Lethal Web of Passion: The Greek Isles Series, #5

By Angel Sefer

A Greek Island paradise… a gorgeous but enigmatic billionaire with a mysterious past… an authoritarian Contessa with deadly secrets… and a heroine determined to confront the evil enemy who tore her family apart…

Eleanna Welsh has a secret… Ever since her father was forced to leave her family, she has been training in martial arts to confront the evil responsible for tearing her family apart.

The time for revenge has finally come… Eleanna has inherited a luxury resort on the Greek island of Skopelos and with it an intensely seductive partner, Stephanos Ioannou.

As passion and peril collide, the mystifying island reveals more secrets than Eleanna could ever imagine. A mystery man, a ruthless assassin, a powerful Contessa, and lifelong enemies weave a lethal web of danger and betrayal. Can Eleanna make it out alive?

The action and passionate romance unfold on Skopelos—the breathtaking setting of the movie 'Mamma Mia', in the sapphire waters of the Aegean Sea.

Lethal Web of Passion is the fifth novel in the award-winning, bestselling Greek Isles Series where passion flares and danger lurks around every corner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Panagiota Kalofolia
• Release date: Mar 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386741664

Angel Sefer

Multiple award-winning, bestselling author Angel Sefer was born in Athens, Greece and has studied and worked on both sides of the Atlantic. She holds a degree in Economics and divides her time between the corporate world and her true passion: writing mystery, thriller, and suspense romances where passion flares and danger lurks around every corner. Angel lives in Athens, Greece, with the two loves of her life—her son and her husband—and is a member of several writers groups. The Greek islands—alluring destinations that cast a spell on the visitor from the very first moment—are among her favorite settings. She has written a series of standalone mystery romance novels—The Greek Isles Series—each taking place on a different island. In this series, dark mysteries mingle with sizzling romances while the exquisite beauty of the enchanting Greek Islands will steal the reader’s heart away. Angel has also started a new collection of novellas full of passion, danger, and intrigue—The Alluring Love Collection.

Book preview

Lethal Web

of Passion

A novel of

The Greek Isles Series

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Angel Sefer

Copyright 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 angel sefer

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).

Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

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Cover Design by Shari Ryan

Edited by Tricia Parker

Proofread by Vicki Sly

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015919265

Dedication

In memory of my late mother, Helen, a wonderful mother and my best friend, who will always be remembered for her love, kindness, and wisdom. She will live in my heart forever.

In memory of my late grandmother, Lili, whose unconditional love and encouragement inspired me throughout the years.

Dedicated to my beloved family in Greece and the USA for all their love, guidance, and support—especially to my wonderful husband, Bill; my loving father, Dimitris; my amazing Aunt Angie; and my adorable son Dimitris.

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Epilogue

Note from the Author

About the Author

More books and collections by Angel Sefer and your free copy of Blooming Love

Chapter One

Eleanna Welsh placed the receiver down with shaky hands and stared. Her mouth was dry and her body numb. Is this for real or am I dreaming?

The phone call from attorney Eliot Lambert had shaken her to the core. She tried to replay the conversation in her mind. However, she couldn’t remember much. The only phrase that had burned itself indelibly into her mind was that...her father was dead.

Drawing a deep breath, she stared at her familiar London office, with its white walls, worn burgundy carpet, and rows of glass cubicles. Nobody at the law firm paid any attention to her. All of a sudden she felt isolated and lonely.

What’s happening to me?

Are you okay? Her chubby blonde coworker, Samantha, startled her back to reality.

What?

I said, are you okay? You seem like you’ve just seen a ghost.

Well...maybe I have. Eleanna sprang to her feet. She grabbed her purse and stormed past Samantha’s cubicle and down the corridor, leaving everyone who happened to notice her stunned.

As if in a dream, she heard Jonathan Sanders—the youngest partner at Bishop, Marks & Sanders, where Eleanna worked as an executive secretary—calling after her, but she kept going. By the time she reached the elevator, the doors had opened and Mary—another coworker—stepped off. Eleanna launched inside, pressing the button to the lobby. As the doors closed, she saw Jonathan rushing after her, but she remained frozen, too dazed to move or speak.

