Revelations of His Runaway Bride

Thea’s heart pounded. Not even after his father had died had she seen him like this. Something terrible had happened.

‘Christo, what’s wrong?’

He motioned with his hand. ‘Take a seat.’

So cool. Businesslike. It made her nervous.

She dropped into a solid leather chair opposite him. Leaned back. Crossed her legs. Tried to look casual and relaxed when inside she was bound in knots.

‘I have to meet Elena soon.’

‘This won’t take long.’

His Adam’s apple rose and fell as he swallowed. Her hands clenched reflexively into tight fists. The cut of her nails into her palms settled her racing heart a fraction.

‘Is it about my father? Has Raul found anything?’

Christo shook his head. ‘That wasn’t a condition of granting what you wanted.’

His voice was so cold it chilled her bones.

He picked up a pen, tapped it on the leather desktop. ‘You’ve fulfilled your obligations. That’s all I ever required.’

She didn’t understand. None of this made sense. ‘What are you talking about?’

It was as if he wasn’t looking at her, but at a point over her shoulder. She turned, the leather of her seat creaking under her, but there was no one there.

‘Since Hector’s gone and the estate’s been settled, it’s time to talk about bringing our arrangement to an end.’

She jerked back as if he’d slapped her. After what they’d shared... All their nights together... How could he do this now? Surely things had changed. How dared he do this without talking to her first about the future?

‘You don’t get to say that without looking me in the eyes.’ She gritted her teeth. ‘Look at me, Christo.’

He didn’t, instead leafing through some papers on his desk.

?

??How did you think it was going to end, Thea?’

She hadn’t thought about an ending in such a long time. Now she understood the truth in her throbbing heart. She didn’t know how she wanted it to end, only that she didn’t want it to end immediately.

‘As for your settlement,’ he said, as if he was running through some awful shopping list, ‘your investment’s grown. That solar start-up in the States paid off. I’ve added half a million euros to the amount you had in the bank.’

Obviously Christo didn’t feel the same way as her. Nothing had changed for him. She couldn’t breathe. A tight band had wrapped around her chest.

‘Christo. Please.’ He was handing her everything she’d ever dreamed of and yet she wanted none of it.

‘Ours was only ever a short-term arrangement. You wanted a life. I’m granting it to you. Along with a fully furnished house in Glyfada.’

At the beach? She loved the beach. But it was just another possession. Another thing. She wanted to hurl it right back at him.

‘Is this what you want?’ she asked.

He looked at her now, and all she saw was blankness. Nothing but the cold, dark heart of him. The man from the night of her marriage, from the negotiations with her father. Where was the gentle, passionate person she thought she’d discovered? It was as if he’d never existed.

Christo gave a curt nod. ‘I signed the divorce papers yesterday and delivered them to my lawyer. It’s done.’

‘No!’