PRIVILEGE AND POWER 1: THE BEAUTY AND THE FILM STAR, #1

By Lynda Leray

A Novella of about 28,000 words, or just over 100 pages.

Be careful what you wish for...

Allie Davids, an extremely successful young business woman, is scarred and carries with her the legacy of an emotionally crushing past. Despite an almost obsessive dedication to her “Beauty Within” chain of beauty salons, she harbors a painful, unfulfilled wish - to simply love and be loved.

Richard Thorpe, the world famous British actor, can have any woman he wants. Love is definitely not on his agenda when their professional paths cross in Cape Town and Allie shares her most intimate, hidden secret. But never say never!

Will Allie find happiness, despite her reckless brother and despite the mysterious threats that hang menacingly over her and her family?

...it may come true!.

What You Thought

"OMG I just loved the book. I didn't want to put it down but had to deal with the kids lol otherwise I would have finished it sooner. Can't wait for the second one to come. Well done. Love the book. Thanks."

"I absolutely love this book!! I couldn't put it down! There were unexpected events that I loved. It kept you guessing. Once you thought you had it figured out something unexpected happens. Absolutely love it. I now have a new favorite writer and can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!"

"This book kept me riveted the whole way through. Looking forward to the next book!"

Author’s Notes:
This is book 1 in the series.  It ends with a cliffhanger. Book 2 is available now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lynda Leray
• Release date: Sep 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516344864

Book preview

Prologue

Elton Davids Jnr. was a wealthy South African businessman and he was utterly ruthless. Whatever it took – WHATEVER – it was all fair game to him. He ran the family business his way and that was the only game in town as far as he was concerned.

Whether it meant bribing an official, paying off a police officer or something more serious it made no difference to him. It was all about winning and winning at any cost.

The fact that he had been entrusted with a family asset that had taken a lifetime to build was irrelevant to Elton Davids Jnr. His arrogance was such that he saw the family construction business as his own. He was, after all, the eldest in the family and that meant something as far as he was concerned. He was the heir, the successor and alpha male now. He had come of age.

Elton Davids Jnr. worked tirelessly, pushed hard and took risks. Yes, he deserved his position and all the privilege and power that it bestowed upon him. He relished it.

The old days of how business used to be done, how his father had done business, meant nothing to him. That was old school and even weakness in his estimation. The old school had no place in his world unless of course it could be used to his direct advantage. And Elton Davids Jnr. had done that when the occasion demanded. He had gained trust then manipulated and benefitted from it. There was no tactic he wouldn’t use to get his way.

His biggest annoyance was that his siblings had any say in the business at all. He resented his two brothers and in particular he was jealous of his sister Allison (Allie) who was favored by their father above him. To Elton Davids Jnr. that was just wrong. In his eyes he was the eldest and deserved, no demanded respect. He would show them the only way he knew how by growing the family business and making it more successful than it had ever been.

He would show them that he was to be respected and he more than filled the old man’s shoes. He would show them that he was a better businessman than his father ever was or ever could be. Elton Davids Jnr. was on a mission.

He was so focused, so single-minded that he didn’t see the danger signs on the horizon or even worse he chose to ignore them.

Steadily, piece by piece he was building walls and burning bridges. His arrogant disregard for the rules, any rules, was relentlessly conspiring against him.

There would be a day of reckoning – there always was.

You could only screw so many people. You could only push it so far before the cornered animal would turn and fight back and that day was coming.

Someone less arrogant would have read the signs or at least known some boundaries, known where to draw the line even if only for self-preservation.

Elton Davids Jnr. knew of no such boundaries and the day of reckoning was coming.

Chapter One

Alone with her thoughts, Allie Davids recalled as she always did the day her happiness with James Thomas Smith was shattered forever.

It was the day they graduated from high school and they were so in love. He had proposed and she had accepted. It was the day she had always dreamed of and the happiest day of her life.

The ring was a beautiful one carat square cut diamond that fitted her finger perfectly, just as though it had been made for her.

All of her family and friends offered them their congratulations and both families went to the fancy Table Bay Hotel restaurant in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront to celebrate. Their parents ordered the best champagne and even got the house pianist to play Endless Love the happy couple’s favorite romantic song.

It was just after the main meal was finished that it happened.

Mr. Smith, James’s dad, was proposing a toast to the newly-engaged couple when a tall, blond girl with blue eyes strode in.

Allie looked at James and it seemed as if all the blood had drained from his face; he went white as a sheet. His father stopped midsentence and looked at the young blond with sharp eyes as she began to speak loudly and directly to James.

James Smith, you’ve been ignoring me! You won’t take my calls and you’ve been avoiding me. This could have been avoided but you’ve left me with no choice but to come here today.

C...Colleen, this is not the time nor the place, please. James stammered a weak response.

If it were up to you there would never be a ‘time or a place’. Sorry, now is the time and this is exactly the place, you have a responsibility to take care of.

Despite her shock, Allie somehow found her voice. What’s going on James, who is this?

Are you going to tell her or should I? asked Colleen.

Allie stared at the two of them. She knew something was wrong, very wrong. The tension in the air was almost crushing. A deathly silence hung over the scene that just a few moments earlier had been such a happy celebration.

Just give us a moment PLEASE Colleen, said Allie’s brand new fiancé.

Colleen had made her point and was beginning to calm down. Realizing the enormity of what she had just done, she had no desire to spend any longer in the spotlight than she needed but was still firm in her resolve.

I’ll be waiting in reception for you James, you have a responsibility. Colleen walked away leaving the stunned table in awkward silence.

Excuse us please, James managed to say to his guests. He led Allie from the room and out onto a small wooden balcony overlooking the picturesque Table Bay and the harbor.

What’s going on? Allie asked, tearfully now.

James looked at her and started, Allie, you remember I went away on the tour with the school rugby team?

Yes, that was three months ago. What’s going on and who is this Colleen? What does she have to do with your month away? Allie asked him, her voice shaking uncontrollably.

You know that I love you with all my heart, and I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose? Oh dear... I did something very stupid. For God’s sake, I couldn’t even remember it the next day when I woke up!

Allie’s legs went weak as the full enormity of the situation struck her. Her head was spinning and she felt sick to her stomach. She knew what was coming next but uttered the next few words on autopilot.

Please tell me that you didn’t sleep with her!

He started crying then. Allie, I was so drunk that I don’t even remember a thing. I woke up the following morning, and there she was in my bed. I tried to remember but couldn’t. I’m so sorry Allie.

She’s pregnant! Allie screamed, now losing control completely.

James just looked at her with tears in his eyes.

Allie was crying hysterically now and ran back through the restaurant oblivious to her guests. She ran down the impressive marble staircase of the hotel and out onto the crowded boardwalks of the Waterfront. Despite the throngs of happy tourists everywhere, Allie just kept running, away from him, away from Colleen, and away from everyone.

James followed her and shouted for her to stop, but she just kept running and running.

Allie’s brother, Elton Jnr, went crazy. He appeared at the entrance to the hotel, grabbed James, and started hitting him in the face with his fist. Her other two brothers tried to drag him off James whilst her sister in-law, Samantha, ran after Allie.

She caught up with her, and they sat in the middle of the boardwalk oblivious to the tourists that were forced to side-step them. Allie bawled her eyes out.

It was only after much patience and cajoling that Samantha managed to convince Allie to let her take her home. There was absolutely no way she was going back into the hotel’s restaurant that was for sure, and she desperately needed to get away from the scene of her worst nightmare.

And so it was, that without reference to any of the others attending the party that should have marked one of the happiest days of any young woman’s life, Allie