Excerpt of "Deadly Secrets" - Chapter Three, Part Two

“I would like you to get to know Dimitris,” Sophie said after a while. “He’s a really nice man.”
Helena bit her lower lip to stop herself from telling her aunt exactly what she thought of Dimitris. He was arrogant and had taken advantage of her family, and she would never forgive him for that.
Sophie stared at her with clear understanding in her eyes. “I know how hard this must be for you. I didn’t want to tell you yet, but after the tension I sensed tonight between the two of you, I wanted to set things straight.”
“Oh, Aunt Sophie, you should have told me!” Helena cried out. “I would have never come.”
“I knew you wouldn’t. That’s why I never said anything. I wanted you to come. This is still our house, you know,” Sophie said.
Helena wanted to tell her she was wrong about that, but she didn’t want to disappoint her aunt. She was so sweet and vulnerable, and she trusted everybody.
Her mind was working overtime. First thing in the morning, she was moving out. She couldn’t stay here a minute longer.
Now, she wished she had thought better before deciding to come here. But she always listened to her heart. Her mother had told her many times that her impulsiveness would get her into trouble one day.
Sophie’svoice brought her back to reality, “We should go inside. It’s chilly out here, and the wind is picking up. I think a storm is brewing.”
Helena followed her inside without saying a word. A storm was brewing as a matter of fact, but it had nothing to do with the weather…It was brewing inside Helena. Hastily, she wished Sophie goodnight and went to her room. Her heart felt really heavy in her chest, and she was blinded by hot tears running down her face.
In a desperate need to escape reality, she rushed to her balcony and stood at the edge. Holding tightly onto the iron handrail, she felt the wind blowing hard now. However, Helena didn’t mind. The turmoil around her was actually a reflection of what was going on inside her. Glancing up at the sky, she saw the bright moon halfway covered by heavy, threatening clouds. She lowered her eyes to the massive body of water stretching out in front of her. There was still enough moonlight to be able to see the white frothy waves, covering the black waters. She felt in tune with nature’s unleashed rage.
Closing her eyes, she listened to the howling of the wind and the sound of the waves smashing on the rocks surrounding the small privatecove. She took some deep breaths and squeezed the handrail even harder. The rain started abruptly, and she lifted her face to the sky, keeping her eyes shut…
***
Helena had lost track of time, standing there, crying her heart out, when she started feeling really cold.
Shivering, she walked back inside and into her bathroom to change. She was soaked to the bone. Taking a quick, hot shower, she rubbed herself dry with a fluffy towel and put on her nightgown.
She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. So much had happened in the last few hours… she had finally found her home, and it had been taken away from her again. Oh, how much she hated DimitrisNikolaou. She wished she were miles away, in her cozy apartment back in England.
She lay down on her bed for hours, thinking about the past and the happy days she had spent on the island with her parents. She couldn’t help but wonder how different her life would have been if her father hadn’t disappeared. None of these things would have happened. Her mother would be alive, and they would still live on the island. Thecompany and the house would belong to her family, and Sophie and Thomas wouldn’t have to depend on the generosity of Dimitris Nikolaou.
Wild thoughts whirled around in her mind—bittersweet memories mixed with thoughts about Dimitris. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. She hated him with all her heart. Oh, how much he must be enjoying this little game. He never said a word and let her keep on thinking he was just an employee. Then again, he never really said that… actually, he never said anything. What an intolerable person he was.
I’m leaving first thing in the morning, she decided. She couldn’t stay another day under the same roof with him. She was going to miss Sophie and this place, not to mention the fact she would never get any answers about what really happened to her father. Then again, she had no other choice. Of course, she could go to a hotel and stay for a few days. After all, it would be a shame to come back to the island after all these years and not even stay for a while. But how would she explain that to her aunt? Greeks were very sensitive about anyone rejecting their hospitality.
Well, she decided she really didn’t care. She had a life of her own, and she wouldn’t allow Dimitris to run her life as he was running Sophie’s and Thomas’. She was leaving in the morning, and that was it.
After she had made up her mind, she felt a lot better and finally drifted off to sleep.

***
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