Before Ms. White could respond, Dimitrios strode in. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, his attention on his phone. “I should have been in Australia yesterday,” he muttered, snagging a scone from a silver tray.
He glanced up, noticing Ms. White for the first time. His face broke into a genuine smile. “Ah! Ms. White. Welcome to our home.” His smile was warm as he offered his hand.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Christakis,” she replied with a genuine smile.
Konstantin entered next. “Has anyone seen Kayla this morning?”
“I haven’t run off yet, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Kayla teased from her seat.
Konstantin’s face softened as he took the seat beside her, his hand briefly covering hers on the table.
“Did Chrysanthos leave? I told him—” My father’s voice died abruptly as he entered, his eyes locking with Ms. White’s. Both froze.
“Father,” I quickly intervened in English, “this is Deanna White, Tia’s mother.”
He recovered with remarkable speed. “Ms. White, a pleasure. I hope you’ve found our home comfortable.”
“Very,” she replied, her voice strained. “Your family has been most welcoming.”
I glanced between them, certain I was missing something.
“How are you finding Greece, Ms. White?” Konstantin asked, breaking the strange tension.
“Please, call me Deanna,” she said.
“Mom only arrived yesterday,” Tia explained. “She hasn’t had time to explore.”
“Yesterday?” my father echoed, his tone oddly thoughtful. “Hmm.” He didn’t elaborate.
Kayla suddenly rose, tapping her glass with a spoon. The room quieted as all eyes turned to her. “Since everyone’s here, I have an announcement.” She looked at Konstantin, who nodded encouragingly. “I’m pregnant. We’re having a baby.”
Exclamations of joy erupted around the table. My Yiayia clapped her hands in delight while Irida mumbled something about preparations and hurried from the room.
This was good news for the family. One of the conditions for fully regaining the deed for Thalassía was for Kayla and Konstantin to have a child. The island would be under Christakis’ ownership when this baby was born.
“Congratulations,” Ms. White offered. “Children are life’s greatest blessing.”
“They are,” my father agreed, and they shared a look before looking away.
Breakfast stretched on for another hour, filled with excited chatter. When Ms. White became engrossed in conversation with my Yiayia, Tia leaned close to my ear.
“Let’s go,” she whispered, rising smoothly from her chair.
We slipped out unnoticed to the small library off the main hall. The moment the door closed behind us, she turned and wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing herself against me.
“I’m sorry I doubted you.”
I circled her waist with my arms, pulling her closer. “I’m sorry I yelled.”
She drew back just enough to meet my eyes. “I scheduled an appointment with Kat this morning to verify everything. She said she’s on bedrest and couldn’t come. I don’t believe her.”
“I don’t care about Katalina,” I said, brushing my thumb across her cheek. “I have plans to ensure she never bothers us again. What I care about is you. Why didn’t you answer my texts?”
“My phone died,” she replied simply. “Mom showed up and everything happened so fast. By the time we got to her villa, I was exhausted. I fell asleep before I could charge it.”
“I thought you weren’t coming back,” I admitted. “When I saw your things were gone...”
“I needed to talk with my mom. But I was always coming back to you.” Her fingers gently traced my shoulder blades.
