The Greeks Demand

Chapter 3

It’s the day of the auction, a day Arabelle has been fretting. She had inherited the house she had grown up in, but because of the debt, the house and everything in it will be auctioned off. Her fathers will did make provision for debt, since he didn’t want her inheritance to be for such things. There was just to much debt, to much damages that by the time his will was read their wasn’t any money left. Her father had been an extremely wealthy man that’s saying a lot. Micheal really had a talent for racking up the debt. He has rented jets for weekend trips, extravagant hotels, large gambling bills and bookies he had to pay. He was also supporting 4 Mistresses, had 11 cars and 6 houses. The list just went on. She had wondered how she could have been so oblivious to it all. How didn’t she know it was getting so out of hand.

Arabelle felt like skipping out on the auction, it would be painful to see everything go, but she is determined to at least save some of her fathers most precious possessions. It was a good thing that her restaurant and trust fund that she received on her 21ste birthday was in her name or she would have lost it to. She intends to use that money to buy the things she wanted to keep. She got in her car and drove down to her fathers house. All of her childhood memories was at this house. She grew up and stayed there until she was 15, which is when she moved to her mothers. She does love her mom, but her dad was always the better parent. Anything her heart desired she had. He had given her the best education money could afford, including dance and riding classes. He spoiled her, but was also very strict. He believed in hard work and wouldn’t expect anything less from her. It was always “A’s” and staying up together to study, do homework and assignments. Her mom was always less involved. She believed in as long as you passed it was good enough. Being smart and well educated never bothered her mom as long as she was well groomed.

Micheal and Arabelle was thrown together since she was sixteen, every free moment she had she was forced to spend with him. An arrangement between their parents. She only got her freedom from her mother when she turned 18 and finished school. She had hardly graduated when she moved into her own place, she broke up with Micheal when she met Niklas.

Arabelle walked through the house one last time before the people arrived, wishing she had enough money to buy the house back. She heard the cars coming closer and parking so she head outside. People were taking their seats when the auctioneer neared the microphone with some news.

“Sorry to inform all of you, but the auction won’t be taking place as we have a buyer that would like to buy everything.” This was news to Arabelle. She rushed over to the man immediately.

“What are you talking about?”

“Miss De Lancret we got an offer this morning for everything, the buyer wishes to keep everything together.”

“I wanted to buy some of it for myself!” I was outraged by the turn of event. I couldn’t believe my ears.

“The offer is to generous ma’am. It will pay of all the debt and then some. We would have never accumulated such an amount if we auctioned everything separately.” The idea of losing everything sat heavy on her heart, everything her father worked for is now gone, now he is just a memory in her heart.

“Who bought it, maybe I can arrange to buy some of the things back.”

“Niklas Liakoss.” Her heart sank even deeper. As his name was spoken he came out of the house.

“Good morning, agapi mou.” She felt the anger build inside her, how can he do this to her. This is really overstepping.

“I’m not your love, I am nothing of you!” She spit out at him.

“I think we need to talk as I have all the cards in my hands now. The perfect leverage.” How can she flatly reject him with so much at stake. He knew he had her where he wanted her.

“Fine let’s talk!” She followed him to the dinning room. He walked with such certainty, like this has been his house all this time. He was just being a thorn in her sight. One she isn’t keen on being pricked by.

“Niklas, I’m going to be straight with you. I just want to buy a few things back from you. Things you couldn’t possibly be interested in like my childhood toys, the portrait of my father and maybe some of the furnishings.”

“No.” He was just as straight forward as her, this has always been his plan, of course at the restaurant he tried a more civilized way, but she rejected him and now he will have his way.

“What do you mean no! The objects I want to buy no one would ever want!” He smiled walking around the table towards her. He stopped right in front of her. She needed to lift her head to look up at him.

“You know what I want!” His close proximity let a deep current of need shoot through her body. She shifted in her chair and swallowed hard.

“It’s not something I want! Doesn’t that matter at all, would you really force me to get back together with you even though you know how little I’m interested.” He bend down and placed hand against Arabelle’s cheek.

