A Diamond Deal

Prologue

Poppy Ariti spread the interlinking green stems holding violet purple, sunset orange and heaven’s pink flower tips. She slotted them through the holes in the permanently placed vase.

Wildflowers. They were everywhere on the island, but these she’d picked for him.

‘Dors, mon petit,’ she sang, as she had on her every visit. A lullaby her mother had sung to her, and her grandmother to her mother. And now…

She sang it for her son.

She sang it for Isaak.

‘Sleep, little one,’ she said again, finishing her lullaby for the last time in a croaked gulp. She couldn’t stop them. Could never stop them. Tears. They fell. But today she cried not only for him.

Poppy cried for herself.

Hot, slow tears of betrayal.

‘Mrs Ariti, we have to go.’

Poppy turned to the shadow on her left, holding her small brown leather overnight bag. ‘I know,’ she said, because Serena was right. She understood her urgent tone was appropriate.

She swiped at her cheeks.

She wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.

Six months ago, she wouldn’t have been able to contemplate leaving the Greek island of Sotiría. Her home. The one place she could be with him. Isaak. But she had to leave him. Tonight.

She could do this, she told herself.

She was…better.

‘Au revoir, bébé.’ She leaned forward and pressed her lips to the white stone and stood from her knelt position.

Serena took her elbow. ‘Quickly now,’ she said, pulling her into step beside her.

Hair lashed into Poppy’s eyes. The coastal wind whipped at her cheeks, pushed her thick black woollen overcoat close to her breast, as if it tried to stop her escape.

Hurriedly, they made their way down the sloped path to the small boat waiting for them at the jetty. Serena, dressed all in black, stepped aboard first. She dropped Poppy’s bag onto the decking, turned, and held out her gloved hand.

‘Mind your step, Mrs Ariti.’

Poppy took her hand and placed her flat booted heel on the decking.

She didn’t correct her. She’d told Serena, her personal bodyguard since Konstantinos had slipped the engagement ring onto her finger three years ago, countless times to call her Poppy.

And no longer was Poppy staff, but a soon-to-be tycoon’s wife.

The paparazzi had swarmed.

She shuddered.

Formalities were unnecessary between them. Especially now Serena was no longer employed by her. In another life, she and Serena would have been friends, but not this one.

Poppy understood her need to keep the formal barrier between them.

She understood why, after the funeral, Serena had left her employment.

Isaak’s death had hurt everyone. Everyone but him. He’d never got attached. Not to the idea of him. Their son. Whereas she…

She could almost feel Isaak. Here with her now, in her arms, holding him tightly to her chest as they escaped together into a new life. A life away from the man who had betrayed them both.

She closed her eyes. Tried to stem the pulsing ache in her stomach.

Konstantinos had never ached.

He’d never wanted a child, and neither had she, but their baby had been coming, yet still he hadn’t wanted Isaak. He’d promised to do his duty. Fulfil his responsibility to the child. But that was where it ended.

Their relationship would remain as it was.

A marriage of convenience—friends with benefits—where he provided protection—safety—in return for her loyalty.

She hadn’t craved a change in their marriage, but solidarity—support—for what was to come. A baby. Their baby. She’d needed her friend. Him. But instead of remaining friends and building a safe place for their child, they’d started to repel each other like opposing magnets.

They weren’t friends now.

She opened her eyes.

‘I’m sorry, Serena.’ Guilt bloomed in her chest. ‘I’m sorry I dragged you into all this.’

All those who lived in the monastery, the staff, they’d be crushed to learn their boss was a liar.

A cheat. All of her husband’s people were loyal to him.

He inspired it. Loyalty. He was always fair to his employees.

She couldn’t trust anyone on the island not to tell him what she was doing—where she was going.

Serena wasn’t crushed. She seemed almost relieved. Relieved that this man all believed was good was…bad. But still Poppy had put her in danger. Compromised her.

