The Lost Sister

By Marie Kelly

Henry Grant, the CEO of one of the largest cruise companies in the world, has much to prove and many obstacles to overcome, the least of which being his playboy status. However, he is determined to drag his company into the 21st Century, despite the best efforts of one man. In talks with Nikias Dranias he knows that the partnership will be best way forward for both Companies, and proof that he is the best man to run the Company.
Hayden Carmichael, a tough, no-nonsense go-getter has just had her entire world rocked. Thinking herself an only child to a mother who had no time for her, she discovers that she has two sisters and an extended family. Not only that, but she is now one of the super-rich Dranias family. Hayden, however, has no interest in becoming one of making it on the Dranias name, she has always made her own way in life, and sees no reason that should change. Taking a job with the Dranias Corporation as a junior lawyer, she excels in her new role, happy that everything in her ordered life is finally falling into place. That is until she meets Henry Grant and finds herself pursued by the billionaire. But what will happen when he finds out who she really is?
Excerpt
Turning, she managed a cool smile. “Of course Mr Grant”, she seeing the way his lips quirked at her formal choice of address. Remaining standing, she waited, as did he till the room emptied, her body stiffening as he stood, walking around her to close the door. With wary eyes, she followed him as he moved to perch on the table close to her, her hands crossing around her midriff in an almost protective motion.
“About last night...” His lazy drawl thudded into her.
She fidgeted nervously, her head dropping as she murmured quickly over him, “Forget it. It was a mistake, and we should just move on. I... I really think that would be the best thing to do.”
She felt as he stood, not prepared to look up into those piercing blue eyes of his, those eyes that just seemed to have the power to melt her insides into some kind of gooey mess. Not a good idea. The floor was definitely worth looking at right now.
His finger curved under her chin, lifting it and pulling a surprised gasp from her, Hayden’s look zipping to his, those blue eyes warm and heated. “What if I don’t agree?”, his words delivered on a sensual whisper.
Her eyes locked with his, held in a mesmerizing tractor beam, she swallowing nervously. “Henry, this is a bad idea – I work for you.”
His head shook, as his lips curved softly. “No, you don’t work for me. You work for Nikias.”
Groaning, her eyes held a light of desperation as she gave the smallest of nods. “Yes. And I am here as part of your team. So this is a bad idea.”
His throaty chuckle did little to calm her, or to douse the strange heat building in her belly. “Hayden, we both know there is something between us. Last night just showed how strong that is. From the very first moment I saw you, I knew that we had a connection. Are you really going to fight this because you are on my team? I promise you that I can be every bit as professional as you. When we are together and not working, I can leave the office at the door – and I am sure you can do the same.”
His head lowered, his nose rubbing hers gently, she feeling his breath on her lips, her head starting to spin slightly. She wanted him to kiss her, she wanted it so badly. Her prim-self made one last valiant effort to save her. “This will be a train-wreck Henry. We are very different people.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marie Kelly
• Release date: Feb 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310304880

Marie Kelly

A hopeless romantic and weaver of words. While I live in Canada, Scotland will always be in my heart.

Book preview

The Lost Sister

by

Marie Kelly

Special Smashwords Edition

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Lost Sister

Special Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Copyright © 2016 Marie Kelly. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Cover Art :

Copyright © istockphoto/

ePublished and Distributed by: Smashwords

Chapter One

Diona Dranias sipped her tea. Even after six years living in Greece she still had not lost the habit of her morning cuppa, savouring it in the midst of the morning madness. She watched her two children as they squabbled over something inconsequential, her eldest, Xander, looking haughtily at his sister as he proclaimed her a stupid girl. About to intervene, she was stopped as Tanaya shot to her feet, her small face alive with anger, her little fists clenched by her side. Although only three, she was a force to be reckoned with, her eyes blazing. You take that back Xander. Or… Or…, the threat on her lips never materializing as she was swept from her feet by her father, her surprised squeal bringing a smile to Diona’s lips as Nikias walked stealthily into the kitchen, taking the small girl completely by surprise.

