Chapter Three

"Give me a minute and have a seat," Andrea said as they walked into his office. He immediately walked over to his desk and accessed the file on Rocco on his laptop.

And there he found the brief reference to Elena as Elena Mario, Rocco's only child who was just twenty-two years old. She must have been so precious to him for him to keep her out of the limelight.

But he didn't blame Rocco at all. A girl so beautiful deserved to be hidden from the world. She was far too precious to be let out.

He took a quick glance at her and inhaled. Her blonde hair which fell carefully across her face highlighted her beautiful features. Her lips were full and he wondered if anyone had tasted them.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he decided it was time to hear what she had to say about her father.

"Miss Elena," he drawled, casually leaning back in his chair. "Why have you come?"

"I told you earlier." She replied quickly. "I want to talk about my father."

"I'm surprised you think I would be interested in whatever you have to say."

Elena stiffened in her seat. "My father is innocent. He is a businessman who doesn't need your money to—"

"You mean, he doesn't need my money because he embezzled it? Your father stripped my business of its premium capital."

"Do you have proof that he did?"

Andrea chuckled. "Your father confessed to his crimes already. I would have him tortured before sending him off to jail. A man with no dignity and self-respect should be treated the way he upholds himself. With no dignity."

Elena jumped to her feet. "No," she said, tears pooling in her eyes. "My father doesn't deserve that. He is a good man."

"To you, yes. He may have been the perfect father." Andrea replied, leaning out of his chair. "But I don't need the goodness of his fatherhood. I need my money and your father will have to pay for his crimes."

Elena couldn't believe that her father was actually guilty of embezzling money. He had been living such a dishonest life. She had only made a fool out of herself defending him for the past few hours.

The anger that Andrea should have felt as he spoke about Rocco was replaced by curiosity and satisfaction. Rocco's daughter was standing before him. He now had two people to play with and she was very beautiful.

Fortunately, she believed her father was innocent. Her naiveness to the entire situation was going to make it quite easy to play with her. He would take her for himself, crush her heart and that would destroy Rocco.

"Can the money be repaid?" Elena asked in desperation. "My father has properties that can be sold and put towards repayment."

Andrea's eyes scanned her with renewed intensity. She evaded his gaze as she became aware that he was scrutinizing her again.

Her throat was dry and tight. Her palms were perspiring and her heart was hammering in her chest. How could she be so terrified of him? How could he make her react in such a way?

"I understand that you want to save your father," Andrea began. "Please have a seat." He waited for her to sit back before he continued. "But if any of those properties were bought with the embezzled funds, it cannot be sold to provide compensation. They are simply mine and will be confiscated by the court."

He saw the hope in her eyes fade away immediately. She was so oblivious to the crimes her father committed and even worse, she had no idea how to save him.

"My father can work toward getting some business deals or taking a loan to pay off the debt. Please, he just needs time."

Andrea shook his head slightly. "He is not a debtor. Rocco is a thief. However, I won't hurt him anymore because of you. But he would have to go to jail."

"Thank you," Elena nodded eagerly, happy with any prospect of agreement. She was becoming confident that she could after all save her father from Andrea.

She tore her attention from him and tried to focus her mind on things that a rich billionaire could possibly want. She could not help but feel the effect he had on her.

Although he was a complete stranger to her, he roused her physical consciousness that was usually buried and dormant. But she didn't need to let him know that. She was there to talk about her father and not her sudden attraction to a man who was holding him captive.

"Can I do anything to keep him out of jail?"

A cold smile crept to Andrea's lips. She was finally approaching the topic he had been waiting to discuss.

He watched her brush a strand of her blonde hair back. The more he stared at her, the more he realized that she was beautiful. His usually disciplined body was responding to the sexual charge of her presence.

Barely any woman made him feel that way and he had an overwhelming desire to see her hair falling loose as he made love to her. She was every man's dream and he didn't even know that.

He had definitely not expected to find Rocco's daughter in his company after her father was arrested. When he had seen her earlier, he had tried to get angry but couldn't.

His attraction to her doused every feeling that he had. Even his mind was warning him that he was making a mistake but for a woman like Elena, he didn't care about mistakes.

She was the sort of woman that could make a man go weak on his knees. She commanded so much authority and she didn't even know it. He didn't think women like her still existed and he was certain her father kept her hidden for the same reasons.

"You cannot keep him out of jail," Andrea replied. "Business is all about the passion and repercussions of our actions. Your father is facing his and I suggest you go home and take care of your mother." But his eyes were saying a different thing.

Elena genuinely did not know how to appeal to such a man. His eyes were cold and lacked every bit of empathy. But she knew that everyone had a price. She just had to know what it was and if she could offer it.

Rising to her feet, she leaned closer to him. "What would it take to tempt you? What would it take to pay for my father's sins?" Elena asked, feeling intimated.

Andrea studied her with a smile on his face. "You."

Elena staggered back with shock. "What?"

"Yes, you." He replied calmly. "I want you."