‘It’s such a risk to your reputation to help me,’ she continued. ‘A risk to your livelihood. I’m so thank—’

‘Do not apologise for asking for help.’ Serena’s shoulders tensed into a straight line. ‘Too many women ask for it too late. My mother…’ Serena held her gaze in the shadows. ‘I couldn’t help her escape my father.’

Was it always the fathers who broke their little girls? Fathers who put the responsibility of protecting their mothers on their too-small shoulders?

You didn’t protect her.

Her breath hitched.

She’d tried.

Too late.

The crash had taken her mother and father before she could. And that would always be her burden to carry. Yes, she’d been a child, but it was her regret to own. And she owned it as hers. Even if the lie belonged to her father.

‘My father…he hurt my mother, too. Lied to her.’ An ugly curve tilted her lips. ‘Men…they can’t be trusted. They’re all liars.’

It had been her mantra all of her life. Never to trust them, however charming they were, like her dad.

Konstantinos had changed her mind.

She’d been a fool to believe she could trust him. She’d thought he was different. Special.

Konstantinos Ariti had fooled everyone. He hadn’t been giving her time, not when Isaak was growing inside her, and not when he was gone. He hadn’t kept his distance to give her time to heal. To get better.

He’d been having an affair.

The private investigator recommended to her by Serena had confirmed her suspicions.

He’d betrayed her at her most vulnerable.

He was never the man she’d thought he was.

He was a liar.

She looked up at the converted monastery on the hill. If she’d kept her barriers high, if she hadn’t let him in, if she’d kept their relationship formal—kept it employee and employer—if she’d never kissed him on their first overseas work trip together…

In London everything had changed. She’d abandoned the fight with herself and admitted what she felt was more than admiration.

She wanted him.

He’d leaned in and held her so close, and yet so far.

She’d always wanted to kiss him. To feel his mouth on hers, and trace the shape of it with her tongue—learn it.

She’d devoted her eyes to his lips in every minute she’d sat in a boardroom with her ex-boss watching them.

His lips. This mouth that spoke words of truth.

Honesty. So strong was his conviction that he had to protect everyone.

His employees. His people, as he called them, promising he’d keep them safe from the monsters at their doors. Protect their mental health.

She’d leaned in all the way.

She had kissed him.

He’d stopped her. Told her if this happened, what it would be. An affair, but he’d never ask for more than what she wanted to give and he’d expect the same from her. If they did this, he’d adore her body and her mind, he’d protect them both, but he’d never love her.

Poppy hadn’t wanted love—never again would she chase a feeling.

She’d believed he was the one man she could trust, because everything he did was with brutal honesty.

She’d thought she was safe with him. Safe from lies, even the ones that hurt, because he’d always promised to be honest with her.

She’d felt safe enough to be honest with him. To tell him what she wanted. Needed.

Always honesty. Always the truth.

He’d agreed, and she’d answered with her mouth. Her tongue.

His honesty had made her feel safe, safe enough to take the risk of trusting him.

But she’d had to find this out on her own. The truth.

They’d never been friends.

She’d never been anything more to him than what he needed.

A wife to strengthen his image and bolster his reputation of being a family-led business. Their marriage in public and behind closed doors…it was all a facade, because the man beneath his perfect image was a cheat.

She closed her eyes briefly. She wouldn’t wish they had never happened. Because if they hadn’t, she would never have got pregnant. She never would have held him. Her baby boy.

Asleep, he’d been so very beautiful. So perfect.

Poppy closed her mouth too late to contain the muffled sob.

She knew it wasn’t her fault. After months of therapy, she understood it was no one’s fault.

She understood the logic of this truth. The physics of placental abruption.

The part of her body meant to nourish him had started to detach.

The abruption only minor at first, the doctors had put her on bedrest. Guarded by nurses.

But it hadn’t been enough. Isaak had been born sleeping.

She understood future pregnancies wouldn’t be the same.