What on earth is going on here? Nikias’s words were soft, teasing, as he turned the stiff child in his arms to look into her face. What has made my little princess so mad?

Immediately, Tanaya told her father the story, the words falling over each other in her impassioned delivery of the slight made to her. Diona sat back, allowing Nikias to deal with the crisis, her eyes wandering all over her husband. He still had the power to make her body tighten with awareness whenever he was around, her love for him only growing with the passing of each year. Theirs was truly a blessed relationship, both as madly in love with the other as they had been the first time they declared their feelings.

Now Nikias was regarding Tanaya with a sombre expression, seeming to be giving a great deal of thought to her plight. Finally he smiled, his head nodding. I see. Though, if he were truly trying to insult you princess, then he would have called you a silly boy, his look full of humour along with a tinge of warning as they swept to his son. After all, it takes a very silly boy to insult a princess, doesn’t it Tanaya?

Now Tanaya’s anger seemed to drain from her as a gleeful smile lit her small features, her blonde naturally-curly ringlets bopping up and down furiously as she nodded. Uhhu. At least I’m not a silly boy, her words flung at her brother.

Xander’s mouth snapped shut as his father gave him a telling look, the small boy, only five, releasing a deep sigh, his lips curving into a chuckle. I guess so.

Nikias grinned approvingly as he placed his daughter once more back on her feet. OK. Now you two go and get ready, his voice rising as the two children scampered from the room. And make your beds!

Shaking his head, laughter clear in his eyes he turned to his wife, a more sensual look crossing his handsome features. Well, good morning Mrs Dranias, his seductive purr making her chuckle as she rose to meet him. You know that I will need to sleep on the plane now don’t you? You did not let me sleep at all last night.

Nuzzling her nose against his neck, she could feel the way he shuddered. Well, you did not seem to mind last night, and at least you GET to sleep on the plane. I have a feeling Xander and Tanaya are not about to let me, her hands sliding down his spine as he turned to lick along her shoulder. But if you like I will make sure that you get a full night’s sleep tomorrow when you get home.

His groan reverberated along her skin as he pulled her closer. I hate being away from you and the kids, even for one night, his head lifting as their eyes met. I plan on building up my sleep reserves tonight, so tomorrow I can give you a proper ‘I’m glad to be home’ reception, his brows wriggling with innuendo.

Sighing deeply, her arms wrapped around him. I love you, the declaration full of honesty as she felt the way his lips curved against her as he repeated that he loved her too.

Finally pulling back, he dropped into the chair beside her just as the housekeeper entered, her large smile and cheery Good morning accompanying his usual breakfast.

Nikias Dranias had to smile at the way his life had changed over the past six years. He had gone from being a single playboy, with a bratty brother, to a man with a family, sharing his life with his soulmate, and his brother now full partner in their thriving company. He chuckled as he read the latest text from Alexis, his look rising to his wife. Alexis and Daryle are asking if we want visitors next week.

Diona’s hands clasped to her chest, her head nodding with excitement. A visit from her sister and his brother, the two having married before they had, was most definitely welcome. Tell her YES. And that I want to see my nieces.

Laughing, Nikias’s fingers flew across his phone before nodding, he picked up his fork, tucking into the breakfast. He enjoyed this time with his wife in the morning, the normality of it belying the fact that he ran one of the largest shipping companies in the world, this time with his family grounding him. As they finished breakfast, he talk about work while she updated him on the many charitable organisations she supported, the housekeeper once more entering as the mail arrived. Diona quickly sorted through the stack of letters as she normally did, before pausing, her brows furrowing in surprise at the padded envelope. Strange. This is from the lawyer who dealt with my dad’s estate. Wonder what he wants. Ten years seems to be a long time to realise you forgot something, fun in her tone as she ripped the envelope open.

Nikias watched as her eyes scanned the plain white sheet of paper she pulled from within, his look becoming more concerned as the colour drained from her face, she pulling out more sheets, her actions becoming desperate, he seeing that some of the documents within seemed legal. His hand moved to grasp hers, concern in his voice, Diona. What’s wrong?