Stepping outside the glass-and-steel office tower, Eleanna raised her face to the cloudy, late-summer sky and closed her eyes, drawing deep breaths to clear the turbulence in her mind. She stared at her reflection in the glass wall of the building’s entrance. The tall, slim woman staring back at her, with golden-brown hair and hazel eyes, seemed like a stranger. All of a sudden, Eleanna wasn’t twenty-four years old anymore but a seven-year-old girl with long braids. She closed her eyes, remembering the endless nights perched on the windowsill of the little two-bedroom apartment she shared with her mother on the outskirts of London, crying, praying, and waiting in vain for her father to come back.

It had been seventeen years since that rainy night when he’d walked out and never returned, yet deep down inside Eleanna always hoped that one day they’d meet again. She thought about it, dreamed about it, wished it would happen with all her heart. And now, it was too late.

The penetrating noise of an ambulance siren pierced her thoughts. She glanced at the heavy downtown London traffic and anxiously checked her watch. Eleven o’clock—I have plenty of time. She let out a deep breath. Her appointment with Eliot Lambert wasn’t until twelve thirty. Hoping that the fresh air would clear her mind, she decided to walk to his office, which was only a few blocks away.

Swallowing hard, she experienced a hollow feeling in her stomach. She glanced around; a lot of people were walking by, but at that moment Eleanna felt invisible.

Grab a hold of yourself. You knew this might happen...you’ve been preparing for it. However, anger, grief, and a thirst for revenge against ruthless Contessa Angelina Sideris threatened to engulf her. Driven by hatred and greed, the Contessa had forced her parents to leave Corfu, the beautiful Greek island of their birth. Not to mention that Eleanna suspected that the Contessa was also responsible for her father’s disappearance from London, which ended up tearing their family apart.

And what were the other things the attorney said? Eleanna drew some deep breaths and let them out slowly. He mentioned that it was urgent and vital for her to sign some paperwork regarding her inheritance of a luxury resort on Skopelos—an island in the Aegean Sea, three hundred miles away from Corfu that is in the Ionian Sea. What inheritance on Skopelos? Where did this inheritance come from? And why is it urgent and vital to sign something right now? Too many questions burned in her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Eleanna started for Lambert’s office. It was time to get some answers.

***

Eleanna observed the impeccably dressed, middle-aged attorney cautiously. He was polite all right, but something about him bothered her. Maybe it was the way he persistently avoided giving her any straight answers. All he’d told her so far was that her father had passed away, leaving her a 50 percent share of the Royal Blue Luxury Resort, a five-star hotel at Panormos Bay. The other 50 percent belonged to a man named Stephanos Ioannou, owner and managing director of Midas International Corporation—a multibillion-euro conglomerate. Apparently, Mr. Ioannou was interested in buying her out. And not only that, but the paperwork had to be signed within three weeks. If not, a multimillion-euro joint venture with Sunrise Hotels—an international hotel chain—would fall through, with a detrimental effect on the resort’s liquidity.

Are you sure about this, Miss Welsh? Mr. Lambert asked, staring at Eleanna over his thick glasses. I think Mr. Ioannou’s offer is the best you can hope for. He leaned forward and laced his hands on his polished oak desk.

Mr. Lambert, Eleanna replied calmly, despite her rising anger, I already explained to you that at this point, I’m not interested in selling. I would like to see the resort first and then make a decision.

But it would be too late by then.

Not if I make it to the island before the deadline of this deal.

As you wish, the attorney said, letting out a deep sigh.

You still haven’t told me how my father died.

All I know is that your father drowned, Mr. Lambert replied.

Drowned? You mean in the sea?

I don’t have that information, Miss Welsh. He shifted impatiently.

The only thing this lizard is worried about is getting my signature on those damn papers. Well, that’s not going to happen.

***

She doesn’t want to sell, Lambert informed Stephanos Ioannou a few hours later.

What? Stephanos barked. The thirty-two-year-old tycoon slammed his fist on his enormous cherry wood desk. He was used to getting what he wanted, and all this hassling with legal stuff infuriated him. He’d been waiting for Lambert’s call the whole afternoon. What do you mean she doesn’t want to sell? Did you tell her my offer?

No, the attorney said, hesitating. She didn’t even ask.

Stephanos drew a deep breath and sprang to his feet. What the hell are you talking about? He strode over to his huge windows, which overlooked the scenic Panormos Βay. You told her I was ready to buy her out, and she didn’t even ask how much I’m willing to pay?

That’s exactly right.

The attorney’s flat voice was starting to get on Stephanos’s nerves. What an idiot! He probably didn’t handle it right.

She wants to come to Skopelos, Lambert said.

