She had disappeared without a note. Without a goodbye. Without a trace.
Just her scent on his skin… and a hollow where his heart used to be.
His world hadn’t just tilted. It had shattered—and he was still walking through the wreckage. He needed to know why.
He snatched the folder from Demetrius’s outstretched hand and turned toward the tall windows overlooking the Athens skyline. The city shimmered beneath a late afternoon haze, distant and indifferent.
“She’s been hiding under our noses,” Demetrius said, a hint of amazement in his voice. “The entire time.”
Alexandros didn’t look at him. He flipped open the folder.
Photos. Satellite timestamps. Port authority logs. Names he didn’t recognize. And then—her name. Only tweaked slightly.
Rae Bouras.
His lips pulled into a hard line.
The first report hit like a punch. Dani had takenThe Gentle Breezeto a marina in Italy—Porto di Livorno—just two days after disappearing. She’d left the trawler docked there under the pretense of engine issues, paid in cash, and vanished.
Two days later, she’d signed onto a private yacht crew. The Valdez. Registered in the Caymans. It had set sail for the Athenian Riviera… and remained anchored there for the last two weeks.
He turned the next page.
His heart stopped.
A mechanic’s log entry. The handwriting was hers, even if the name read Rae Bouras. A new marina. A new life.
A lie.
She was working on marine engines again—beneath his nose—while he’d been combing the globe. While he hadn’t slept. While his mother had wept, and Stuart had made excuses, and Theo had driven half of Europe searching.
His hand clenched the folder so tightly the plastic sleeve crinkled.
“Is she under surveillance?” His voice was low. Controlled.
“Yes,” Demetrius replied. “We’ve had eyes on her since last night. Stuart’s got his own guy—or I should say gal—on her, too. I suspect he knew where she was all the time.”
At the mention of Stuart’s name, Alexandros turned. Fury burned in his eyes.
Of course, the old man knew. He had the resources and knew Dani better than anyone.
The question was why had he let her run?
Why hadn’t Stuart told him? Not just that Dani was safe—but where she was. Why had he let him believe he didn’t know?
“Pull the car around,” Alexandros said tightly.
Demetrius bowed slightly and left without another word.
Theo lingered, arms crossed. “Want me to come with you?”
Alexandros shook his head, his jaw rigid. “No.”
Theo studied him for a moment, then gave a dry laugh. “This is why I’m never falling in love. Women are too much trouble. You aren’t going to throttle her, are you?”
A breath passed through Alexandros’s nose—half agreement, half agony.
“She’s not just trouble,” he said hoarsely. “She’s everything. And no, I won’t throttle her—but I might just tie her to the bed.”
