“Rest easy, little sister. You are safe.”
“Where are we going?” she asked weakly.
“Someplace safe,” he soothed. “Chrysander won’t allow anything to happen to you.”
She wanted to protest that Chrysander wouldn’t do anything for her, but she couldn’t muster the energy. At some point, she heard Chrysander, and she cursed the fact that she immediately felt safer and that some of the panic abated.
She felt the brush of lips against her forehead and then firm hands tucking her into bed. Fingers stroked through her hair, and warmth enveloped her.
“You are safe,agape mou.I’ll never allow anyone to hurt you again.”
“Don’t call me that,” she cried. “Never again.” But she held to Chrysander’s promise even as her heart screamed in protest. He’d lied to her. She couldn’t believe anything he said. And yet she relaxed and settled into a dreamless sleep.
When Marley next awoke, there was a crispness to her mind that had been absent since the day she’d regained her memory. No longer did fog shroud her memories. She both welcomed and cursed the new awareness. Gone was any confusion, but with that new clarity came inevitable heartbreak.
She felt alert, as though she’d slept a week. And maybe she had. She had no idea how much time had passed, and while her past was no longer a mystery, the events of the last few days were hazy and fractured.
With a reluctant sigh, she pushed back the covers and eased her legs over the side of the bed. As she glanced around, she realized she had no idea where she was. The room was spacious and cheerful, with several windows to allow natural lighting.
She pushed herself up and walked into the adjoining bathroom, her eyes widening at the size and luxury. She eyed the Jacuzzi tub with longing. While she might not know how many days had passed—they’d all been a blur—she did know that she hadn’t had a bath in a while, and she couldn’t wait to feel clean and refreshed again.
Bracing her foot on the step to the tub, she leaned over and turned the handle to start the water. When she looked up, she saw Chrysander standing in the doorway. A startled gasp escaped her.
He started forward immediately and grasped her arm to steady her. “I’m sorry for frightening you,pedhaki mou.It was not my intention. I worried when I came in to check on you and you were not in bed.”
“I just wanted a bath,” she said in a low voice.
“I do not want you to be in here alone,” he said. “I’ll summon Mrs. Cahill so that if you have need of anything, you can just call out.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and drew in a steadying breath. Then she met his gaze. “Please, Chrysander, let’s not have any further lies between us. There’s no need for you to pretend that I’m important to you…that I matter.”
Bleakness entered his eyes, and his face grayed underneath the olive tone of his skin. “You matter very much to me,agape mou.”
Before she could respond, he retreated from the bathroom, and a moment later, Patrice bustled in. In a matter of minutes, Marley found herself stripped and settled into a warm bath. Not too hot, Patrice assured, since overly hot baths were not good for a pregnant woman.
As Marley settled into the fragrant bubbles, she leaned her head back against the rim of the tub and glanced over at Patrice. “Where are we? And how did you get here? I thought you were in Athens with Dr. Karounis.”
“Mr. Anetakis asked me to fly back so I could be with you,” she said soothingly. “He was quite desperate. The idea of returning to the apartment upset you so badly that he brought you here.”
“And where is here?” Marley asked.
“His house,” she explained patiently. “We’re about an hour from the city. It’s quieter here, more peaceful. He thought you’d prefer it.”
Tears blurred Marley’s vision. And she thought she hadn’t any more tears to shed. She hadn’t known he owned a house outside of the city, and like the island, it was one more place she’d never visited in all the time she’d been with Chrysander. Further proof that she’d never occupied an important place in his life.
“He’s been very worried about you,” Patrice said, her face softening in sympathy. “We all have been.”
Marley shook her head in denial. Chrysander hated her. He’d never loved her, and she’d been too stupid to realize it.
“What am I going to do?” she whispered to no one in particular. She’d been an idiot to give up her apartment, her job, every means she had of taking care of herself when she moved in with Chrysander. She’d been too blinded by her love and convinced that she had a future with him.
“Come out of the tub,” Patrice said gently. “You need to get dried off so you can go down to eat.”
Marley allowed Patrice to mother her. She was dried off and pampered then clothed in comfortable slacks and a maternity shirt. She rubbed a hand over her belly and whispered an apology to her unborn son.
She couldn’t afford to fall apart. Her child was depending on her.
Chrysander was waiting for her when she exited the bedroom. He said nothing, but he cupped her elbow and helped her down the stairs, and she let him, too numb to protest. Marley also remained silent, her emotions too much in turmoil to try and have a reasonable conversation.
