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Theron Anetakis mumbled curse words under his breath as he hurled letters in every direction while sorting through the avalanche of paperwork that his secretary had put on his desk for him to peruse. On occasion, one might receive more attention than a passing glance, and after that, he'd go on. move it to the side where the other objects that need his attention are stacked. Others, he tossed into the garbage pail that was located at his feet. His takeover of the Anetakis International headquarters in New York hadn't been without their share of challenges and difficulties. Theron and his brothers had completely reorganized the business after it was discovered that one of the employees had been providing hotel designs for Anetakis to a rival business. They had also hired new employees. A plea deal put the person responsible for the crime, who had previously worked as Chrysander's personal assistant, behind bars. They were hesitant to replace her because doing so would give another worker unrestricted access to critical company information; nonetheless, in the end, Theron decided to bring in his secretary from the London office. She was of a more mature age, secure, and most significantly, devoted. Yet, following the fiasco that occurred with Roslyn, none of the Anetakis brothers were eager to place their complete faith in any other employee. Theron's return from London was greeted by a mountain of papers, contracts, letters, and emails when she first arrived. After two days, he was still attempting to make sense of the chaotic situation. To think that his secretary had already removed the majority of the unnecessary items speaks volumes. He lingered over a letter that was addressed to Chrysander and almost discarded it as junk mail before he read the contents of the letter, at which point he pulled it back into his field of vision. As he continued to study the page while simultaneously reaching for the phone with his other hand, his brow furrowed further. Indifferent to the fact that there was a time difference between them and that he would most likely wake Chrysander, he punched in the number and waited impatiently for the call to be connected. He allowed himself a little pang of remorse over the fact that he would also be disturbing Chrysander's wife, Marley, but he remained hopeful that Chrysander would pick up the phone before it roused Marley. Chrysander mumbled in a tired voice, "This better be darn excellent," but he meant it. Theron didn't bother to engage in idle chatter or exchange niceties. He demanded to know, "Who in the devil is Isabella?" “Isabella?” “Isabella?” There was no mistaking the disarray that Chrysander was feeling from his tone of voice.

"You're phoning me at this hour to ask me about a woman? ", I questioned in surprise.

"Tell me…" Theron gave a little shake of the head. To answer your question, Chrysander has no intention of cheating on

Marley. If Chrysander knew this woman in his past, it must have been before he became involved with Marley. Impatiently, Theron asked, "Just tell me what I need to know in order to get rid of her," expressing her desire to end her relationship with the woman. "I've got a letter here informing you of her progress, whatever the heck that means, and that she's graduated with flying colors," the letter reads. Disgust etched a small line across Theron's narrow lips. "Chrysander, Theos," he said. Isn't she a little on the young side for you to have gotten connected with someone like that?

Chrysander erupted in an onslaught of Greek, and Theron removed the phone from his ear in order to protect himself until the tempest subsided.

Chrysander spoke to his younger brother in a tone that was chilly and stated, "I do not appreciate your inference."

"I am married. Obviously, I have nothing to do with this Isabella business." After then, Theron was able to hear Chrysander take a sharp inhale of air. “Bella. "Of course," he said to himself. "At this late hour of the night, I find it difficult to think coherently."

"Again, let me ask: who exactly is this Bella?" Theron inquired, his tolerance for waiting reaching its limit.

“Caplan. Isabella Caplan. "Surely you remember, Theron," I said.

"Little Isabella?" Theron questioned with astonishment. He had absolutely no recollection of her whatsoever prior to Chrysander mentioning her surname. The mental picture that sprung into my head was of a gangly teenage girl with ponytails and braces. After then, he had a couple opportunities to catch her in person, but he honestly couldn't bring up an image of her. He recalled her as being timid and unassuming, and how she consistently attempted to blend into the background. She'd been at the burial for his parents, but he hadn't paid any attention to the young woman since he was too preoccupied with his own pain. In that time period, how old would she have been?

Chrysander chuckled. "She is not quite as young as she used to be. Soon after that, she will have received her diploma.

Was making really good progress. Clever girl."

But why are you getting a report on her if you know nothing about her? Theron had a question. "For the love of God, I believed she might have been one of Marley's old mistresses, and the last thing I wanted was for her to cause trouble for Marley."

Chrysander remarked in a sarcastic tone, "Although your loyalty to my wife is great, it's scarcely necessary." Then he let out a sigh. "I had momentarily forgotten about our commitment to Bella, and I apologize. Recently, I've been putting most of my attention on Marley and our child.

"To what duty are you bound?" Theron inquired in a direct manner. "And how come I've never been aware of this before?"

"Our grandfathers worked together in business and were lifelong friends. Her father was able to coerce our father into making a promise to him that Isabella would be cared for in the event that anything were to happen to our father. Because our grandfather passed away before her grandfather, I took over responsibility for our niece's well-being when her grandfather also passed away.