Her eyes rose to his, shock in their blueness, the fun of earlier gone, a steely edge now to her voice We need to go back to Scotland.

****

Henry Grant dropped into the large regal armchair, his head falling against its high back. On the phone, the person on the other end berated him for once more creating a media storm. Staring at the woman in the bed, he fought back the sigh. To say ‘media storm’ was surely overstating it? How was he to know that she was engaged to some oil barren from Texas, his sensual mouth curving into a grin as his eyes slid down her naked body. Perhaps if they had done much talking it might have come out, but neither had been particularly interested in conversation – there were better things to do with their mouths.

Relax Stan, he finally managed to interject, She will be gone in the morning and we will not be seeing each other again. The press will quickly lose interest when they don’t have a story to follow.

His eyes closed as he heard the small growl from the man on the other end of the line. When are you going to grow up Henry? My friend built this company from nothing. He would be ashamed of how you are dragging it down.

Now Henry sat upright, his knuckles growing white as he gripped the handset, anger infusing his tone. My FATHER would know the difference between letting off steam and doing a good job. I am trying to run this company, but you deliberately try and stop me with the board at every turn I make. Do not try and blow this out of proportion Stan. Get the hell off my back.

Stan Broadmoor was the bane of Henry’s life. He still could not understand what had possessed his father to make the man head of the board, giving him powers well in excess of those normally granted to anybody in that position, powers which could thwart his attempts to modernise the company. His last deal, with Charles Patrice, had only gone ahead because even Stan could tell that it would be a mistake to take on the Patrice Corporation. While it had been a victory for Henry, Stan had made it his goal to make life as hard as possible for him from that moment on. Worse still, he knew exactly why.

Both Stan and his father wanted Henry settled down, Stan somehow managing to persuade his father not long before his death to give him the powers to try and push forward their agenda. His father had been intent on the idea that there would be heirs to the Grant Empire and Stan the perfect ally because he had the perfect bride for him, his daughter, Katarina.

Shuddering, his mouth set. Katarina might well be a gorgeous woman, her face adorning many glossy magazines – she one of the IT crowd, but the woman was a treacherous snake, cold and ruthless. He had taken her to dinner twice. However, not even her good looks could take away from her behaviour. She treated people with contempt, belittling those who she felt did not show her the respect she believed herself due.

The hissy fit she threw because a waiter did not present the menu in the correct manner was something he would never forget, nor her face as he stood and walked out of the restaurant, this the last straw for him. There was nothing that could entice him to marry Katarina Broadmoor.

From the other end of the line, he could sense Stan becoming irritated, his eyes closing once more as true to form he fell back on business to punish Henry for his outburst. Well Henry, this is just another sign that you have bad judgement. The board have had an emergency meeting about your latest harebrained scheme.

Henry dragged in a deep breath. His last ‘harebrained scheme’ had netted the shipping company a significant profit, but Stan would certainly not let little details like that stand in his way in his bid to have him discredited, and where the hell did he get off calling emergency meetings without his knowledge? He would be looking into that little nugget of information more closely. Perhaps there were ways of taking the man down if he was the one to flout company procedures. Stan Broadmoor thought Henry nothing more than a playboy, not that he had a problem with him marrying his daughter, but he was wrong. Henry had a clever head on his shoulders, as he would soon find out. Willing himself calm, he allowed his voice to quieten. Oh really Stan. And what did you decide?

Well. The board feels that your decision to enter into negotiations with the Dranias fleet might not be the best solution. Nikias Dranias is too ambitious and the board feels that it might be a better move to start takeover talks. We are bigger than they are at the moment, but this time next year who knows? If we don’t take him down now, then it might be too late for us next year.

