Read Chapter One Part Two here
Read Chapter One Part Three here
Read Chapter Two Part One here
Read Chapter Two Part Two here
Read Chapter Two Part Three here
Chapter Three
Part One
Andreas climbed into the limo next
to Eleanna and gave her a warm smile.
“I apologize for my reaction back there,” he said. Eleanna glanced at him inquiringly. “I was startled to see you
because you look exactly like a lady I used to know.”
“Really?” Eleanna wasn’t paying
that much attention. She had too much on her mind to worry about what Andreas
was saying.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “You could
have been her twin sister.”
Something in his tone triggered
her curiosity—was it sadness, regret, or something else? Besides, the word twin sister struck a sensitive chord
deep inside her. “And where is that lady now?” she asked, searching his face.
“She’s dead,” he replied flatly,
staring out the window as the limo took off.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was it due to an
accident or sickness?”
“Neither.”
Eleanna stared at him, puzzled. What did he mean, neither? Andreas had said that the woman he knew looked exactly like
Eleanna, so she assumed that they must have been around the same age. So dying
out of old age was out of the question. Then how did she die?
“Suicide,” he added a moment
later.
Eleanna drew a sharp breath. How sad, a young person taking her own life. “I’m sorry,” she whispered again,
not knowing what else to say. “I feel sorry for her family. They must be
devastated.”
Andreas remained silent, so
Eleanna turned her attention to the road as the limo flew down the highway.
“Are we heading for Athens?” she asked.
“No,” Andreas replied. “We’re
heading to Koropi. From there, we’ll take the company’s helicopter to
Skopelos.”
“Koropi?”
Eleanna had never heard the name before.
“Yes,” Andreas explained. “Koropi is a small town in the Mesogia Region,
very close to Athens and the airport. It has one of the best and most efficient
helicopter fields in Greece.”
“I see.” Eleanna felt a little
disappointed that she wasn’t going to see Athens, after all.
“We can visit Athens sometime
later on,” Andreas pointed out, probably guessing her thoughts. “I believe
you’re staying in Greece for a few days.”
I’m staying for a lot longer than just a few days, Eleanna thought but remained silent.
The limo turned into the
helicopter field. They boarded a blue-and-white chopper while the limo driver stowed
her luggage. She sank into a soft leather seat and fastened her seatbelt as
Andreas did the same next to her.
Apprehension washed over Eleanna
as the powerful engine roared to life. Flying on a plane and a helicopter for
the first time in her life, all on the same day, was more than she could
handle.
“Don’t worry,” Andreas reassured
her, shouting to be heard over the loud noise of the engine. “Our company’s
pilots are the best.”
“I’m sure they are,” Eleanna
mumbled to herself.
The helicopter took off smoothly,
and the pilot maneuvered it toward the
open sea. Eleanna had to admit that Andreas was right. The pilot seemed
experienced and efficient.
The view of the sapphire sea, now
much closer, and the beautiful necklace of islands spread across it, took her
breath away.
“There we are,” Andreas remarked
half an hour later, pointing toward the island
they were approaching. “This is Skopelos.”
Eleanna let her eyes wander over the island’s lush pine and palm trees,
scenic whitewashed villages, and exotic white-sand beaches. Oh, my God! This
is paradise! She was instantly captivated by the place, which
became world-famous when scenes from Mamma
Mia were filmed there.
“It’s breathtaking,” Eleanna
admitted.
“I know,” Andreas agreed. “I can
never get over the beauty of this place.”
“Are you from here?” she asked
and was surprised to see him tense up. It
was just a simple question. Why get agitated like that?
“No,” he replied flatly and left it
at that.
Eleanna remained silent but
couldn’t help but wonder why her inquiry had caused such a reaction. Well, I don’t want to talk about my
birthplace, either, she thought. But then again, I have serious reasons… And
probably, so does he. She peered at Andreas closely.
The helicopter made a turn and
lowered over a beautiful estate stretching for miles toward a secluded sandy
beach. Eleanna drew a sharp breath. If
there’s a heaven, then this is what it must look
like. The sight of pine forests and olive groves juxtaposed with the
sparkling blue sea left her mesmerized.
“Welcome to Skopelos,” Andreas
said. “Have you ever been here before?”
Eleanna stared at him. Was this
question just out of courtesy, or was there something more to it? Did he and
his employer suspect that she might have visited her father on the island
before?
“No,” she replied and watched his
reaction closely.
“You’ll love the island,” he went
on, not showing any signs that he might not believe her.
It was probably a simple question. However, Eleanna decided to be
very careful with him. He seemed nice, but, after all, he was Ioannou’s
assistant.
The chopper hovered over a small
helicopter field at the highest point of the estate.
“You have your own helicopter field?” she asked, impressed.
“Yes, flying around for business
we use the chopper a lot. Besides, many of our
resort clients prefer to come to Skopelos by helicopter, instead of wasting
time traveling by bus from Athens to Saint Constantinos’s port and then
boarding a liner to Skiathos and Skopelos.”
“Skiathos?”
“Yes, Skiathos is the first
island in the group of Northern Sporades that the ferry makes a stop at before
it reaches Skopelos.”
“I see,” Eleanna mumbled.
A few minutes later, they landed,
and the pilot turned off the engine. Eleanna remained in her seat until Andreas
unbuckled his seatbelt and disembarked.
“Come on,” he said, offering her
his hand.
A black Mercedes Jeep was waiting
for them, and the driver took Eleanna’s luggage and put it in the trunk.
She climbed inside, and Andreas
sat next to her in the backseat. Driving downhill, she let her gaze wander over
an amazing oasis of green. The paved driveway was
shaded by rows of pine trees on both sides, mixed with walnut, fig, almond, plum, and many other kinds of fruit trees and
flowering shrubbery in all shades. Driving
around a curve, the sea of green was interrupted by a clearing dominated
by a Greek Orthodox chapel.
After that, the driveway went downward through an olive
grove that seemed to stretch all the way to the shimmering waters of the
Aegean.
The resort’s impressive main
building came into sight. Dozens of bungalows stretched from high uphill all
the way down to the beach. Pink, red, and white oleander bushes were scattered
everywhere while jasmine and bougainvillea climbed the walls of all the
structures, creating an astonishing panorama.
The Jeep took a turn on another
paved road, and they started going uphill again, leaving the resort behind.
After they’d reached the top, Eleanna drew a deep breath. A stunning two-story
colonial with white pillars was nestled
among beautifully landscaped gardens that rolled all the way down to a secluded
cove.
“Welcome to Angelina’s estate,”
Andreas said.
Eleanna shot him a startled look.
Angelina? Her father would never name
this place Angelina… Or would he? What’s going on here?
Come back next Friday to find out what happens next...
If you can't wait, the book is available at:
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