“What changes?”Ophelia flicks her long dark hair over her shoulder, practically glowing.
Probably from my visit to her bedroom last night.
“This week, I want you to sit down with Atlas and review the new marketing materials for the clubs.And I’d like you to bring Apollo to Olympus.”
She curls her fist around the fork, teeth gritted.“Are you kidding me?I don’t need a babysitter.I’ve been managing the clubs on my own for years.”
“No one said you need a babysitter,” Belen says.“Atlas is a very talented artist and has a lot of ideas for how we can attract more customers.”
“Oh, does he?”Ophelia narrows her eyes at Atlas, who is sketching on his lap under the table.“What about Apollo?”
“He has a finance background and will help you with the books.”
“What about Uncle Alexander?”She drops the fork onto the plate, leaving her half-eaten pancakes untouched.“He handles the finances.”
Belen shakes his head.“Not anymore.I’ve given him a promotion.”
Her face drops at the news.“To what?”
“Alexander will handle the shipments at the warehouse.Nothing you need to worry about, Phe.”
In other words, her uncle oversees Belen’s illegal businesses.The women, guns, drugs, and products he imports and exports.That’s where he gets the money to open more clubs.It’s why we’re sitting in a ten thousand square foot mansion with ten bedrooms and fifteen bathrooms.
“Okay,” Ophelia says with a sad look in her pretty brown eyes.“But if Apollo isn’t up for the task, I want Uncle Alexander to return to Olympus.”
“I’m up for the task.”Apollo slides his arm across the back of her chair, careful not to touch her.“Looking forward to working with you, sis.”
He winks, and she groans.
I love watching her squirm.
ChapterThirteen
OPHELIA
I needto get the fuck out of this house before I lose my mind.Living under the same roof with the Demetriou brothers is suffocating.My father and his line of work make it harder to have friends, leaving Constantine.He’s my driver, bodyguard, and confidante.
I park in front of his house and bang on the door.“Connie, it’s me.”
He lives in a single-story house on the South Side of Beacon Bay.It’s not the nicest neighborhood, at least compared to mine.That’s why I begged my father to give Constantine a raise, but he still lives in the same old house despite the vast difference in his income.
Constantine opens the door, shirtless and wearing black track pants hanging low on his hips.He’s solid muscle from head to toe and tattooed.My bodyguard is a former Navy SEAL and is the only person who makes me feel safe.
As the heir to the Drakos empire, I have a target on my back.Once, Constantine even had to take a bullet for me.He’s the most loyal person I know and my only real friend.There’s no one I trust more with my secrets.
He scrubs a hand through his short, dark hair and eyes me up.“Something wrong, O?”
“Everything is wrong, Connie.Can I come in?”
I’m being a little overdramatic, but I want Constantine to hug me and remove the pain.Thinking about how my father is betraying my mother’s memory six months after her death kills me.It’s one thing to date Athena but another nightmare to marry her.
He holds the door with his hip, giving me enough room to enter the house.“What happened?”
“My dad is engaged to Athena.”I follow him into the living room and sit on the leather couch that smells like cigars.“He also moved her annoying sons into my house.Those assholes woke me up last night making all kinds of noise.”
His eyes widen.“This is news to me.Your dad usually tells me everything.”
“Me too,” I agree.“Why would he do this?Is he sick too, and he’s afraid to tell me?You should have seen him last night.”I shake my head, furious with my father.“He comes home with dinner that I thought we were eating alone and announces he’s marrying Athena.And then he gets pissed at me because I’m not over the moon about it.”