Come to Skopelos? But why? Stephanos gritted his teeth. This was supposed to be a quick deal, and now this. Why on earth would this girl want to come to Skopelos? Make sure she changes her mind.

I’m afraid that’s not possible. I can give it another try, but I’m sure it’ll be useless. She’s determined to come; she even asked me if I could recommend someone to make all the traveling arrangements.

We’ll make the arrangements, then.

Mr. Ioannou, making traveling arrangements are not part of my job.

I said, we’ll do it! Stephanos slammed down the phone. It was bad enough that he’d had to deal with his partner, Marios, all these years. They never got along, and when the deal with Sunrise Hotels came up, Marios stubbornly refused to accept it. Stephanos had come to suspect that Marios had a hidden agenda. After Marios’s death, Stephanos had resumed negotiations for the deal when, out of the blue, a will appeared, naming Eleanna Welsh as Marios’s only heir. Stephanos couldn’t wait to buy out this long-lost daughter and finalize the deal, which would provide a substantial amount of working capital for the resort and Midas International Corporation. That was why he was so generous with his offer. How could she refuse? Well, this stubborn girl was in for a real treat...

***

Jonathan clenched a tall glass of cold draft beer, staring at the heavy rain whipping the windows of the small pub located near his office. He checked his watch yet another time and drew a deep breath—seven thirty and no sign of Eleanna. Where is she? What happened this morning, after she stormed out of the office without saying a word?

The door behind his booth swung open, and he turned abruptly, only to be disappointed by a couple barging inside, soaking wet and laughing. He tipped the bottom of his glass toward the ceiling and waved to the waiter for a refill. The nasty weather and dense darkness outside were a perfect reflection of his emotions right now. Waiting on Eleanna for the last thirty minutes, he was worried sick. Her husky and trembling voice on the phone had shaken him up. She hadn’t explained anything, only asked him to meet her at their favorite pub at seven. Where the hell is she? It wasn’t like her to be late—Eleanna was one of the most punctual people Jonathan knew. Something serious was up, and that something probably had to do with her mysterious past.

The waiter brought another glass of beer, and Jonathan sipped it absentmindedly. His thoughts drifted back to when he and Eleanna had first met. They’d known each other for about two years, ever since that cold, rainy morning in December when she’d walked into Bishop, Marks & Sanders to interview for an executive secretary position. The moment the stunning beauty with the golden-brown hair and the amazing hazel eyes stepped off the elevator, all the men in the office dropped what they were doing. And thirty-five-year-old Jonathan Sanders—the youngest partner in the firm—was no exception. He was smitten with her right from the start, and the fact that he could sense something mystifying about her made her more desirable than ever.

Eleanna came highly recommended by Peter Haze—a partner in a small but reputable law firm in the outskirts of London. She passed the interview with Henry Marks—one of two senior partners in the firm—with flying colors. Smart, efficient, polite, and punctual, she was excellent at her job. But she was also distant and kept to herself. At first, her attitude could be misinterpreted as arrogant, but Jonathan was too smart and too interested to let her go. He wanted to know more about the out-of-reach beauty who haunted his dreams. So, he did the one thing he had promised never to do again, and, of course, would never confess to anyone—he called his brother.

Ian Sanders—Jonathan’s brother—was an ex-homicide detective turned private investigator, who was the main reason Jonathan divorced his wife, Michaela... Or rather, Michaela divorced Jonathan four years ago, after only two years of marriage.

Jonathan would never forgive Ian, and, above all, he would never forgive himself for having Ian follow Michaela. He’d suspected that his sexy Spanish wife was having an affair when in reality she was taking private lessons to improve her English. After Jonathan had confronted her, no matter how sorry he was and how hard he tried to make up for the misunderstanding, his hot-tempered wife never forgave him for doubting her and filed for a divorce.

Ever since, Jonathan had promised never to speak to Ian again. But he broke that promise when he asked him to check up on Eleanna. He was desperately in love with her and, sensing that something wasn’t right, he had Ian investigate her past since she stubbornly refused to talk about it.

And what Ian had found out was a heartbreaking story of pain, sorrow, and abandonment. Then again, some things didn’t seem right, and Ian was puzzled—especially by the fact that he couldn’t trace any information on Eleanna’s family. It was as if her parents and one-year-old Eleanna appeared out of nowhere.

