Truths and Lies Duet

When we get back to the main hotel, he stops in front of his office but doesn’t go in. Instead, he makes a left and…walks into Aris’s office. Oh my God. Why are we going in there? It’s been over a week since I’ve last seen him. I’ve done a stellar job at avoiding him since we’ve been back.

“Aris,” Kostas greets his brother, gesturing for me to have a seat.

“What can I do for you?” Aris asks, tilting his head to the side in annoyance. “I’m busy…working.”

“As I am.” Kostas grins. “Meet our new interior designer. Talia has agreed to finish the restaurant Mamá had started. The unfinished expansion on the west side that’s due to open in the fall.”

Aris glances from Kostas to me, a sly grin splaying upon his lips, and my heart sinks. What does Aris have to do with the expansion? The only time the guy leaves his office is to go to the bar near his villa.

As if Kostas can hear my thoughts, he says, “Aris is in charge of the money.”

“I thought you said I don’t have a budget,” I choke out as all the pieces slowly come together.

“You don’t, but Aris is who you will get all your money from. He also knows who all the vendors are. Anything you need to get the restaurant done, just ask him and he’ll be able to help you.” In other words, I’m going to be forced to go to Aris every time I need money. And I can’t change my mind now because that will raise a red flag.

“Okay, will do,” I say. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to head home to think about what I would like to do with the restaurant, and then I’ll meet with you.”

“I look forward to it,” Aris says with a knowing smirk tugging on the corner of his lips.

“Can you see yourself back, Talia? I have some things to discuss with my brother. I’ll meet you at home.”

I nod my understanding. Just as I’m about to exit Aris’s office, I’m gently tugged into Kostas’s arms. He cups my cheeks in his strong hands, and his mouth, oh so gently, presses against mine. “I’ll be home in a little bit, and then we can spend the afternoon together…in bed.” He sucks my lower lip into his mouth and bites down, not enough to cause any pain, but enough to send shivers down my spine, momentarily making me forget we’re standing in front of Aris.

And then a throat clears, reminding me that we are in fact in Aris’s office. I will my eyes not to glance over at Aris, but I can’t help it, and when I do, I see he’s staring at us, his jaw clenching, his smirk wiped clean off his face. I need to get out of here, away from him.

Pulling out of Kostas’s arms, I give him one last chaste kiss before I turn around and leave. I practically run the entire way home. Only slowing down once I’m safely back in our villa, with the door locked. I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this, but I can’t work with Aris. I can’t sit in his office and have meetings with him. I have to find a way around this.

As I climb into bed, curling up into a fetal position, I think about everything Aris has said to me. It’s clear he’s jealous of his brother. He wants what Kostas has. Kostas is closer to his father. He runs the majority of their business. He was chosen to marry me. And the entire time, for the most part, Aris keeps his mouth shut. He didn’t threaten to tell Kostas that we, according to him, slept together. No, he agreed to keep it a secret. And then it hits me. Even if Kostas believed Aris didn’t rape me, and what happened between us was consensual, Kostas would kill his brother for having sex with me. Aris knew we were supposed to marry. We were engaged. And yet he still went behind his brother’s back and had sex with his now-wife.

And now, every time I see him, he gets off on my being scared of him. Of Kostas finding out. Well, fuck that, and fuck him. I’m not going to let him victimize me. We both know what he did, and if I told Kostas, sure, he might not believe me, but regardless he would end Aris’s life. Which is why Aris will never tell him himself.

I’m going to design that restaurant, and I’m going to go to those meetings with my head held high, knowing Aris is a piece of shit, coward rapist. And I’m going to turn the table on him. He wants to threaten me, well, two can play this game.