The Other Side of Greed (The Seven Sins #5) - Lily Zante Page 0,13

and everyone is rooting for Cardoza to win.

He and I have something in common. We both stayed at the same children’s home, but I didn’t suffer the abuse that he did. I was rescued by a wonderful couple who gave me a new life.

“What do you know of her?” I ask.

“That she looks like a mutt. Short-haired and skinny. It’s a national disgrace that there seems to be so much interest in her.”

While Lewis is not my ideal woman, I wouldn’t describe her the way Jessica has. Short shoulder-length hair, green defiant eyes, and attitude, that’s how I saw her.

“Don’t you read any magazines?” Jessica asks.

I only read the financial papers, and the business news, and I’m certain that the likes of Kyra Lewis don’t appear in them. Jessica runs her hand down her chocolate brown hair. Her manicured hands and her perfectly painted nails indicate that this woman has time to run a business and take good care of herself.

She goes on to tell me how Lewis has become a rising star in the last few years on account of her business.

It’s a shame that Lewis didn’t hire me for free. Now I have to come up with Plan B.

Chapter Seven

KYRA

“What happened to you?” I rise from my chair in shock. Fredrich stands at the door with his arm in a sling.

“I tripped and fell down the stairs.”

“Fredrich,” I murmur, feeling sorry for him.

He only went home a few hours ago. We’ve got another homeless food night tonight. We start getting things ready for it around six o’clock in the evening and given that I’m often still in the office then, it always ends up being a long, long day for me.

Simona says that I live in this factory and she often wonders out loud why I don’t set up a bed in here. That’s a great idea, and I would, were it not for the fact that it’s so cold. I don’t mind the spiders and insects, or the dirt. We try to keep it clean but I don’t pay anyone to clean it. I guess I ought to. The employees take care of things, and I’ve been known to go around with a broom now and then.

This factory came at a good price, and I like the idea of not having any landlords to deal with, of owning something outright, but I just wish we had a bigger place. Redhill is doing well, much better than I ever thought and we are expanding fast. Every year, we help more people and change more lives, and it’s exhilarating, running a company which helps people. Sometimes I wonder if we should stay here or go elsewhere. It makes sense to find somewhere else with more space rather than staying put and building another factory on the side, but I have a good feeling about Greenways and my instinct tells me that we’re onto something good here.

“What are you doing here?” I ask him angrily. “You must be in so much pain.”

“It’s food night.” He saunters in and perches slightly on his desk, as if he needs to rest. He doesn’t look anything like his usual strapping self.

“You can’t go to that.” He’s the one who does the bulk of the lifting. He can easily swing the pallets of water bottles and food and he’s also the one who goes to the various restaurants around Chicago who have signed up to donate food on these nights. They supply us with warm pasta, some rice and bread rolls. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the spirit and help of these people who donate weekly to our cause. This is the community helping the community; it is much appreciated and vital to our success.

I suddenly realize that Fredrich being out of service is going to cause me a huge problem. “You need to take a couple of weeks off,” giving him my sternest look.

“I’ve only fractured my arm, Kyra. It hasn’t fallen off.”

“It might as well have.”

“I’m sorry! I tripped and fell.” He touches the cast gingerly, as if he’s getting used to it.

“I didn’t mean to gripe. It’s just... busy.” What with tonight, and everything else going on at the factory, there is just too much to do, and right now I don’t see how we can function at the same level as we need to with my strongest man out.

“It’s a shame you turned away our only chance at free labor, from someone who sounded pretty