“Then you should know that, according to this letter, she’s arriving in New \sYork two days from now,” Theron said.

Chrysander spoke a curse. "I am unable to part ways with Marley at this time."

Theron retorted, "Of course you can't!" in an irritated tone. "Don't worry about it; I'll handle it. But I need more specifics. Right now, the last thing you need is to have another worry piled on top of everything else you have going on.

My area of duty is New York. When we switched offices, there was another problem that was handed off to me, so I'll just have to deal with it."

"There won't be any trouble with Bella. She is a lovely young lady. All that is required of you is to assist her in organizing her affairs and see to it that her requirements are met. Anetakis International serves as the trustee of her inheritance until she reaches the age of twenty-five or gets married, whichever comes first; until then, she does not have complete control over the wealth she has received. Since you are now Anetakis's representative in New York, you can essentially be considered her guardian at this point.

Theron let out a groan. "I knew that I ought to have damned well forced Piers take over the New York office," the speaker says.

Chrysander was amused by this. "You won't have any trouble with this at all, younger brother. It shouldn't take you very long at all to make sure that she is comfortable and that she possesses everything that she need.

After passing through the airport's security checkpoint, Isabella Caplan did not have much time to spare before she spotted a man in a chauffeur's uniform holding a sign that had her name on it.

She gestured with her hand in the form of a wave before approaching. She was taken aback when two more men came up behind her to protect her flanks. The chauffeur's grin and greeting of "Welcome to New York, Ms. Caplan" indicate that her bewilderment must have been apparent to him.

Hello, my name is Henry and I will be serving as today's driver. These gentlemen are members of Mr. Anetakis's security detail.

"Oh, hi," she greeted everyone.

Henry stated to her as they were being led out of the building, "I've made arrangements for someone to retrieve your luggage from the baggage claim." "The hotel will receive it at some point in the near future,"

While they were standing outside, one of the security guards held the door of the limousine open for her, and then he entered the vehicle after she did. The other guard then stepped into the front seat with Henry. She had no hope of having any privacy, and all she wanted to do was collapse in her chair and let herself go limp.

When the limousine drew away from the passenger pickup area on its way to Imperial Park, the hotel owned by the Anetakis brothers, Isabella relaxed in the rear seat and leaned back.

Chrysander always made sure to reserve a suite for her whenever she traveled to New York, not that this happened very frequently.

Chrysander was aware that this trip was intended to be little more than a temporary detour on her route to Europe because she had informed him of this information in her correspondence. All of that had changed the moment that she had received a terse missive from Theron Anetakis informing her that he was now overseeing her affairs and that he would meet briefly with her in New York to ensure that she had everything she required for her trip abroad. All of that had changed the minute that she had received that missive.

Even though he was unaware of it at the time, her trip was already in the past. It was decided that she would remain in New York...indefinitely.

The limousine arrived in front of the hotel and came to a stop without skipping a beat as it did so.

As it was unlocked, the security guard who had been riding in front of her extended his hand to help her out of the vehicle. As soon as she stepped foot inside the lobby, she was whisked away to her suite without ever having to interact with the front desk staff.

Within the space of ten minutes, her luggage was brought to her room beside a bunch of flowers and a basket that was stuffed with a variety of food and fruits.

She had barely sat down on the couch to take off her shoes and regain her breath when she heard another bang on the door. As if that weren't enough, there came a third knock. She muttered something under her breath as she opened the door, and to her surprise, she saw another hotel worker standing there. He extended a slick envelope that had a light cream color.

"A message from Mr. Anetakis."

She cocked her head to the side. "Which Mr. Anetakis?"

The young man appeared to be uncomfortable. “Theron.”

She gave him a wink, expressed her gratitude, and then shut the door. She flipped the envelope over and proceeded to run her finger very softly over the inscription that was on the front. Isabella Caplan.

Did he come up with the idea on his own?

She was experiencing a moment of foolishness when she lifted the paper up to her nose in the hopes of smelling his scent. There. Mild, yet unmistakably reminiscent of his own aroma. She recalled it as clearly as if it had happened only yesterday. It was clear that he was still wearing the same cologne.

She tore the tape apart and removed the card from its envelope before opening it. He had written his directions for her to attend to his office the following morning in a handwriting style that was unmistakably masculine.

Her lips turned up in a grin as she laughed. As haughty as she could remember him being.

Invoking her presence like a parent might a wayward kid At least Chrysander had visited her in her suite to make sure she was doing okay. Yet at the time, she was only eighteen years old, and he'd also arranged for a real babysitter to accompany her on her trip into the city as a chaperone.

