Mara avoided his gaze.
“I’ll see you out, Uncle Nico.”
Kristos walked him through the mansion to the car. “What do you think?” he asked before Nico got in the driver’s seat. Kristos was painfully in love and Nico could see why. There’d be no talking him out of it.
“She’s an intelligent, charming young woman. I find nothing wrong with her.” It was the truth. That was the problem. Only time would reveal what wasn’t visible right now.
Like mother, like daughter? Mara hadn’t wasted any time finding another man to enamor within those three weeks. Or maybe she’d slept with the other guy after Nico had boarded the plane for military service. She hadn’t been scheduled to return to France for at least three more days. That had been her story.
Who knew what had really happened though? How could he trust anything she’d told him? Seeing her tonight looking more beautiful than he could have thought possible brought it all back.
“Then will you tell Mama that?”
“I’m sure your mother feels like I do, but we’ll finish this discussion when I don’t have an emergency.” Right now he couldn’t think.
Kristos squeezed his shoulder. “I love the picture of Papa. Thanks for coming, for everything.”
“Anytime. You know that.” He wondered if Mara would be guilt ridden enough tonight to admit to the others that she’d known Nico a long time ago. It would be fascinating to find out how long it took her before she couldn’t keep her secret from them any longer. Surely she had to know he wouldn’t keep quiet forever about something so earthshaking.
Nico got behind the wheel and started the car. He pulled around the white BMW parked in front of him, which must be Mara’s...or Alexa’s...or whatever name she’d chosen to go by in her life.
His anger growing, he wasn’t worried about her swimming away. Not this time. After nineteen years he knew where to go for the truth. It was time to be enlightened by the woman who’d once entranced him. Her disappearance had sent him to hell for a long, long time.
CHAPTER THREE
“MAMA?”
“Come in.”
Dimitra tiptoed into Alexa’s bedroom and sat on the side of the bed. “I know you got sick tonight. You went so pale at the dinner table, I was frightened. And you were so quiet on the way home, I think you need to see a doctor.”
Alexa did need a doctor, but not the kind her daughter was talking about. The bell had tolled for her tonight and there wasn’t a physician on earth who could help her. Years ago, when her grandparents had asked her if she could handle her silence, she’d said yes, never dreaming she’d see Nico again. The flesh-and-blood reality of him had sent her into shock for a second time tonight.
“The sickness is passing, honey. I’m going to be okay, but it saddens me this happened while we were having such a good time.”
“Kristos’s mother was so kind and friendly. I really like her. What I hope is that his Uncle Nico liked me and approves of me. I know he’s not really his uncle, but Kristos worships him and loves him a
lmost as much as his own father.”
“I’m sure he thought you were wonderful. Who wouldn’t love you?”
“You say that because you’re my mom. I happen to know his opinion will go a long way with Kristos.”
Alexa’s heart pounded. “What about you?” she ventured in a trembling voice. “Did you like Kýrie Angelis?” She had to know her daughter’s instant reaction.
“Who wouldn’t?” her daughter responded so fast, Alexa couldn’t believe it. “He’s awesome in every way, Mama. You know that little photo of my father you gave me years ago? It kind of reminds me of Kýrie Angelis. My father was dark and handsome too. I can see why you fell for him. I hope that doesn’t bother you for me to talk about my father.”
Oh, Dimitra. You have no idea what those words mean to me since you’ll probably be meeting him again—knowing who he is this time—within the next twelve to twenty-four hours.
“Of course it doesn’t, and I just wanted to say that Kristos comes from a lovely family, honey. I’ll send his mother a thank-you note for inviting us.”
“I will too, but I’m worried about you.”
“I’ll be all right.” She patted her daughter’s hand. But Alexa couldn’t predict anything about the future. Tonight she’d seen a dangerous glint in Nico’s midnight-brown eyes that let her know there’d be no avoiding him now. She hadn’t seen the last of him.
At nineteen he’d been a man of integrity and it appeared he still was. During dinner tonight he hadn’t disappointed her. Another man might have created an ugly scene she would never have been able to survive. Not Nico. After all these years of no news, to see her again and realize she’d had a daughter and had been living a different life, his anger would have reached its zenith.
But he’d been born a breed apart from other men. For the short time he’d been at the Papadakis mansion, he’d known how to expose some of her lies and sins of omission with such expertise, no one suspected anything. That explained one of the reasons why he’d been made the head of the Angelis empire.