Henry could not hold back the shocked laugh, his head shaking. Were they crazy? This was akin to smearing yourself with honey and then taking a stick and beating the bee’s nest apart. It would end in disaster. He had spent countless hours cultivating a good relationship between his company and the Dranias one, getting to know Nikias Dranias well in the process. He was a good and fair man, but one who would not think twice about destroying anybody who tried to hurt him. No, this was a terrible idea.

No. There is no way that is happening Stan. If you think that Nikias Dranias is an easy mark then you have not been doing your homework. I WILL be going ahead with my original plans with or without your approval, and if the board needs me to explain in graphic detail what crossing a man like that could do to us, then believe me I will, and I might actually enjoy it because at the end I will be asking them to remove you from your position. Are we clear?

He could hear the huff of displeasure from the other end, he knowing that Stan had not liked such a direct personal attack, especially as even he knew he would lose. Fine. I will have another talk with the board, his words grudging as Henry hung up the phone. He liked winning with Stan, he standing as the brunette in bed stirred, she turning to smile at him, her arms outstretched in invitation. Grinning, Henry moved back over. He certainly did not want to disappoint the lady, whatever her name was.

****

Hayden Carmichael wearily kicked off her shoes. What a night. She was exhausted. Having pulled a double shift at the fast food restaurant she was beat. The stack of books on the table saw her lips curve into a big smile. As tired as she might be, at least the hell that was her final exams was over.

Sighing, she stretched sleepily. The rest of her class had invited her out for celebratory drinks, she sure that nobody else would have been working that day. While she would have loved to turn down the extra shift and join them, that had never been an option for her, the truth being that she needed the money.

Dragging in a sigh, she pulled out the coffee from the cupboard, her hand flicking on the kettle as she dropped the small stack of letters onto her counter. Groaning, she recognised the usual bills, hoping that she had enough in her account to cover them. Frowning, she picked up the last of the letters, the name of a lawyer emblazoned on the white envelope.

With coffee in hand, she dropped to a chair at the old pine table, her fingers flicking the letter over and over, not recognising the firm. She was sure that it was not the one who had taken care of her late mother’s estate, pain flashing through her at the memory of her recent loss. Her whole life, she had only ever had her mother – no sister or brother, just her and mummy dearest. Her lips curled angrily. Truth was her mother had never been much of one, more interested in herself than her child. By the time she was five, she was the caregiver in their relationship, she looking after the fragile woman, the small child now taking on the parental role.

Her childhood had been a series of juggling acts consisting of school, running a home and caring for her mother. Bitterly, she thought no child should have to know to leave sharp objects out of reach of their parent, while making sure that enough food and drink was left to make it through the few hours from school start to lunch, then lunch to end of school. Sighing deeply, sadness once more engulfed her.

To most as she grew up, Hayden Carmichael was a willful child who seemed not to care about anything. She never involved herself in any of the extracurricular activities and would turn up late for school, often with no homework completed and taking little care in her appearance. Nobody ever really looked at her, or truly cared as to why she was late, or so tired she would often fall asleep at her desk, just branding her a troublemaker.

When she left school at sixteen, the earliest allowed, nobody batted an eyelid, some even muttering hurtful comments such as ‘Good riddance’ or ‘That girl will amount to nothing’, nobody really seeing the little hurt and lost child. Nobody that was except her elderly retired next door neighbour.

If it had not been for the kindly woman then Hayden would have ended up in care, just another child in a system already over-stretched and clinically cold. But she had kept a watchful eye on her, even when she was a baby, looking after her and making sure her mother did the bare minimum required to ensure the small family stayed together. A smile flit briefly across her lips at the memory of Ada Jenners, who despite having real medical problems of her own was old school, the ‘Shake yourself off and get on with it’ generation, who had taken the time to keep the dysfunctional family together.

Swallowing the last dregs of her coffee, she sighed. Perhaps if the elderly neighbour had lived longer, she dying when Hayden was thirteen, she might have been able to go to university after school, something Ada was passionate about, declaring Hayden one of the smartest girls she ever knew. However, it was not to be, and those final years at school had as a result been the most difficult ever. Despite this, she had done well in her exams, finishing with straight ‘A’s, much to the surprise of her teachers, some even recommending that she continue on at school. However this was not in her future, not with a mother so dependent on her.

