The Millionaire's Redemption Read Free

experience how it could emotionally and financially cripple a man.
    Cursing under his breath, he bent down to pick up the scattered papers. The plane lurched. He managed to grab up the last page, but her handbag tipped over, scattering the contents around his feet.
    He started picking up the bits and pieces, lipstick, a comb, small packet of tissues, a jar of baby food, a spoon and a disposable nappy. Shoving them into the bag, he checked the floor to make sure he had gathered up everything. A white envelope lay near his brief case. He picked it up, and a couple of photographs slid out.
    Instead of putting them back straight away, he glanced at them first. There was a picture of a laughing young soldier and a smiling Holly holding an infant. The little family group appeared so happy he felt a sudden unfamiliar tug at his heart.
    Holly looked exquisite, still tiny and fragile, but her eyes were bright, not shadowed and tormented like now. What had happened to her? Something terrible. He didn’t doubt it for a moment. Did the laughing young soldier betray her with another woman?
    The breath caught in his throat as he stared at the other photo. A flag draped coffin rested in a hearse , and soldiers in full military dress marched along beside it.
    “What are you doing with that?” Holly snatched the photos out of his hand.
    A hot, guilty flush burned his cheeks. “Your bag tipped over. I think I gathered up everything. I didn’t mean to pry.”
    As she stared at the photos, her eyes shimmered with tears. “We were a handsome family, don’t you think?”
    “Yes.”
    “He’s dead,” she whispered.
    He reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. Was he in an accident?” How soft her skin felt. How small and fine boned her hand was. Reluctantly, he let it go, cursing himself for being such a sentimental fool.
    She blinked back tears. “No. He was killed in Afghanistan .”
    Edging past him, she slumped in her seat, and he could n o t recall ever seeing anyone so sad and distraught.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Two
     
    Holly woke up. For a split second, a warm fuzziness enveloped her . Someone had covered her legs with the airline blanket, and her head rested against Justin Devereux’s arm. It felt strong, somehow comforting. What was wrong with her? Cuddling up to a virtual stranger? She jerked herself away.
    “Sorry,” she mumbled.
    “It’s all right. You must be exhausted.”
    She nodded wearily. “I haven’t had a proper night’s sleep since the funeral.”
    “When was that?” he asked, his eyes dark with concern.
    “Seven months ago.”
    “Seven months!”
    “I wanted to go home. There was nothing left for us in England .” She didn’t dare tell him she had escaped from the Kirwans’ clutches with little more than the clothes on her back. Suppose Justin reported her to the authorities when they arrived in Bangkok . They might extradite her back to England or whatever they did to fugitives.
    The Kirwans only wanted Lily. To hell with Holly. She could be left to rot in some Asian prison. How could parents plot the downfall of their son’s widow, and use their money and influence to blacken her name with innuendo and blatant, outright lies? The pain of betrayal wrought havoc with her heart, but the treachery tore her apart.
    Overcome with the grief of her loss she didn’t realize that these people, desperate to steal Lilly, would stop at nothing. Within a few months, they had isolated her financially, emotionally and physically, leaving her with no one to turn to for help.
    She still would have stayed and fought them with every breath in her body if necessary had she only herself to consider, but she couldn’t risk losing Lilly. The only option as she saw it was to take Lilly and flee to Australia . She took a long shuddering breath, trying to stop herself from having a panic attack.
    Lilly woke up and started crying.
    “It’s all right.” She picked up the baby and hugged her