Illicit Night with the Greek - Page 31

She gave a wry smile at his response. Gregory Little had become accustomed to the Antoniou way of life. He would do anything to protect his standard of living.

“Or were you concerned after the helicopter’s mechanical problem?” he asked. “That was a rare occurrence. I can’t recall it happening before.”

Mechanical problem? Jodie frowned until she remembered the lie about why she had missed the wedding. “It does make me hesitate,” she said smoothly. “So, have Dimos and Zoi returned from their honeymoon?”

“Yes, Dimos is now vice president but it will be a long adjustment period for him,” he predicted. “He doesn’t have the stamina to carry the same workload as Stergios.”

Jodie flinched when she heard Stergios’s name. She clearly remembered the raw fury in his eyes when she had left. That man hated her. She kept trying to tell herself that it was for the best.

“And... Stergios?” She tried to sound casual but she craved for any news or information about him. “How is he?”

Gregory frowned as he took a sip of his tea. “Mairi is worried about him. He has always been a workaholic but it’s gotten much worse. But, then, he is finalizing the Antoniou-Volakis merger. I’m sure he will take some time off once that is done.”

Stergios had dived right into his work after she’d left. The knowledge wounded her. It was as if their weekend had been a blip in his calendar. He had gone on with his life as if nothing had happened.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you since it hasn’t been announced,” Gregory said as he lowered his voice, “but he’s going to get engaged.”

Jodie felt her skin go cold as her stomach heaved. Her cup clattered against her saucer. Engaged. The word echoed in her mind. Stergios was getting engaged.

“Sorry,” she said weakly as she carefully let go of her cup before she broke the delicate handle between her fingers. “That just caught me by surprise. Stergios doesn’t strike me as someone who is ready to settle down.”

He had met someone special... He belonged to another... He was going to make this woman his wife... A bitter taste filled her mouth and she swallowed roughly.

“He’s been playing with the idea of an Antoniou-Diamantopoulos merger for the past year,” Gregory Little continued, oblivious to her unnatural stillness.

“Diamantopoulos?” she interrupted.

“Aleka Diamantopoulos,” Gregory added. “The shipping heiress.”

That didn’t narrow it down much for Jodie. She frantically searched her memory until she remembered the quiet woman who played the piano with precision but no passion. Jealousy coiled around her heart and squeezed so hard that she wanted to double over.

“I think I remember her,” she murmured. Aleka was sweet and obedient. Young and virginal. Just Stergios’s type, she decided uncharitably. “Lovely girl.”

“And the alliance between families will make the Antonious very powerful.”

“That’s...wonderful.” Jodie smiled wanly. She folded her hands on her lap as the sense of loss swept through her. Perhaps all of those finishing schools had finally served their purpose. No one would be able to tell that she felt breakable. As if she was going to splinter into a million pieces and she would never be whole again.

Stergios was getting everything he wanted. She should be pleased with the turn of events. He was gaining the power and the security to protect his family. Soon he would find the peace he craved. It was everything she couldn’t give him.

She stared at her manicured hands as her mind spun. She had done the right thing when she cut off all connection with Stergios. She had regretted lying to him about being pregnant. So many times she had been tempted to call him and tell him the truth.

But the cycle, the obsession, would have continued. She would have wasted a lifetime wanting to be with a man who didn’t think she was worthy of him.

“Jodie?” Her father’s voice pierced through her troubled thoughts. “What do you think?”

She jerked her head up and saw Gregory’s look of expectation. “I’m sorry?”

Annoyance flickered in her father’s blue eyes. “I’m inviting you to come to Greece for Christmas.”

Jodie froze as the words replayed in her head. “Why?” she blurted. She gasped with horror and tried again. “I mean—”

He gave an understanding nod. “I shouldn’t have allowed this much time to pass between us. I want to make a fresh start. What better time than Christmas?”

“But when I showed up in Athens earlier...” Her voice trailed off. What had changed? Why did he come to this conclusion now when he didn’t make any overtures when she last saw him?

Tags: Susanna Carr Billionaire Romance
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