When Ian informed Jonathan about his findings, Jonathan was puzzled, as well. However, he couldn’t quench his yearning for Eleanna. He’d fought for her affection for months, and finally, he’d managed to become her friend—probably her only friend.

Only after Jonathan had come to know her better, did he realize that her arrogant attitude was just a front she put up. Too vulnerable at the time, she’d mastered an act to appear cool, self-confident, and inaccessible in order not to get hurt. Eleanna would never talk about her past, but Jonathan knew that her mother had recently passed away, and she had nobody else in the world.

Her father had walked out on them when Eleanna was seven and her little brother, Mike, was only two. A year later, Mike disappeared without a trace. Tragedy-stricken, young Eleanna and her heartbroken mother, Violet, had clung together, loving, comforting, and supporting each other in their little two-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of London. A few years later, Violet became ill and fought esophageal cancer for years until three years ago she passed away.

After Violet’s death, probably unable to bear the familiar surroundings, Eleanna left their apartment and her job and moved to downtown London.

Jonathan squeezed his glass. He could feel in his gut that something was wrong, and he was worried sick. He loved Eleanna with all his heart, even though their relationship had never been anything more than friendship. She was sweet and unselfish, and they got along well. She was one of few women whom he could talk to about more than just conventional things. At times, she was quiet and withdrawn, but he’d learned to appreciate those peaceful moments as well. And he always respected the times she wanted to be alone—not that she gave him any choice. Those times that Eleanna would disappear and not answer her phone for hours always puzzled and worried Jonathan, but she would stubbornly refuse to tell him where she was going or what she was doing.

Would you like something else? The waiter was suddenly standing beside him.

What? he asked, staring up at the young, skinny server with the red hair and thick glasses.

I said, would you like something else? The waiter pointed at Jonathan’s empty beer glass.

Yes, Jonathan replied, his mouth still feeling dry. Bring me another one. He watched the waiter turn and walk toward the bar in the back of the small pub.

Then he reached into his pocket and grabbed his cell phone. I hope she answers, this time, he thought since Eleanna hadn’t answered the previous two times he’d called. The phone kept ringing until it got diverted to the answering service. Damn! He slammed it down on the table.

Relax, she’ll be here. He tried to calm the frantic pounding of his heart. But still, he couldn’t erase the lost look on her face when she’d flown by his office that morning. He’d jumped up and followed her to the elevators, but she was already gone.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice her coming in. Only after she’d sat down across from him, did he realize she was there.

Eleanna! Thank God, you’re here! I was so worried about you.

Hello, Jonathan. Sorry, I’m late, but it’s this nasty weather. I couldn’t get a cab, and I had to walk for twenty minutes in the rain.

Are you all right? Eleanna seemed to be miles away. She hasn’t been home at all. Eleanna was wearing the same light gray suit she had on this morning. He reached over and covered her clenched-together hands with his. A chill shot through his spine when he felt how cold they were.

Eleanna was soaked to the bone but didn’t seem to mind. It was obvious that her mind was preoccupied. Where has she been all day?

I’m okay, I guess, Eleanna replied unconvincingly.

The waiter came to the table, so Jonathan had to wait until after Eleanna had ordered a glass of white wine to ask what happened. That’s a change from her usual fruit punch, he thought but kept his mouth shut. When the server finally walked away, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

Eleanna, what happened? What was that all about this morning?

She stared at her hands.

Jonathan watched her closely until he couldn’t bear the silence any longer. Listen, I don’t mean to pry... he started but was interrupted by the waiter bringing Eleanna’s drink.

I’m just so worried about you, he continued after the man was out of earshot. However, if you don’t want to talk about it, just say so. I won’t like it, but I’ll understand.

Eleanna took a sip of her wine and stared at their reflections in the window. My father is dead, she said simply.

She spoke so softly that Jonathan wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it.

An attorney called this morning, she added.

I’m sorry, he mumbled, squeezing her hands, not knowing what else to say. She hadn’t heard from her father in all those years, but he was still her father. Besides, they’d never talked about her family before, and he didn’t want to say anything that would reveal that he’d checked up on her. What’s going through her mind?

He named me in his will. Apparently there’s an eight-hundred-acre estate with a hotel and an old mansion on Skopelos that now belongs to me.

An estate with a hotel? Jonathan asked, surprised. On Skopelos? Where on earth is Skopelos?

It’s a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, a few hours from Athens.

Did your father live there?

I have no idea.

Jonathan glanced at her, puzzled.

"My father walked out