Instead, she had become full-time caregiver for the frail woman, enrolling at night school to finish her education, her last promise to Ada Jenners making her determined to continue.

At eighteen, with an impressive array of exam results, Hayden would have been able to enter any course at university. Her home life however, once more ruled that out. But not one to give up, she had enrolled in the Open University, having to take a part-time job to pay for the fees. Her life became a never ending conveyer belt of caring for her mother, working and then studying late into the night, which left precisely no time for socialising.

Her part-time job for the first time saw her meeting others who did not look down on her, she finding work freeing from the pressures of what was her life. However, while invited out often, Hayden not sure why, she not seeing the beautiful woman she was turning into, she kept up her lonely existence.

She remembered her 21st birthday. No cakes for her, those days gone when Ada passed, but she excitedly ripping open her results to find that she had passed her degree with a first class honours, her mother complaining of excruciating pain. She had thought it just one more of her mother’s hypochondriac moments, brought on by the need to overshadow her daughter’s success when she started to complain of the pains, but dutifully she had taken her to the doctor.

The kindly man however, had seemed truly concerned, a small prickling of unease unfurling in Hayden’s stomach. For some reason she had even then known that things were about to go from bad to worse. Within weeks, after a battery of tests, the doctor once more had the two sitting in his office, his demeanor serious as he fixed both with unwavering eyes and explained that her mother had cancer. Worse, the cancer had been found throughout her body, the deadly cells appearing everywhere. There was nothing they could do.

Hayden remembered the shock of his words, the way her stomach roiled, the room growing unbearably hot, suffocating. Yet through that terrible moment the one person she had never been able to rely on her entire life reached out, gripped her hands, her mother looking into her eyes, the strangest serene smile on her lips. It’s OK Hayden. It’s OK.

The following three months had gone in a heartbeat, but for Hayden and her mother they had been the most connected the two had ever been. For the first time in her life her mother talked about her father, the man usually shrouded in mystery – not someone she was ever allowed to bring up before, without her mother having a panic attack. Now, however, it was as if a veil had been lifted and for the first time ever her mother would talk freely about him.

She assumed that he had died when she was very young, stunned to discover that she had been in her teens when he actually passed. She was even more stunned to discover that he had known about her the entire time. Pain and bitterness towards him had filled her. She had been nothing to this man, less than nothing. He had known all about her but chose to leave his own daughter with an unstable woman.

She determined to have nothing to do with him. He had been disinterested in her, and she now chose to never think of him again. She would do good things with her life – she would make something of herself, and she would do it without any help from this man, Gerald Brown, so unworthy of her. He was nothing to Hayden.

Having her master’s to work towards had been the one piece of normality in her life, something she could throw herself into when the horror of watching her mother slowly fade away before her eyes became too much to bear. When her mother finally died, peacefully in her sleep one night a month prior, she had been shocked with just how much it affected her. For the first time in her life she knew that there was not one other person in the world who cared about her. She was alone, completely and utterly alone, and strangely this hurt. She would listen to her classmates talking about their plans for graduation, how they hoped that they could get hold of enough tickets for their families, and pain had swamped her. She had nobody, this somehow hitting her hard.

Standing, she threw the official letter onto the pile of other unopened mail. She would read it in the morning. There was no point in giving herself a sleepless night worrying about how to pay bills. She rinsed her cup, yawning tiredly, her eyes scanning the clock on the wall. She did not have a shift until twelve the next day, a smile curling her mouth, seeing the clock reading 3:00. That meant for the first time in as long as she could remember, she would be able to have a full seven hours sleep. It was strange what people considered to be a luxury, a seed of happiness swirling within her. Seven whole hours sleep, and no more classes – now that was her idea of pampering.

The ringing doorbell made Hayden groan, her body slowly dragged from sleep to wakefulness as the sound continued incessantly. Pushing the covers from herself her look flit to