Claiming His Hidden Heir. Carol Marinelli

as she relayed the message to the feeble-sounding woman.

      ‘But I just need to speak with him for a moment.’

      ‘I’m so sorry,’ Cecelia said. ‘Luka can’t take any calls right now. I know he’s busy trying to clear up as much of his schedule as he can today.’

      Luka sat with his hands behind his head and his feet on the desk.

      He could not face speaking to his mother again today and hearing how she had as good as given up on life.

      Well, he would deal with all that tomorrow, for what Luka had to say would be better said face to face.

      Leave him.

      It wouldn’t be the first time he had said it to his mother, but he hoped it would be the last.

      Always he had hoped that his father would die first, if only to afford his mother some peace.

      He glanced at the time and saw that it was approaching seven.

      The meeting with Garcia was now scheduled for ten.

      Luka got up and put on his jacket and then headed out of the office.

      Cecelia didn’t look up; instead she carried on tapping away on her computer, pretending she hadn’t noticed him.

      ‘Truce,’ Luka said, and he saw her shoulders drop a little as her tense lips relaxed in a small smile.

      ‘Truce,’ Cecelia said, and she looked up at him.

      ‘Let’s go and get dinner.’

      Her heart dropped.

      Not that she showed it.

      Cecelia wanted this day to be over.

      More than anything she loathed going to dinner with him.

      Or rather she loved going to dinner with him.

      Luka was incredibly good company.

      But that only made it all so much worse.