“I don’t care if you hate me, I want you back.” just that simple touch got to him, he has never felt such need for any other women. The ones before her forgotten, the ones after her not even comparing. He heard her sigh, she was giving in.

“I’m listening.” She took his hand of her face and placed it on the table.

“If you agree to get back with me I’ll sign all this over to you. You’ll have no debt and all this will legally be yours.”

“And if I don’t agree to your absurd demand?” She challenged him, not believing that he could possibly mean any of this, he couldn’t have no regard for her feelings.

“Then I will knock the house down and build a hotel, the grounds will be perfect. It already has a tennis court, a pool and a lake.”

“You can knock down the house, I’ll just buy the things as you sell them.” She felt so smug. His hands formed fists, he was really getting sick of this.

“I will bulldoze it with everything still inside!” He saw the hope leaving her eyes. There was no way for her to get out of it. If she wanted her precious keepsakes she doesn’t have an option.

“And getting back together, what does it entail? Are we supposed to pick up where we left off?” She got up walking to a painting against the wall, it was something she always did to hide what she was feeling.

“Of course it won’t be that easy. You’ll move in with me and then we’ll work on it.”

“What about my business? What about my life here? Last I heard you moved to Australia!”

“You were misinformed! You must have someone that can take care of it?” Of course once again everything is all about him! He never thinks about anyone else.

“I can arrange something if I really have to, but it seems that I’m giving up my entire life while you just go on with your life!”

“Okay what do you want?” he can’t believe that she want something else, does she even know how much she is already costing him, will she really have the nerve to ask for more money.

“If I come back to you, you’ll have to commit… I’m going to be your girlfriend not your mistress, I won’t be referred to as your special friend!” Arabelle wanted to ensure this one thing, she doesn’t want her daughter to someday come across an article about her mother being her fathers ‘special friend’ or ‘plaything’. She wants her daughter to think more of her.

“You know I never saw you like that!” He admitted pulling his hand through his hair, finally he feels a bit uncomfortable.

“Yes, but everyone else did and it made me feel degraded and cheap. The worst part being you didn’t even notice and you didn’t even want to.” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Did she really feel like that for their entire affair…relationship that is what he meant.

“Fine you’ll be my girlfriend and I’ll make sure everyone knows it.” This was really happening. Arabelle was going back to him, what will she do with Adena. She couldn’t take her with he would figure out that she is his daughter and then she’ll really be stuck with him.

“So how is this going to work?” She wanted everything to be settled in great detail. She won’t make a mistake because of ignorance.

“You come and stay with me for a year. If it works out we’ll make it permanent.”

“Are you crazy! I can’t leave my life behind for a year!” Not seeing Adena for a year will kill Arabelle, not to mention that her mom will be taking care of Adena. Arabelle’s mom was great just not all that maternal. She’s more of a travel around the world type of person.

“How long do you suggest then?” She thought it over, she wanted to spend as little time with him as possible.

“One month.” This time it was Niklas turn to feel enraged. He didn’t pay all this money only to have her for a month.

“Six Months at least!” He basically growled at her thinking his dominance would make her cower and give in, but she wasn’t the same girl she was three years ago.

“Three months!” She had turned around and was staring him down.

“Fine three months, but you aren’t allowed to leave before the first month is over or you’ll forfeit everything. After the first month you wouldn’t want to leave anyhow.” How can he always be so confident. It irritates her. He always gets what he wants.

“I’ll give you a week to arrange everything. We are leaving next week Saturday. Be ready at 8:00 I’ll pick you up.” It’s time to fight back a bit.

“I will live with you and do everything a girlfriend would, but I will not sleep with you Niklas.”

“In due time, agapi mou.”

“Stop calling me that!” he just smiled over his shoulder as he left, leaving her with all her thoughts. She couldn’t believe she had given in so easily. She should have set more ground rules. She still doesn’t know why he was suddenly so interested in her again. It must be something, something big and personal. In other words something she’ll have to drag out of him…How did he put it in due time. Game on Niklas!