Episode 11: You have betrayed my trust

START TWO

Eyes as dangerous as black ice scanned Stella's pale face. 'The instant I allowed you out of my sight, you rushed to the phone to pass on the data you overheard. You have betrayed my trust!' Dior Harlequin condemned with scantily suppressed savagery.

 

 

Even trembling, and with her stomach knotted light with apprehension, Stella was fascinated by the volatile charge of that explosive Mediterranean temperament and that innate sense of drama.

 

 

Both were so utterly foreign to her. ' Harlequin—' she began, keen to disabuse him of his eagerness to assume the worst. 'You have made your choice.

 

 

So be it.' Dior surveyed her with a cold, lethal threat. 1 will destroy you for this. Stella's tummy performed an unpleasant somersault. 'You've got it wrong,' she protested feverishly.

 

 

I only got as far as dialing the operator!' With a look of thunderous derision, Dior swung on his heel and strode away, outrage etched in every line of his lean, tight, powerful body.

 

 

For an instant, disconcertion froze Stella to the spot. Oh, yeah, just drag me out to the airport on your stupid helicopter and then dump me with no money and a very nasty threat! Only unfreezing as fear for her co-worker Grace's future job security assailed her, Stella raced after Dior Harlequin, hating him like poison.

 

 

'Get out of my way,' he growled when she got in front of him. 'That call I was trying to make wasn't what you thought it was either!' Stella argued hotly. He simply sidestepped her. 'You are so stubborn!' Stella flung wrathfully in his wake.

 

 

'All I did was try to make a reverse-charge call to my boss at the bookshop...all right?' Stilling, Dior swung back with stormy reluctance. 'What bookshop?' he ground out. Stella stared at him with a frown, sensing something missing, and then she exclaimed, 'What the heck have you done with the bags?

 

 

For Pete sake, you just walked off and left them lying on the floor, didn't you?' Stella went into automatic reverse, spinning round to retrace his steps. Her attention settled on the abandoned carrier bags with relief. Hurrying back, she grabbed them up. 'What bookshop?' Dior repeated stonily when she'd made it back to his side, laden like a packhorse.

 

 

'I work in one during the day. I also live above the shop...' Stella paused to get her breath back. 'I have to contact Watson to warn him that I'll be taking time off. He'll call the police if I suddenly vanish—' 'Rubbish! He'll assume that you've taken off with some boyfriend. The staff of your age are often unreliable,' Dior Harlequin asserted, unimpressed.

 

 

Affronted by the response, Stella breathed in very deep to control her temper, but it didn't work. 'You know, I've had it up to here with you!' she told him bluntly, tipping back her silvery fair head to survey him with upset resentment. 'I do not have a boyfriend and I am not unreliable. Don't underestimate me and don't talk down to me, Harlequin.

 

 

I always turn in for work. I've been in the same job for five years, and for the past two I've virtually been running the business—' 'So what are you doing slogging as a cleaner five nights a week?' he incised drily. 'I need the money...OK?' she flared. 'Is that any of your business?' 'Your insolence outrages me."

 

 

Shimmering dark, deep-set eyes raked over her, the lean, bronzed features hard as steel. 'So I don't like you...what do you expect? I haven't done anything wrong. I made a silly mistake, but it's being treated like a major crime!' Stella recounted in an accusing undertone.

 

 

'You're blackmailing me into doing what I don't want to do...and I don't appreciate your conviction that because I'm poor I'm more likely to be dishonest!' 'Are you quite finished?' Feeling as if she had run smash-bang into a brick wall and bruised herself all over, Stella reddened and compressed her lips.

 

 

'Today of all days,' he breathed with harsh emphasis, 'I am not in the mood for this nonsense. Come on. We have wasted enough time.' 'You believe me, then...?' Stella prompted a minute or two later as she struggled to keep up with his long, powerful stride.

 

 

'All I believe is that I caught you before you contrived to disobey my explicit warning not to telephone anyone,' Dior contradicted with succinct bite. 'You're little and sneaky. Why does that not surprise me?' 'I am not sneaky!' 'You could have explained that you had another employer.

 

 

I'm not an unreasonable man,' Dior stated grimly. 'But you chose to sneak instead of being open and honest.'

 

 

If he said 'sneak' again, she swore she would slap him. Her cheeks flamed, but the threat of thirty lashes at dawn wouldn't have dragged an apology from her. Asking him permission to do anything would have choked her.

 

 

And, whether he liked it or not, that call to Watson still had to be made. Unfortunately, the prospect of telling little white lies to Watson in Dior Harlequin's presence made her squirm. Stella didn't make a habit of lying.

