hanging up, I need to call Simon. Get Dorian!” The line went dead.

There always seems to be trouble for the Adamos family. Do you think Soraya will manage to hold Michail off or will he try something? Are the kids safe? Will Xander get there on time? Yikes!