Free Mistaken Identity by Alyssa J. Montgomery Page A

in the end, he must have been relieved.’
    ‘It would’ve been awful for him to watch her deteriorate.’
    ‘It wasn’t pretty.’
    ‘So, he really loved her? It wasn’t an arranged marriage?’
    Anna packed away her equipment. ‘I’ve heard he loved her so much that he married against his father’s wishes.’
    ‘Oh!’ It seemed almost like a Greek tragedy. It explained why he wanted to give Susie every opportunity to clean up her act. Maybe in his own mind he needed some form of redemption, a chance to do things right for someone in a similar situation.
    Despite Susie’s claims, this wasn’t just about business for Alex. Leah felt intuitively that he was acting out of love for his brother. He wouldn’t want Spiros to suffer the same despair of watching someone he cared for spiral hopelessly into the black hole of their addiction. Although she respected Alex’s concerns, it didn’t justify him kidnapping the woman his brother loved.
    ‘Has he remarried?’ She asked the question, then held her breath.
    ‘No.’
    Alex was single! The steady beating of Leah’s heart went haywire. She couldn’t suppress her happiness. Knowing that her joy at the news must be revealed in her expression, she turned away from Anna and said, ‘I’ll grab my shoes, then you can give me a tour.’
    Alex’s home was palatial. Leah gasped in delight as Anna showed her around the three main wings that made up the home. Although it was huge and opulent, the richness was understated and the atmosphere was warm. The indoor pool, gymnasium, and extensive library interested her most.
    Suddenly, her sentence on the island seemed much more bearable. She was hopeful that Susie was out of danger now Alex had spoken to the Comellis. Susie would find a way to marry Spiros despite her lack of identification. She was world-famous, so there had to be another way of establishing her identity.
    ‘ Kirie told me to let you know you may use any of the facilities you like, but he asked me to remind you not to go swimming in the ocean at night.’
    ‘He told me that his mother drowned.’
    ‘Yes. That’s another Kristidis tragedy.’
    ‘Is there some curse on the Kristidis brides?’
    ‘Not that I know of,’ Anna laughed as they walked through the colourful grounds, then a moment or two later, her expression grew serious. ‘His mother drowned in a boating accident.’
    ‘In these waters?’
    ‘No.’ They turned and walked back to the house. ‘People say she married Alex’s father for his money and was constantly unfaithful to him. She went to the French Riviera to meet with a rich lover. She and her lover were in a boating accident, suffered from head injuries, and drowned.’
    ‘How awful,’ Leah said sadly. ‘How long ago was that?’
    ‘Must be eight years ago now. Kiria Kristidis — Christina — was still alive.’
    ‘How long ago did Christina die?’
    ‘Just over five years ago.’
    ‘What about Alex’s father? Is he still alive?’
    ‘Yes. He was devastated when his wife died. He lost his grip on life for a while, and in the process, lost his shipping company. He lives a fairly quiet life in Athens now, but he comes here to stay sometimes.’
    Leah shook her head, feeling a surge of compassion for Alex. How awful for him to cope with his wife’s condition and his mother’s death. She wondered what sort of relationship existed between mother and son.
    ‘Was Alex close to his mother?’
    ‘No!’ Anna answered adamantly. ‘She was a cold woman. Heartless. Only Spiros claimed her affection.’
    ‘Is Alex close to his father?’
    ‘Very.’
    They reached the house.
    ‘Thank you for showing me around, Anna.’ And for giving me so much insight into Alex’s life.
    ‘You’re welcome. I’ll see you after lunch.’
    As they parted, the housekeeper met them. ‘You have a visitor, Miss Hamlin. She’s waiting in the library.’
    Someone to see her? It must have been the drug counsellor Alex had promised to send. Her