Hidden Truths (Truths and Lies 1)

Foolish motherfucker.

“As you all can see, we’re here for more than just pleasure,” my father says slowly, taking his sweet ass time. “We also have some business to attend to.” He stares pointedly at Talia before shooting Niles a smug grin. “Niles, I understand she’s unaware of why she’s here?”

Niles squirms, which makes my father’s grin grow wider.

“Dad,” Talia utters, a mixture of fury and hurt in her one word.

I clench my fist, wishing Father would have just let me kill the asshole last night. Could have avoided all this shit.

“Sunshine,” Niles says, his voice weak and whiny. “I’m sorry. If there were any other way…”

Phoenix, from beside Niles, glowers at my father. Aris simply watches the entire ordeal with amusement. I want to know why the fuck my father would clue Niles in on business while leaving me in the dark. Whatever bullshit is going on will be the last. I won’t sit idly while stuff is flung my way without any warning. My father is going to get the bitch-out of a lifetime once this breakfast is over.

“Talia, darling,” my father croons. “Your father and I go way back.” His jaw clenches and darkness shrouds his expression before he smiles it away. “And we’ve come to an agreement.”

“What sort of agreement?” Talia breathes. Her hand trembles when she reaches for her water again.

“You are to marry my son,” Father states with a devious glint in his eyes.

Her head turns sharply to regard Aris, who’s frowning in confusion. Meanwhile, I’m about to explode with fucking rage. If only it were that easy, Talia.

“My eldest,” Father corrects, searing his hard eyes into mine, daring me to argue.

Even as the volcano within me spills with fury, I don’t speak a word against my father. Never. Not in front of weak, worthless pieces of shit like Niles Nikolaides.

Talia’s head jerks my way so fast, I’m worried she’ll give herself whiplash. Her blue eyes glow with accusation—as though I knew this all along. I meet her glare with one of my own. A glare filled with contempt for the Nikolaides name. She withers beneath my fierce stare.

“An arranged marriage,” I state in a bored way. “Lovely. Can someone pass me the pepper before my eggs get cold?”

Phoenix grabs the pepper shaker and slams it on the table in front of me, making everyone’s glasses slosh. “What the hell are you thinking, Dad?” he demands in a furious tone. “Talia? You negotiated Talia?”

My father’s smile is victorious.

I want to ram my fist right into his face.

How dare he do this to me without warning?

“I fucked up,” Niles admits. “I thought I could pay them back in time.”

Father picks up his fork and begins stabbing at the eggs on his plate, clearly overjoyed at my emotionless response to the bomb he just dropped in my lap.

“Four point six million,” Aris states, unusual anger tightening his voice. “Is that what your daughter is worth to you? A few million euros?”

“She’s worth everything to me.” Niles shoots his daughter a pleading look. She won’t look at him. She won’t speak. She’s taken to wringing her hands in her lap, her bottom lip slightly wobbling.

“I have a life,” she utters so softly, I almost think it’s meant just for me. “I can’t just leave to marry some stranger because my father is a bad businessman.”

“You have to,” Niles says, hanging his head in shame. “They’ll kill me if you don’t.”

Once again, she glowers at me. As though all of this is my fault. It pisses me off.

“You’d kill my father if I don’t marry you?” she hisses, anger making her face turn red again.

“I’ll kill your father if he doesn’t pay,” I bite out in a cold tone. “And since he put a four-point-six-million-dollar price tag around your pretty neck, it looks like I’m getting my payment in full.”

She stands abruptly from the table. Furious tears well in her blue eyes, reminding me of the blue waters of the Aegean Sea. “Fuck you all,” she snaps. “I’m not marrying anyone. I’m going home.”

As soon as she rushes from the table, Phoenix bolts after her. I give a slight nod to Basil and Adrian. They follow after them. My fiancée isn’t going anywhere. The sooner she realizes this, the better.

“Really, Dad?” Aris mutters, the muscle in his neck flexing. “A girl as payment? That’s a new low.”

Father’s nostrils flare at his blatant disrespect. I flick my chin up at Aris, silently telling him to leave before he fucks things up. With a grumble, he loudly scrapes his chair back and storms off.

“Please don’t hurt her,” Niles pleads. “Promise me.”

I have to refrain from rolling my eyes. Since when do worms negotiate with sharks? Fucking never.

“I’ll promise nothing of the sort,” I tell him sharply. “Say your goodbyes to her. I want you and your son off Crete and heading back to Thessaloniki by noon.”