plan to marry again. She didn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
“That may all be true, but I have serious doubts as to whether love is the right prerequisite for marriage,” he said, quite unruffled. She hadn’t said no right away, but he didn’t really expect her to; she was extraordinary, and he would simply buy her; everything had its price. In addition, even if she didn’t love him now, she was more perfect than any other woman; she would consider their relationship fully from a rational standpoint and eventually, at some point, she would also grow to love him.
“Why should I marry you then?” Zara asked, curious. “Because you’ll get something that you want,” he said. This was how he judged her to be.
She turned around and looked out at the terrace again. Her cheeks were hot; what could he offer her? What she wanted – she could only think of one thing -- would that be it?
“And what will that be?” she asked. He smiled. “You know exactly what – for example, the shares.”
He really wanted to sign the stocks over to her, those that he had obtained by devious means at that time? She dug her nails into the palm of her hand. Was it always about money with him? Well, with money she could perhaps strike out at him – but could she really hurt him? “And what is it that you want in exchange?” she asked after a long silent pause. She turned around and faced him again, trying to hide her nervousness. “You – completely,” he said seriously. Zara broke out in goose-flesh. Faust must have had similar feelings when he sold his soul to the devil. Well, he would have to wait a while. She wasn’t crazy; she would keep him in suspense.
“I think I’d better go,” she said smoothly and reached for her coat, which lay draped over a chair. Gregor stood up, picked up the coat and laid it across her shoulders. She couldn’t make it that easy for him.
He stood close behind her, and saw the goose-bumps on her bare arms; he smelled her perfume, he felt her presence to his fingertips. “The car will take you home; think about it.” She looked up into his eyes. It was all so unreal. She had to go, she couldn’t think anymore, couldn’t breathe, she had to get outside. This man had an unbelievable power of attraction. He held her fast by the shoulders for a few seconds.
“You’re crazy!” she said and tore herself away, running down the staircase. The hem of her silk dress and the heels of her shoes broke the stillness in the house.
“Zara!” he shouted after her from above. Having arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she looked up and saw him standing there – in the semi-darkness. “I know you will do it!” he shouted, laughing, and his laughter echoed eerily throughout the entire house. My God, she thought, this is like a bad play.
Gregor continued to sit in front of the fireplace for a long time and thought of her. He thought about the fact that he had never wanted a woman as much as he wanted her, especially because she seemed so unattainable, so cold, so arrogant; he wanted to – and he became frightened at the word – own her. But it wasn’t only that. She was the perfect hostess, she was always perfectly dressed at every event, she was intelligent and, he smiled at the thought, at some point she would be the perfect mother.
He had arranged for her new job because he wanted her to remain here and he would also see to it that her new firm would work for LHM, so that he could keep her near. She would say “yes,” – he had this feeling – and he could always rely on that.
In the following days, Zara often thought about that evening, and she pondered how she should plan her next steps.
“Miss Valois . . .?” She was staring so intently at some contract documents that she hadn’t noticed that her new boss had come into her office and was standing in front of her. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t hear you,” she said. He was the oldest partner, Darren
“That may all be true, but I have serious doubts as to whether love is the right prerequisite for marriage,” he said, quite unruffled. She hadn’t said no right away, but he didn’t really expect her to; she was extraordinary, and he would simply buy her; everything had its price. In addition, even if she didn’t love him now, she was more perfect than any other woman; she would consider their relationship fully from a rational standpoint and eventually, at some point, she would also grow to love him.
“Why should I marry you then?” Zara asked, curious. “Because you’ll get something that you want,” he said. This was how he judged her to be.
She turned around and looked out at the terrace again. Her cheeks were hot; what could he offer her? What she wanted – she could only think of one thing -- would that be it?
“And what will that be?” she asked. He smiled. “You know exactly what – for example, the shares.”
He really wanted to sign the stocks over to her, those that he had obtained by devious means at that time? She dug her nails into the palm of her hand. Was it always about money with him? Well, with money she could perhaps strike out at him – but could she really hurt him? “And what is it that you want in exchange?” she asked after a long silent pause. She turned around and faced him again, trying to hide her nervousness. “You – completely,” he said seriously. Zara broke out in goose-flesh. Faust must have had similar feelings when he sold his soul to the devil. Well, he would have to wait a while. She wasn’t crazy; she would keep him in suspense.
“I think I’d better go,” she said smoothly and reached for her coat, which lay draped over a chair. Gregor stood up, picked up the coat and laid it across her shoulders. She couldn’t make it that easy for him.
He stood close behind her, and saw the goose-bumps on her bare arms; he smelled her perfume, he felt her presence to his fingertips. “The car will take you home; think about it.” She looked up into his eyes. It was all so unreal. She had to go, she couldn’t think anymore, couldn’t breathe, she had to get outside. This man had an unbelievable power of attraction. He held her fast by the shoulders for a few seconds.
“You’re crazy!” she said and tore herself away, running down the staircase. The hem of her silk dress and the heels of her shoes broke the stillness in the house.
“Zara!” he shouted after her from above. Having arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she looked up and saw him standing there – in the semi-darkness. “I know you will do it!” he shouted, laughing, and his laughter echoed eerily throughout the entire house. My God, she thought, this is like a bad play.
Gregor continued to sit in front of the fireplace for a long time and thought of her. He thought about the fact that he had never wanted a woman as much as he wanted her, especially because she seemed so unattainable, so cold, so arrogant; he wanted to – and he became frightened at the word – own her. But it wasn’t only that. She was the perfect hostess, she was always perfectly dressed at every event, she was intelligent and, he smiled at the thought, at some point she would be the perfect mother.
He had arranged for her new job because he wanted her to remain here and he would also see to it that her new firm would work for LHM, so that he could keep her near. She would say “yes,” – he had this feeling – and he could always rely on that.
In the following days, Zara often thought about that evening, and she pondered how she should plan her next steps.
“Miss Valois . . .?” She was staring so intently at some contract documents that she hadn’t noticed that her new boss had come into her office and was standing in front of her. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t hear you,” she said. He was the oldest partner, Darren
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