Filed to story: A Matter of Sin and Love Novel Read Free Online
Hurt scored deep, deeper than she’d imagined possible. Not even because of what he’d done to her father, but selfishly because of what he’d done to her.
She’d actually believed Christian wanted her for herself!
It wasn’t easy dragging metres of ballooning satin up, especially with one hand clamped to her bodice. Elena managed it as if she’d been wrangling formal gowns all her life. Amazing what adrenalin could do.
‘You used me!’ She shot the words at him as she stalked forward. ‘You made me a laughing stock.’ And she’d let him. He’d barely had to make a move—she’d been so busy walking into his trap, falling for a man who saw her as a convenient tool. It wasn’t the public humiliation that hurt, but the very private disappointment. She’d hoped—
Elena’s stomach cramped and she slammed to a swaying halt as pain unravelled inside. Her eyes blurred as she realised how much she’d trusted him.
‘Elena—’
‘What was the plan, Christian?’ Anger simmered like hot oil under her skin. ‘To leave me at the altar? Would that have made you smile?’
‘No!’ He looked genuinely stunned. ‘You weren’t going to marry me. You always insisted you wouldn’t.’
Elena drew a shuddery breath. The horror on Christian’s face smashed the last of her stupid hopes.
See, that’s what he really thinks of us as a couple.
The trouble was she’d begun to believe her own far-fetched dreams. She looked down at the bright glitter on the long gown. Not diamonds, of course, but cheap imitations.
‘That doesn’t excuse the fact you used me, Christian. Just as you planned to use Felicity.’ Her voice shook and she snapped her mouth shut while she gathered herself. ‘Whatever grudge you have against my father, did we really deserve that?’
She wanted to rage and howl. She wanted to demand he stop this pretence and become again the man she’d fallen in love with. The man who cared for her.
Except that had been a sham. An ache started in her chest, thrumming stronger with each pulse beat.
‘I didn’t want to hurt you, Elena.’ Christian stood stiffly, his hands by his sides, keeping his distance. ‘You know that. I was going to find a way to make it up to you.’
‘And how, pray tell, were you going to do that?’ Elena stood tall, every sinew and muscle taut with distress. ‘With cash? Is that why you’re paying back Rob’s money? For services rendered?’ The words stuck in her throat and for a frantic moment she thought they’d choke her.
‘Elena.’ Finally, finally, Christian moved towards her. But it was too late. She’d come to her senses. She shoved out her hand, stopping him.
‘Why do you hate him so much? This isn’t business…this is…’
‘Retribution.’
‘Sorry?’
‘Retribution, for what he did to my mother.’
Elena gasped. ‘You attacked the man who killed your mother. You’re not saying—?’
‘That George Morrison had a hand in that?’ Christian shook his head, his expression as grim as she’d ever seen it. ‘No. Though he might just as well have.’
‘I don’t understand. Did my father know your mother?’ Elena frowned. Was this some misunderstanding? Except Christian didn’t make mistakes. Not when it mattered.
‘Why don’t you sit, Elena?’ He moved as if to usher her to a chair.
‘Just tell me, Christian!’
He sighed, his hand spearing through his hair. He didn’t look like a man celebrating the success of his schemes. He looked like a man strung too taut.
‘I doubt he ever met her. To him she was just merchandise.’
Something cold and hard slammed through Elena as Christian’s words struck home. She had a bad, bad feeling.
‘Go on.’
Christian turned towards the window. What did he see? The gorgeous gardens or something else?
‘She didn’t choose to be a prostitute, you know. She came to Australia thinking she’d be working as a chambermaid in a big hotel. The plan was to send money back to her family.’
Elena frowned. ‘Your mother migrated here?’ No wonder Edwards spoke Spanish fluently.
He laughed, the sound short and unamused. ‘Not legally. She believed an immigration agent had sorted it before she left. She actually paid for the privilege. But that turned out to be a lie. She was trafficked into a brothel, brought in as a virtual slave.’
Elena put out a groping hand for support. Finding nothing she took a stumbling step to an armchair and leaned against it.
‘A slave?’ She’d read about such things but still it didn’t seem real.
Christian’s face, as stiff as cast bronze, convinced her. ‘They took her passport, said she had to work for them to pay off her debt in coming to Australia.’
‘Who were they?’
Eyes of polished stone met hers. ‘Ah, that’s the question. There was the man who ran the brothel, and his enforcers, but there were others behind the scheme. Others who made a fortune, exploiting women like my mother.’
Elena rubbed her hand over her breastbone to ease the painful thud of her heart. ‘My father was one of them, is that what you’re saying?’
She wanted to shout that it wasn’t true. That he wouldn’t stoop to that. But she couldn’t. Everything she knew of her father pointed to the fact he’d use anyone. He had no conscience when it came to making the money he craved. Her stomach writhed.
Christian nodded. ‘I’m sorry.’ There was regret in his deep voice, as if he read her horror and shame.
Elena breathed hard, fighting dizziness. She felt light-headed.
‘Elena, sit down.’
He moved towards her and she shook her head. ‘No. I’m all right. Tell me the rest.’ She had to know it all.
‘There’s not much more to tell.’ Yet the starkness imprinted on his features belied that. ‘She was kept there for years, like many others, too scared to try going to the authorities, too ashamed to even dream about returning home.’ He paused. When he spoke again his voice grated. ‘I don’t even know where she came from.’ His gaze captured hers and the raw anguish in his eyes cut through her. ‘Not even what country. She couldn’t bring herself to talk of the past because she hated what she’d become. She couldn’t face the thought of confronting her family with that.’
‘Christian.’ Elena reached out to him, but he didn’t even notice. Her hand fell to her side.
What could she say? She could barely comprehend what his mother had gone through. Elena shuddered at the thought of being forced like that. No wonder Christian’s mother had grabbed the chance for a ‘normal’ life with a man who had promised to take her away. No wonder the young Christian had been so desperate to do the right thing in their new home so they wouldn’t be turned out.
Elena huddled down into the loose gown, seeking warmth yet knowing nothing could counter the chill in her bones.
‘I made it my mission to find those responsible for the trafficking ring.’ Once more Christian’s voice was matter-of-fact, his tone clipped. ‘It took years but eventually I narrowed it to two men. One had been under police investigation but died before he could be arrested. The other, your father, covered his tracks better. He was lucky too because several of the people who could testify against him died.’
‘You’re not saying—?’
‘That he killed them? I doubt he gave them a thought. He’d moved on to build his prestigious business empire long ago.’ Christian shook his head. ‘No, life expectancy in that milieu isn’t good. The final witness against him is an ex-prostitute, addicted to heroin. She’d be discredited in minutes in court. I’ve seen it before.’
Elena remembered that the case against the man who’d killed his mother had collapsed because of an unreliable witness.
‘But you’re sure?’ Even as she asked, Elena knew it was fruitless. Christian wasn’t the sort to leave anything to chance.
‘I’m sorry, Elena.’
His gaze was steady, hiding nothing. She read sympathy and pain, and wondered if it was for her or himself.
What did it matter? This damaged them both. She wanted to go upstairs and scrub herself clean. Her father’s actions tainted her.