Maxwell explained to them that Allysyn had finally gotten her transfusion.
"It worked?" Reyona asked in excitement.
"It does, babe," he responded with a big smile on his face. "No residue, no risk of contamination. They didn't have to do the detox as well. They just started the transfusion with the little they were able to purify first. Then, before that could finish, they had enough for the first transfusion."
Toria looked at both of them and said "Okay, I am going to need some explanation for that."
"Well, that might take a while," Maxwell responded. "The most important thing is that our girl is finally on her way to getting better. She has a rare blood type which took a while to get but finally, we have it. Visitation will be allowed soon."
"Okay, definitely going to need more deets on that, but I am so happy that you are all doing fine and those creeps are getting what they deserved. This calls for some celebration!" she declared immediately.
Leave it to Toria to go from being teary-faced to snapping energy all in less than an hour.
She looked around Reyona's room and said "This place looks dreary like a nursing home for reluctant patients. We need to change that. I am going to get something to decorate this space." she declared.
Reyona laughed softly and said "In as much as you didn't go crazy about it. If I had to open and close my eyes to some eye-popping, gaudy ornament in here, I might never want to open my eyes again."
"Ouch, you hurt me," Toria said as she patted her heart delicately. "Hello, world-class interior designer here, you know. My designs are top-notch. Tell them, Andreas."
"She is the best," Andreas said in that warm tone accompanied by a worshipful look that had Reyona clearing her throat.
When she looked at Maxwell, his smile made her realise that he noticed it too.
Okay, she was not seeing things that were not there then.
"Hear that, Rey? I am going to make this place so beautiful that you will be compelled to pay me. I don't work for free anyway. I will just wait until you are better to collect my pay. We have to keep body and soul together, you know."
"I don't think you need my money to keep your body and soul together," Reyona answered with a laugh. "How is Tara, by the way?"
"Thriving," Toria answered with warmth in her eyes. "Manuel got back yesterday, a few hours before…"
Before Celia called her.
She brightened again and said "Okay, I will get out of your hair now. Andreas, want to come with me?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he said instantly.
Toria smiled beatifically before she blew him a kiss. "You are a darling. Have I told you that he is the best boss ever?" she said to no one in particular before going to kiss Reyona on her cheek. "I will be back soon, don't go anywhere. I just might check on Celia too. I will see if I can drag her here with me so she can help to convince you about anything you think is "too much".
"Now I think I should put a stop to it before you start," Reyona said with a mock horror look.
Toria let out a thrilling laugh before she glided towards the door while putting on her rhinestone glasses.
Andreas waved silently at the couple before he followed her out.
Reyona laughed for a full minute before she could curb her mirth.
"Did you see that?" she asked.
"He is a goner," Maxwell said instantly.
"Oh my god. I believe he is in love with her."
"No argument, from this end," Maxwell said.
"Really?" Reyona asked as she looked at him. "I am not just reading what is not there?"
"Nope. That man looked like he would happily follow her to the ends of the earth if she asked for it."
"Hmm," Reyona said while beaming proudly. "How do people fall in love within a week?"
"Careful, babe. You look like a mother walking her daughter to the aisle." Maxwell teased.
"That obvious?" Reyona asked with a wrinkle of her nose at him.
"Very,"
"I am just so happy for her. He looks like a very nice man. Does he look like that to you?"
"He sure did. And if he is anything like his family, he is an honourable man. The Kanellis pride themselves on being honourable."
"You sound like you know them so well," Reyona said.
"Had few businesses with them. Still has. They are a few of those I have respect for in business. They will never try to pull one over you. I was at one of their soirées when I happened to be in Cyprus then. The biggest family I have ever met. I stopped trying to remember who is who after the third cousin's introduction."
Reyona laughed. "Oh wow, Toria is going to love that. I can see her thriving with a big family."
"Easy there, Cupida. The arrow is showing now. Let's not talk about that glint in your eyes too. Hey, wait, is that a drool I see?"
Reyona swatted at his outstretched hand that he put forward like he wanted to wipe the imaginary drool off from her mouth.
"Oh, come on. I just… Do you think she knows it?"
"I have no idea. I just know she is going to need some backbones if she wants to get into all that."
Reyona's smile died immediately as she looked at him urgently and asked "Why? Is he…?"
"No, nothing to do with the guy. But uhm, how do I put it?" he pondered for a while before he got the right expression. "You see the little circus we always have with the media when they have any news about us?"
"Yes?" Reyona nodded immediately.
"It would be nothing compared to what the Kanellis had to deal with regularly. They are like the royalty of Cyprus. Andreas seemed to have lived a low-profile life for a while though. I only know of him but have never met him, so yeah, it might not be that much of a big deal."
"Really? Are they that influential?"
Maxwell smiled and "They put influence in influential, babe. Their family is one of the founding families in Cyprus. I think they have some kings and dukes tossed in there too, but they pride themselves mostly on their business prowess. They started back in the 1800s, with the cinnamon business where their surname was derived from. Now they are into a lot of other things, like real estate, hospitality and tourism, shipping, technology, energy, agribusiness, art and culture… you know what? Anything that is worth something in Cyprus and many other countries in the world, you can be sure to find a Kanellis there."
"Wow,"
"Yeah, wow is right," Maxwell said with a grin.
Reyona laughed before she ended it with a croon of "Toria."
"Maybe you are reading too much into this, you know," Maxwell said. "She did say he is her boss."
"Oh, really. I guess that is how you look at your female employees then?" she asked with a playful narrowing of her eyes at him.
"Is that an indirect way of offering to work for me, Mrs Rohan? Cos I only got eyes for you, goddess," he whispered over her lips before kissing her.