I can’t cry anymore—but I don’t know what else I could do. When every truth you know shatters into a million pieces, how do you convince yourself to keep going without them?
“We have enough money to go back to Italy,” my mother continues, already planning. “There we’ll decide what to do. We could go to Rome, or maybe the countryside.”
“But you love Greece. You love this house. You love the shop. That money was saved with so much sacrifice to pay for your dream, Mom. This island means everything to you,” I argue through tears. My mother rises from where she’s sitting and kneels in front of me.
“I love you more.” She takes my hands and fixes her eyes on mine. “You and my grandchild. You’ve endured all of this with more courage than anyone should ever be allowed to demand of you, Nina. I always loved what this place meant to me—to us—the chance at a better life. But now it only means risk, one I could never take.”
The idea of leaving turns my already shattered heart to dust, because I still consider this place my home. I still had hope of reaching a shared custody agreement with Nero, of giving my child the presence of both parents. I still had hope of— I shake my head, rejecting the rush of thoughts.
“All right, Mom. Let’s leave.
CHAPTER 48
ATLAS XPANOS
Sitting in my office, once again trying to decipher the riddle the Nina-and-Nero case has become, I arrive at the same conclusion I’ve reached every other time: it’s obvious this was staged—but how do you prove it?
The inconsistencies in the evidence are clear. The supposed timeline doesn’t line up. But the biggest inconsistency of all is the investigator Lysandra hired.
The man is known in his field. He doesn’t live in Greece. Putting himself at the service of a setup for money seems… weak.
Maybe a personal favor?
By my own means, I haven’t identified any financial transaction between Lysandra and him beyond what would be expected in a legitimate investigation. Still, everything about this story feels wrong.
There’s no point appealing to Nero’s common sense. He decided to shove it up his ass and carry on with his life drunk and embittered. Any mention of Nina is enough to plunge him into a deplorable state.
But I need to help her. I need to helpthem. There’s a child involved in this mess—a child I like to think would have been my godchild. A completely innocent child.
And even if Nina were guilty of everything she’s being accused of—which I don’t believe for a second—I would still stand by her. No one in her position should be left without support. Least of all someone who has done nothing wrong.
I know people. I learned to read intentions very young. And Nina has an innocence and a gentleness that couldn’t be easily corrupted.
I just need proof. Proof to show my best friend that he’s an idiot—and wrong—before it’s too late.
As a lawyer, I feel responsible for helping prove Nina’s innocence, even though she never asked me to.
I investigated. I chased every lead. And I found nothing substantial—certainly nothing like the clues and “evidence” the investigator claims to have uncovered. If it were all true, logic dictates I should be able to follow the same trail.
A monitoring app sends a notification, and I lower my gaze to the surface of my desk, finding a new email report on my phone. I scan the listed items, and my eyes land on two purchased tickets:Italy, noon.
Is Nina leaving the country?
I run my hands through my hair, thinking a million thoughts at once. She’s running. She’s fleeing.
My eyes dart to the clock. I still have time to reach her before boarding.
If she runs with the baby, Nero will move heaven and earth to brand her guilty. An impulsive decision will only make something already disastrous even worse.
I don’t even look for my car. I jump into the first taxi that passes.
“Airport, please. Fast.”
That’s all I say before focusing all my attention on the phone in my hand.
I select Nina’s contact and place the call, gripping the device tightly, trying to reach her before she does something irreversible.
Damn it, Nero. Cornered people make desperate choices—that was exactly what I was afraid of.
