Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Suddenly it hit her, the way this very scenario was so alike that night Leandro had broken her heart. Then, they had been standing this close, looking at each other this way, and were surrounded by people just like now.
Leandro’s words played inside her mind over and over, ripping open wounds that she thought time had been able to heal.
Anna glanced innocently at Bobby in confirmation. “Did I recall that correctly, darling?”
Bobby said thinly, “Yes. Those were the words.”
The whitened look on Bobby’s face told Leandro that she was remembering the past, and the realization sickened him. An eternity could pass, but Leandro knew there wouldn’t really be a day that he could ever forgive himself for how much he had hurt her that time. “Shut up, Anna.”
Anna’s lips tightened at the words. “I don’t see why I should shut up, Leandro. I’m just having a normal conversation with Bobby here.” She glanced back at Bobby with a saccharine smile. “You’re over him now, right?”
Bobby just nodded. She was willing to play along with everything Anna said just to be done with this.
Anna pretended to be confused. “Then...why are you having a hard time looking at him now?”
The crowd around them had fallen silent.
From the corner of her eye, Bobby saw F stirring and knew that even though F hated confrontations like this, he had obviously had enough and was going to interfere.
Not wanting F to be involved in her problems – which her own stupidity had caused – Bobby shook her head at her boss. F frowned in response. Knowing that F understood her warning, Bobby slowly turned her gaze back to Leandro.
This time, it wasn’t his beauty or masculinity that struck her.
No, this time, what made her want to die, cry, and laugh was the realization that she hated him. She hated him so much, and she knew that the reason for her hatred would ensure that she kept hating him forever.
Leandro Christopoulos had once been everything to her. He had been her entire world...while she had been his pawn.
“Bobby—-” Leandro took a step closer, and Bobby reacted instinctively.
Her hand connected with his face in a resounding slap that had his head whipping to the side.
Everyone around them gasped.
Bobby couldn’t believe what she had done. Her mouth opened and closed several times, her mind a total blank. Had she really slapped him? What did she do now? Apologize? Pretend she had amnesia? Whoop for joy because she had always wanted to do that?
Anna’s voice once again cut through her disjointed thoughts.
“And there I thought you were completely over Leandro.” Anna laughed softly. “Poor Bobby. You’re still a child, after all.” Her voice became louder, her tone sharper as she continued, “I’m going to do you a favor and tell you the truth that no one had the guts to tell you.”
Leandro finally wrenched his arm away from the other woman. “Shut up, Anna.”
Her voice became shriller. “Whatever happened between the two of you in the past was not Leandro’s fault. You were the stupid one—-”
“I’m going to personally escort you out if you don’t shut up now.” Leandro was badly tempted to call for his security, but courtesy forbade him from doing so. Anna had been his ticket into Bobby’s world today, and unfortunately it meant he was responsible for the mess she was now creating.
“—-to think that someone like Leandro would really want to be with you forever!”
“That’s it,” Leandro gritted out. He unceremoniously started hauling Anna towards the door.
“Let me go!” Anna struggled to get back to Bobby, hatred and envy making her want to say the most painful things to the girl who had actually managed to reach a part of Leandro that she knew she could never reach.
When she realized she was just a few steps from the doors, Anna’s head snapped back towards Bobby. She screamed, “I hope you’re smarter now! If Leandro’s back in your life then he probably needs to use you, too.”
Leandro threw the door open and thrust Anna into the arms of the security officers guarding the exit. “Drive her back to her office.” He slammed the door shut on a still-screaming Anna. He turned around, his eyes immediately looking for Bobby.
Their gazes met.
And that was the exact moment the full import of Anna Largess’ words really sunk in.
Leandro could never love her, and if he had come back in her life, then it was only because he had found a use for her again.
With a choked cry, Bobby rushed towards the other pair of exit doors.
Chapter Three
“Bobby, wait!”
Leandro’s voice behind her made Bobby run as fast as her legs could carry her.
“Bobby!”
She slammed her hand on the elevator’s button and gasped for relief when the doors slid open. Thank You, God. She rushed in, turned around, and shrieked as Leandro was able to follow her into the elevator just as the doors closed.