In the limo, Lydia studied the contract. Some of it she understood, but most of it she found impenetrable. He was determined to ensure that she depended on him for everything, from the roof over her head to the clothes on her body and the very food she ate.
She shuddered with distaste. He would own her body and soul. She would have no rights left to exercise, for he would have taken them all away. She would simply be Cristiano Andreotti’s whore. That was the price she was about to pay for trying to save face and hit back at him for breaking her heart. The lawer was a man with shrewd eyes, tapped the agreement in wry acknowledgement. ‘There’s even a seven-point confidentiality clause which prevents you from talking about the contract or your relationship with Andreotti outside this office.’
Lydia swallowed slowly. ‘What’s your opinion’?’
‘lf you don’t need the money, run,’ he advised ruefully. ‘There is no equality in this contract. While you are required to meet a strict code of conduct, Andreotti can dispense with your services at any time and without explanation. Furthermore, neither your duties nor your hours of employment are defined. Sign and you will be contractually bound to agree to whatever Andreotti demands.’
Lydia nodded heavily.
‘should you breach the contract, however, two hundred and fifty thousands will become a dept that requires repayment. That threat will put considerable pressure on you to meet all expectations, reasonable or otherwise.’‘l know,’ she muttered tautly.
Andreotti is, however, disposed to be extremely generous in other ways. He promises to ensure that you enjoy every possible luxury and advantage while you remain with him.’ His mouth quirked. tile may be offering you modern-day slavery, but at least it’s slavery with solid gold manacles.’
Having signed, she travelled to the airport. Already she was frantically trying to work out what she would tell Gwenna, for she could see no good reason to distress her cousin with the sordid truth.
Forty-eight hours later a removal firm arrived at her little terraced home to crate up her possessions. She had already given notice to the rental agency. The following day the police contacted her to say that the charges against her and her mother had been withdrawn. A tide of relief flooded Lydia, leaving her weak, and she wished that she had some way of contacting her mother to assure her that she was no longer at risk of arrest.
Virginia had believed it would be safer if her daughter did not know how to get in touch with her, and had promised that she would phone when the fuss was all over. Lydia texted Gwenna to share her good news, and, as she had expected, her cousin called in on her way home from school.
‘Why is a removal van sitting outside’?’ the brunette demanded, elevating a brow at the sight of the man engaged in packing china in the kitchen.
‘Come upstairs,’ Lydia urged.
‘Are you moving somewhere’?’
‘Gwenna I’m moving out.’ Lydia bent over the suitcase lying open on the bed to wedge a shoe in one corner. ‘You remember I told you that l’d broken up with someone before l left London last year’?’ ‘Well, you didn’t spill many beans-only that the revolting rock star was a publicity stunt that went wrong,’
Gwenna reminded her wryly. ‘You didn’t tell me who the mysterious someone was.’
‘Cristiano Andreotti…you probably haven’t heard of him-‘
‘We do live on the same planet, and l read the same magazines you do. Did you really date that mega-rich womanizer? No wonder you got burned!’
Lydia mentally crossed her fingers, because she was about to lie.
‘When Cristiano saw that story about the missing money in the paper, he came to see me. He wanted she could be interrupted. He’s paid back the money, the charges have been dropped and we’re getting together again.’
Gwenna dealt her an astounded look.
‘so that’s why you want to return to London… ‘
‘l’m moving in with him. No, don’t say anything! I know you don’t approve-‘
‘of course l don’t. What am l supposed to think? He stumps up two hundred and fifty grand and five minutes later you’re agreeing to live with him’?’
Lydia winced. She saw no point in upsetting her cousin with the truth, but it was not as easy as she had hoped to tell a convincing story. In desperation she reached for the old biscuit box by the bed, which contained keepsakes from her adolescence.
Wrenching off its lid, she lifted out the photo ‘Who is that? Gwenna questioned.
Her face uncomfortably hot, Lydia handed it over. ‘I cut it out of a newspaper when l was fourteen.’
Gwenna fixed astonished eyes on her cousin. ‘But this is him, isn’t it? Cristiano Andreotti? You had a crush on him when you were that young’?’
‘Yes. He’s the love of my life, and, to be frank, what contended tautly, accepting the return of the photo and thrusting it down on the windowsill as though the worn metal frame was red-hot. ‘l really want to be with him. Please don’t spoil it for me.’
Colouring, she said nothing. She had never liked Philip, but he was a childhood friend of Cristiano’s, who had attended the same public school. Cristiano, surrounded by men wielding notebook computers and wearing anxious expressions, was talking on the phone. His arrogant dark head lifted as she came in. In a dark suit, striped shirt and blue silk tie, he was drop-dead gorgeous. She met glittering dark golden eyes, fringed by black lashes and semi-screened from her vision.
Simultaneously all the oxygen in the atmotsphere seemed to vanish, and she jerked to a sudden halt.
Cristiano allowed himself to stare. It was a given that all his male executives would gape at Lydia like schoolboys, he conceded, for she was dazzling. Her pale blonde hair tumbled in shining waves round her spectacularly beautiful face. A glistening swirl of silver fabric graced her delicate curves and skimmed her slender thighs. Desire took a rare back seat for Cristiano as he appreciated how revealing the dress was. Just as swiftly he noticed that he was not alone in relishing that view of her bare shoulders and back and her never-ending legs.
He cursed his own lack of judgement, and the sensual line of his handsome mouth hardened when he noticed that Philip was guilty of ogling too. What had happened to respect for another man’s woman?
Aggressive antennae bristling, he shot a knife-sharp glance of censure at the offending male and the guy paled.