CEO's Expectant Secretary Read Free

had died, Brock had woken up in warrior mode. Except for a few stolen mornings with Elle. Being with her had provided a secret relief from his everyday pressures. She’d known what he was going through with the company and hadn’tquestioned the need to keep their affair secret. She’d welcomed him with warmth and passion, and she’d been the only person in his life who hadn’t made demands on him. Now he knew why, he thought, bitterness burning through him like acid.
    Until now, Brock’s priority had been the company’s success. Now his world had shifted. Soon enough, he would need to protect a child. In the meantime, he would protect his child’s mother, Elle—the woman who had betrayed him and his company.
    Brock knew, however, who was behind this. Athos Koteas. His lip curled in distaste. The man would stop at nothing to bring down Maddox Communications. And he had gone too far this time. Athos, the owner of Golden Gate Productions, Maddox Communications’ biggest rival, was known as pure poison and would play dirty to get his way.
    The peaceful solitude around Brock did nothing to calm his anger, which was only escalating. The time had come for him to confront Athos in person.
    Returning to his Porsche, he started the engine and drove to the Koteas house, determined to bring the battle between Golden Gate and Maddox into the open. Ironically, Athos lived in Nob Hill, not far from Brock’s own family home. Brock pulled in front of the large Edwardian mansion with lush cascades of bougainvillea, but the beauty was lost on him.
    Climbing the steps to the front door, he stabbed the door chime. A moment later, a woman dressed in a black suit answered the door. “Hello. May I help you?”
    “I’m here to see Mr. Koteas,” Brock said.
    “Is he expecting you?”
    “He’ll see me,” Brock said. “My name is Brock Maddox.”
    The woman looked him over, then guided him to a formal sitting area. But Brock wasn’t at all inclined to sit. His anger still burning inside him, he paced the carpet. He heard footsteps and glanced around to see Athos walking toward him. The short, stocky man still had a full head of silver-and-white hair, and a sharp glint in his gaze.
    “Good morning, Brock,” Athos said, lifting a dark eyebrow. “An unexpected pleasure.”
    Brock clenched one of his hands into a fist and released it. “Perhaps not. I know you’ve been trying to destroy Maddox Communications. I recognize that you have very little honor, but I never dreamed you would use your own granddaughter to do your dirty work.”
    Athos acted confused yet his face tightened. “Granddaughter? What granddaughter?”
    “You can forget the pretense,” Brock said. “Elle Linton is your granddaughter. But you wouldn’t want to make that public, would you? She’s illegitimate because your son abandoned her mother.”
    “It’s not unusual for children to disappoint their parents,” he said, shrugging. “Elle shows promise. She’s intelligent.”
    “Crafty, like you,” Brock said, the knot in his gut pulling tighter. “You don’t mind getting anyone dirty as long as you get your way.”
    “I didn’t become a success by avoiding a fight,” Athos said, lifting his chin and narrowing his eyes. “You’re a successful man, too. You and I are more alike than you think.”
    Brock felt his blood pressure go through the roof. He clenched his fist again, willing himself not to knock Athos off his almighty perch of pride. “I don’t think so. I wouldn’t force my grandchild to wallow in the mud for me.”
    “I didn’t force—”
    “And her pregnancy, was that part of your plan, too?” Brock goaded the man.
    Athos’s hard veneer slipped. “Pregnancy?” he said. “What are you talking about?”
    “Elle,” Brock said. “She’s pregnant with my child.”
    Athos turned pale as he shook his head. “No, she wasn’t supposed to—” He continued to shake his head, his skin color changing from white to gray as he