Episodes
1 Episode 1: He's getting a witch
2 Episode 2: Murmuring with satisfaction
3 Episode 4: Get off that phone now
4 Episode 5: I'm afraid I can't trust your word
5 Episode 6: Free will
6 Episode 7: I have no desire for a company
7 Episode 8: That wasn't his only problem
8 Episode 9: Put them on
9 Episode 10: An adventure
10 Episode 11: You have betrayed my trust
11 Episode 12: You're a very convincing liar
12 Episode 13: Passion and Sensuality
13 Episode 14: Oh, dear heaven
14 Episode 15: 'Who's the woman
15 Episode 16: I don't like to be boss around
16 Episode 17: He's got a taste
17 Episode 18: Calling me a babe
18 Episode 19: I hate this
19 Episode 20: What on earth was the matter with her
20 Episode 21: Quite extraordinary
21 Episode 22: Did you have a happy childhood
22 Episode 23: Don't you realize that
23 Episode 24: My turn
24 Episode 25: So sweet
25 Episode 26: She couldn't believe
26 Episode 27: Can't talk now
27 Episode 28: It didn't seem to bother him
28 Episode 29: What's wrong
29 Episode 30:
30 Episode 31: Is Grace still employed?
31 Episode 32: I’m going in tonight
32 Episode 33: It's not Okay
33 Episode 34: Who the heck do you think you are to say that to me?
34 Episode 35: I'm not backing off
35 Episode 36: You belong with me
36 Episode 37: You're not supposed to know me!
37 Episode 38: Stop running away
38 Episode 39: I made it my business to know
39 Episode 40: I think I might be pregnant
40 Episode 41: Can I go out on the balcony
41 Episode 42: Trust me
42 Episode 43: I don't want to be your mistress
43 Episode 44: I don't care who I see
44 Episode 45: We're going to be parents
45 Episode 46: What's wrong with tonight?
46 Episode 47: I don't want your money
47 Episode 48: You do deserve her
48 Episode 49: I wouldn't have you as a gift
49 Episode 50: A little amusement
50 Episode 51: One month's notice
51 Episode 52: I saw you kissing him
52 Episode 53: Do...do you love her?
53 Episode 54: Do you love her (2)
54 Episode 55: I make a very bitter enemy
55 Episode 56: You look just gorgeous
56 Episode 57: I wish he'd met you
57 Episode 58: What's wrong?
58 Episode 59: I promise you
59 Episode 60: To make you welcome
60 Episode 61: You are so perfect
61 Episode 62: It's our wedding night
62 Episode 63: She hadn't liked that
63 Episode 64: Then what?
64 Episode 65: Lack of discretion?
65 Episode 66: What do you expect?
66 Episode 67: Don't be slow
67 Episode 68: Would I do that?
68 Episode 69: Rational
69 Episode 70: I don't want you anymore!
70 Episode 71: No! No way was it wrong!
71 Episode 72: What on earth are we doing here?
72 Episode 73: She's a nice person
73 Episode 74: I adore you
74 Episode 75: That's what I'm here for
Episodes

Updated 74 Episodes

1
Episode 1: He's getting a witch
2
Episode 2: Murmuring with satisfaction
3
Episode 4: Get off that phone now
4
Episode 5: I'm afraid I can't trust your word
5
Episode 6: Free will
6
Episode 7: I have no desire for a company
7
Episode 8: That wasn't his only problem
8
Episode 9: Put them on
9
Episode 10: An adventure
10
Episode 11: You have betrayed my trust
11
Episode 12: You're a very convincing liar
12
Episode 13: Passion and Sensuality
13
Episode 14: Oh, dear heaven
14
Episode 15: 'Who's the woman
15
Episode 16: I don't like to be boss around
16
Episode 17: He's got a taste
17
Episode 18: Calling me a babe
18
Episode 19: I hate this
19
Episode 20: What on earth was the matter with her
20
Episode 21: Quite extraordinary
21
Episode 22: Did you have a happy childhood
22
Episode 23: Don't you realize that
23
Episode 24: My turn
24
Episode 25: So sweet
25
Episode 26: She couldn't believe
26
Episode 27: Can't talk now
27
Episode 28: It didn't seem to bother him
28
Episode 29: What's wrong
29
Episode 30:
30
Episode 31: Is Grace still employed?
31
Episode 32: I’m going in tonight
32
Episode 33: It's not Okay
33
Episode 34: Who the heck do you think you are to say that to me?
34
Episode 35: I'm not backing off
35
Episode 36: You belong with me
36
Episode 37: You're not supposed to know me!
37
Episode 38: Stop running away
38
Episode 39: I made it my business to know
39
Episode 40: I think I might be pregnant
40
Episode 41: Can I go out on the balcony
41
Episode 42: Trust me
42
Episode 43: I don't want to be your mistress
43
Episode 44: I don't care who I see
44
Episode 45: We're going to be parents
45
Episode 46: What's wrong with tonight?
46
Episode 47: I don't want your money
47
Episode 48: You do deserve her
48
Episode 49: I wouldn't have you as a gift
49
Episode 50: A little amusement
50
Episode 51: One month's notice
51
Episode 52: I saw you kissing him
52
Episode 53: Do...do you love her?
53
Episode 54: Do you love her (2)
54
Episode 55: I make a very bitter enemy
55
Episode 56: You look just gorgeous
56
Episode 57: I wish he'd met you
57
Episode 58: What's wrong?
58
Episode 59: I promise you
59
Episode 60: To make you welcome
60
Episode 61: You are so perfect
61
Episode 62: It's our wedding night
62
Episode 63: She hadn't liked that
63
Episode 64: Then what?
64
Episode 65: Lack of discretion?
65
Episode 66: What do you expect?
66
Episode 67: Don't be slow
67
Episode 68: Would I do that?
68
Episode 69: Rational
69
Episode 70: I don't want you anymore!
70
Episode 71: No! No way was it wrong!
71
Episode 72: What on earth are we doing here?
72
Episode 73: She's a nice person
73
Episode 74: I adore you
74
Episode 75: That's what I'm here for

Download

Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Download

Bonus

New users downloading the APP can read 10 episodes for free

Receive
NovelToon
Step Into A Different WORLD!
Download MangaToon APP on App Store and Google Play