She would welcome the opportunity to talk to Theron under his conditions. To rock him back on his heels would provide that much more of a sense of accomplishment. Because that was where Theron lived, the primary motivation for her extensive travel through Europe was to visit her. Or had lived.

After Chrysander got married, he and his new wife made the decision to make their home on the island that Chrysander owned in Greece. This indicated that Theron had relocated to a location that was quite a little closer to Isabella.

Finally.

The vacation to Europe would not be taking place. Her attempt to seduce Theron had begun.

She sagged into the sofa and propped her feet on the coffee table as she relaxed. As she flexed her toes, a dazzling display of bright red toenail polish appeared in front of her. The movement of her foot caused the exquisite ankle bracelet to flash and shine, drawing attention to itself.

Throughout the past few years, Theron had only managed to improve her already stunning appearance. He no longer possessed the boyish good looks of his youth and had been replaced with a rugged masculinity. He had only become more appealing during the time that she was patiently waiting to mature so that she could stake her claim. More irresistible. And her feelings for him had only grown deeper over time.

It wouldn't be a walk in the park. She was caught off guard when he walked right into her waiting arms. The Anetakis brothers had a formidable demeanor. They were able to have any woman that they want. In business, they were brutal, but they were also loyal, and honor was the most important thing to them.

When she heard the phone ring, she heaved a sigh of exasperation. The phone was on the other side of the room from where she was sitting, and she was enjoying her relaxation there. After pulling herself up, she staggered over to the phone in an attempt to answer it.

“Hello?”

There was a pause before the next word.

"Ms. Caplan—Isabella."

She immediately recognized the English speaker's accent, which sent a shiver of excitement down her spine. It wasn't Chrysander, and considering that Piers was out of the country and had never seen him before, there's no way he could have done it.

if there was even a hint that Isabella was involved, it must only have been Theron.

"Sure," she said with a trembling voice, hoping that her anxiety wouldn't be detected.

"I'd like you to meet Theron Anetakis. I wanted to make sure that you arrived safely and that you are adjusting to your new home without any problems.

"Thank you. There are no problems at all."

"Does the suite meet your expectations?"

"Of course, that is correct. It was very thoughtful of you to hold it in reserve for me.

He expressed it in an angry tone, "I didn't reserve it." "This is my own personal suite."

She resumed her exploration with a rekindled interest. The fact that she was going to be staying at the same place where Theron spent a significant amount of time gave her a luxurious thrill.

She inquired with a sense of wonder, "Then where are you staying?" You have a nice suite; why would you give it up?

The hotel is now undergoing refurbishment. The only suite that was available was... mine.

I'm going to move into a different room for the time being."

It made her giggle. "I had the option of accepting alternative lodgings. There was absolutely no reason for you to leave your old home for me."

He stated that the passing of a few days would not make a significant difference. It is important that you feel at ease before embarking on your journey to Europe.

She bit back the denial that she would be going to Europe and forced it down her throat. There is no point in putting him on guard the moment she walked through the door. There would be plenty of opportunity for her to let him know about the change in her intentions. The majority of the time, when he could not dissuade her in any way.

Her lips were twisted in a smile that suggested mischief. "I am here in response to your request."

It seemed uncomfortably similar to an oath as he let out a shocked exclamation that sounded like it was coming from him. "I'm sorry if I came across as authoritarian, Ms. Caplan," I said.

"Please, call me Isabella. Or Bella. Surely you recall a time when we weren't acting in such a formal manner? Even though it's been a while, I still don't think there's a single thing about you that I could ever forget.

There was an awkward pause in the conversation. And after that, Isabella, he said, "All right.

"Bella, please."

"All right...Bella," he said after giving in.

He yelled in her ear, "Now what was it that we were talking again?" after making an impatient sound in her ear.

Even though he was being really courteous, she could tell that he was trying to get rid of her as quickly as possible since he seemed distracted and he was. She displayed a grin. If only he had known...

"We were talking about how authoritarian it was of you to demand that I show up at your office the next day."

"That was a request, Bella," he responded while maintaining his composure.

"And you may rest assured that I will honor it. In that case, shall we say ten o'clock in the morning? I'm feeling a little bit exhausted, and I'd really like to sleep in."

"Of course. Be careful not to overwork yourself. Place your supper order with room service for evening.

Your monetary needs are being attended to in full."

Of course. She had prepared herself for the worst and knew better than to make a fuss about it.

If they were nothing else, the Anetakis brothers were very thorough. And quite serious about the commitments they feel they have.

She responded with, "Then I'll see you tomorrow."

After he finished his proper farewell, she terminated the call by hanging up the phone. She was so happy that a smile broke out on her lips as she embraced herself about the middle. Yeah, she had intended all along to pay him a visit the next day in any case.