Taken by the Boss. Кэрол Мортимер

and imposing in a navy blue business suit and white silk blouse. ‘Heather made her choice twenty-eight years ago. I no longer have a daughter.’ Her expression hardened as she looked at Kit. ‘Or a granddaughter. Even one apparently named after me.’

      Kit was shocked into retaliation. ‘Don’t worry, I have absolutely no wish to be your granddaughter, either! In fact, I’ve done what I came here to do. Said what I came here to say. So now I can leave. Except…’ She paused before turning to walk to the door.

      ‘Yes?’ Catherine replied stiffly.

      Kit gave her a pitying glance. ‘I would hate to be you, with no love in my life, no one who cares for me, or for me to care for. Oh, you’re obviously very wealthy.’ She looked around at the expensive furnishings of Catherine’s office, evidence of her success in her business life. At the sacrifice of all else… ‘But by being the way that you are, so hard and unforgiving, you’ve missed out on so much.’

      ‘Having you as my granddaughter being one of them, I suppose?’ Catherine shot back.

      ‘Not at all,’ Kit answered levelly. ‘My mother is such a lovely woman, so undeserving of—of you, or her illness!’

      Silver brows rose over cold grey eyes. ‘Have you quite finished?’

      Kit took a steadying breath. ‘Yes, I’ve finished.’

      ‘In that case—’ Catherine looked quite deliberately in the appointment book on her desk top ‘—I have another meeting in two minutes.’ She dismissed Kit with a wave of her hand.

      ‘You really are very sad,’ Kit finished.

      ‘And you have taken up enough of my time for one day!’ Catherine slammed back.

      ‘So I have,’ Kit accepted, adding nothing more, but turning on her heel and walking out of the office, closing the door carefully behind her.

      She managed to stay calm as she walked down the corridor and into the lift, determined to hold onto her emotions until she was well away from here.

      Away from Catherine Grainger. Her grandmother…

      She didn’t care for herself, had lived all these years without a grandmother, could live the rest of her life without one.

      But what she didn’t understand was how a mother could behave in that way.

      Even knowing of Heather’s illness, of the operation she would go through on Thursday, Catherine seemingly had no forgiveness in her, no softening of the resolve that had made her a stranger to her own daughter for the last twenty-eight years.

      The only positive thing about this morning, as far as Kit could see, was that Heather knew nothing about her visit to Catherine, or of her mother’s lack of compassion—

      Kit came to a sudden halt as she stepped out of the lift and found herself face to face with both Marcus and Lewis.

      A stunned Lewis.

      And a furious Marcus!