The Deal

Chapter 40 - Claiming back what's mine

It was ten o'clock at night when I arrived outside Andreadakis' mansion in Athens. I finally managed to find where he was after looking for him for more than a week. I searched for him everywhere: at his house, his club and his company and used all our common social acquaintances. Still no one knew where he was until one of my men managed to get this information from a maid who worked in his mansion.

I rang the bell twice and waited. After a few seconds, a tall man dressed in total black; probably the butler opened the door. He asked my name and the reason of my visit.

-"I am Stavros Venieris and I would like to speak with Mr. George Andreadakis!"

-"Do you have an appointment?"

-"No, I don't but it's urgent to speak to him."

-"I am sorry Sir but Master doesn't accept visits so late"

-"Don't you understand that it is urgent? I won't go until I talk to him" I said decisively.

-"Please wait here Sir" the butler said in a flat way.

A few seconds passed when the butler returned.

-"Master accepted to see you. Please follow me"

We passed a very luxurious main hall and headed towards an inner corridor that led to George's office. George was sitting behind his desk. When he saw me he abruptly got up.

-"Mr. Venieris what a pleasant surprise......" he said welcoming me cooly.

-"I am not here for a social visit Andreadakis. I came to take what is mine" I said decisively and directly to the chase.

-"What are you talking about?" George asked trying to look ignorant. But I knew the truth. He had Melina in his hands all these time and without bothering to tell me anything.

-"Cut the crap George. I know that Melina is here! Allow me to remind you that Melina is my wife and if I don't see her I'll come with the police the next time!"

-"All right, all right, I admit it. Melina is here but she doesn't want to see you after what you did to her!"

-"I want her to tell me this not you!" I shouted.

-"She doesn't want to see you! Don't you understand? Return to your mistress and stop wasting our time" George said coldly.

-"I didn't ask for your opinion. Now inform my wife I am waiting for her down here! I won't leave until I see her" I said determined.

-"She won't accept to see you!" he insisted.

-"We will see about that! Melina! Melina! It's me Stavros! Please I want to see you and speak to you!" I started shouting. Ι was shouting for Melina to hear for several minutes when a female voice interrupted me making me stop.

-"What's all this noise?" Tina, Melina's stepmother asked as she entered the office and then addressing me she said, "What do you want Venieris? Why are you making so much noise?"

-"Ι don't want to speak with you Tina. I want Melina." I told her in an imposing way.

-"You can't boss me around. Melina doesn't want to talk to you! In fact she's gonna send you the divorce papers the following days."

-"What did you say? Divorce papers? Εven if what you are saying is true I am not going to sign anything" I said strictly.

-"Oh, you will, trust me you will..... We have solid evidence that you cheated on her. Now what do you think? Will Melina be able to get the divorce or not?" she asked me sarcastically.

-"We will see about that!" I said and left the office disappointed. I cannot believe that Melina refused to see me. I was shouting her name so loud! There's no way she didn't hear me. I can understand that she is angry with me because of the photos she found, but she can't have deleted every moment, every memory, every feeling we shared together! It just can't. Can't she?

Melina's pov:

I was already asleep when I heard a male voice desperately calling my name. At first I couldn't tell if it was a dream or not. I sat on my bed sleepily trying to support myself. Something about that voice sounded very familiar. As the man continued to shout, he managed to trigger a tsunami of images in my head. I started to feel confused. As time passed, I realized that the pictures were not just pictures but memories. Memories from my past life! The man was tall with black hair and shiny gray eyes. But who was this man? And why did I feel so familiar with him?

The memories mostly depicted me and him having intimate scenes like kissing and making love. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. How could I do such unspeakable things? Was I cheating on my husband? Why did I remember this man and not George? Is that why I don't want George to touch me or kiss me? Am I in love with this person?

Suddenly I realized I had to do something. But what? Something inside me urged me to go downstairs and see this man in person. I wanted to meet him, to touch him and smell his perfume. I was convinced that seeing this man would help me regain my memory. I put on my robe and left my bedroom. When I arrived at George's office I immediately got disappointed as I found only George and one woman in her mid-forties there. When George realized my presence, he abruptly stopped talking. Then he quickly approached me and hugged me.

-"Melina, my love what are you doing down here?"

-"I heard some voices"

-"It was nothing my dear. A quarrel between George and one of his employees...." the woman said and came closer to me.

-"And who are you?" I asked her. Her face looked familiar to me......I just couldn't remember from where I knew her....

-"Oh my God! Don't you remember me my child?" she said and started crying. After a few minutes of sobbing she said with a trembling voice "I am...... your mother Melina."

-"My mother?" I wondered. I didn't know why but something didn't feel right. In my mind there was a certainty that my mother was very different from the woman before me.

-"Of course my sweetheart" she said and caressed my cheek. Her action made me feel strange. Something was telling me not to trust this woman. "Is father here too?" I asked without thinking of it much. The word father came out easier to me.....

-"No......no my love, he remained at home. I only came to take care of you!"

-"How did you find out?"

-"George informed us, my child" she said in a maternalistic way.

-"How? Weren't you abroad on holiday?" I wondered. Something doesn't quite add up here. George cleared his throat and Tina, after giving him a quick glance, answered.

-"We returned earlier due to your father's professional obligations. It was then that George informed us about your accident."

-"I see...." I said trying to seem convinced by her argument while in reality I wasn't at all. I saw how conspiratorially they looked at each other when my "mother" explained to me the reason why my parents returned earlier and how they found out about my accident.

-"Let me escort you upstairs my sweetheart. You are in the recovery phase and you need to rest" my mother suggested.

-"Please there is no need to. I will go up by myself. Good night" I said and was ready to leave the office when George approached me, stopped me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

-"Good night my love" he said in a sweet tone that disgusted me.

Why do I feel so disgusted when he touches me or when he is next to me? It just doesn't make any sense. George should be disgusted instead of me because of my lover not otherwise. And why is George so nice to me when he already knows the truth?

The explanation they gave me didn't convince me. The man that came couldn't be just an employer. He was literally shouting my name. How did George allow to a stranger to come into his own house and search for his own wife? That's really preposterous! Something else is going on here and I have to find it out as soon as possible!