Her throat closed.

Logic didn’t cushion the pain. Nor did biology.

Serena held out a life jacket. ‘Let’s put this on.’

Poppy nodded and let Serena direct her limbs inside the vest. She pulled the last buckle tight.

‘Did you do as I said?’ she asked.

‘No credit cards. Only—’ her chest tightened ‘—cash.’

She didn’t have nearly enough.

Serena nodded. ‘Sit down, and hold on.’

She sat down on the wooden bench beside her. Serena brought the engine to life. It purred, its revs hidden by the roll of the waves of the Ionian Sea aiding their escape.

The boat sliced through the water, which shone in the headlights like a trail of rippling diamonds guiding them directly towards the mouth of the island.

The only way in.

The only way out.

‘It’s time to drop your phone over the side,’ she said, keeping her hands on the silver steering wheel and her eyes straight ahead. ‘He’ll track it if you don’t.’

If he found her trying to leave, he’d never let her go.

Divorce. He didn’t believe in it. A divorce was a broken promise.

He didn’t break his. He wouldn’t let her forget hers.

His image was everything. Their marriage had been negotiated to last forever.

Two people who could rely on each other.

A loveless match bound by the things she wanted—trust and respect—and in exchange he would have what he wanted too.

Their marriage would make his image complete.

His reputation the opposite of his father’s brutal empire.

All a lie.

All a front for the public.

He’d broken the promises that meant the most to her. To always be honest. Faithful. Loyal. Her heart ached behind her breastbone. He knew about her dad. His adultery. He’d promised never—

Her heart squeezed.

Had he been having an affair while she was on bedrest? While her body had been nurturing their son?

Acrid acid burnt its way up her throat.

She looked at her rings.

She should drop those in, too.

She slipped them off, and pocketed them. She’d sell them when she got to France. Her homeland. She knew no one waited for her there. All her family was gone.

She swallowed. Her old employer would understand her grief. Her need for refuge. A place to hide until she was…strong. Strong enough to fight him for a divorce. She tensed. The idea of that confrontation now… His betrayal… His abandonment. Her nose pinched.

She couldn’t.

‘Okay.’ Poppy pulled her phone out of her pocket. She’d kept it so they could communicate. Serena had made her download some encrypted app two weeks ago when she’d called her about arranging a PI. They’d messaged on it today with details of their plan. It was all happening so quickly…

She inhaled a stuttering breath.

She entered the pin.

The screen was illuminated.

She hadn’t closed it. The message. The attachment was still there. Still open. It wouldn’t matter if she closed it. Her phone was set to upload to the cloud. Making it forever available.

A photograph of her husband.

His mouth locked on another’s.

‘How long until we get to the plane?’ Poppy asked tightly.

‘My team are all set and waiting on a deserted island not too far from here.’ Her gaze dropped to her wrist. She lifted it. A green light shone beneath the cuff. ‘Twenty minutes.’

She looked back at the converted monastery, alight at the top of the cliff. The monks had lived here long ago. It was the place she’d called home for the last three years. A home he’d converted just for them. A place she’d thought was her forever home.

‘Don’t worry,’ Serena said, drawing Poppy’s gaze. ‘I’ll get you into France without your arrival being official. He’ll never know where you went. You’ll just…vanish.’ She made short, firm eye contact. ‘It’ll be as if you never existed.’

That’s what he wanted, wasn’t it?

He was having an affair to avoid the tragedy their marriage had become by pretending his wife and son didn’t exist.

A tear slipped free.

She didn’t know if she’d ever be ready to confront that. Or him.

She exhaled slowly through her nostrils.

Maybe she would never have to.

Maybe this was the end of it.

The end of them.

She stretched her arm over the side of the boat. She held it there. Her fingers trembled.

‘Goodbye, Konstantinos.’

She let go of her phone. Into the water’s dark depths it disappeared.

And so, too, did Poppy.