A Marriage of Convenience
The Andreou Marriage Arrangement
Helen Bianchin
The Replacement Wife
Caitlin Crews
Table of Contents
The Andreou Marriage Arrangement
‘Yes or no, Alesha.’ His expression was unreadable, his eyes dark and unwavering as they regarded her.
It had to be yes. ‘I have no choice but to agree, subject to certain conditions.’
There was a strength apparent in her demeanour, a determination he could only admire, given she’d taken a king-hit about the true state of her father’s corporation.
‘Name them.’ His voice held a silkiness she chose to ignore.
‘I retain my position in Karsouli.’
Loukas inclined his head in agreement. ‘Naturally.’
Now for the cruncher. ‘A separate suite of rooms in whatever home we share.’
His gaze narrowed. ‘Your reason being…?’
‘A personal preference.’
He regarded her in silence for several timeless seconds. ‘The same bedroom, separate beds.’ He waited a beat. ‘Until you feel comfortable sharing mine.’
HELEN BIANCHIN was born in New Zealand and travelled to Australia before marrying her Italian-born husband. After three years they moved, returned to New Zealand with their daughter, had two sons and then resettled in Australia. Encouraged by friends to recount anecdotes of her years as a tobacco share farmer’s wife living in an Italian community, Helen began setting words on paper and her first novel was published in 1975. An animal lover, she says her terrier and Persian cat regard her study as as much theirs as hers.
ALESHA sat in stunned silence as the lawyer finished reading her late father’s will.
Surprise didn’t even begin to cut it.
What had Dimitri Karsouli been thinking in selling a twenty-five-per-cent share in the Karsouli Corporation to Loukas Andreou?
Worse…gifting Loukas a further twenty-five-per-cent share. Representing several hundred million dollars on today’s market.
Subject to marriage.
The breath caught in her throat as realization hit. Dear heaven. Her father had bought her a husband?
It was beyond comprehension.
Yet she was all too aware how her father’s mind worked; it didn’t take much to do the maths.
A year ago Alesha’s disastrous short-lived marriage had formally ended in divorce