‘Not for you, my darling. For you I would do anything, go anywhere. I kneel before you as a man who has fallen completely in love, with all of my being. You are the beginning and end of my days, the entirety of my hopes. A thousand lifetimes with you could never be enough. Please, say you’ll marry me, because you know that I love you and will always honour you, because you understand that, from this day on, my life will be spent in the service of you and yours.’
She nodded, tears streaming. ‘Of course, Nikos, of course. But my ring—’
He cracked open the box to reveal teardrop diamond earrings, the same glorious shade of blue.
‘I had them made, to match,’ he said. ‘I could not get you out of my head, and I knew you should have them. Even if you chose to sell them.’
She gasped. ‘I would never.’
‘Good.’ He stood, inspecting her ears before removing one from the box and beginning to insert it. ‘Will you wear them, Genevieve, my darling, and know that they are the beginning of the expression of my love for you, a love that will guide me for all time?’
She could barely cope with the sincerity and extremeness of his sentiment; yet she understood it, because she felt the same.
She waited until he had both earrings in place before she answered, by pressing a hand to his chest to put a little distance between them.
‘How about,’ she said, reaching behind her back and feeling for her zip, ‘I wear them—’ she began to ease it down ‘—and absolutely nothing else, for the rest of the night?’
She saw his Adam’s apple move as he stared across at her.
‘And your ring?’
She stripped out of her underwear, until she wore only a pair of heels, her earrings and diamond ring.
His eyes fell to it and she smiled. ‘Oh, I’m never, ever taking that off.’
Epilogue
LITTLE BY LITTLE, with Genevieve’s help, Nikos began to fully let go of his demons. While he’d already come to understand how changed he was, by life and circumstances, he also finally accepted that he had been blaming himself too harshly for his marriage. Isabella had hated his work hours, but shehadbeen happy. He finally let himself hear that, from her father, her friends. People that had once been in his life, he’d spent years pushing away, he now got to know again. And in hearing them speak of Isabella, he realised that Genevieve had been right about that, too. His late wife deserved better than to have become a pain point in his life.
Working with Isabella’s father, Nikos and Genevieve set up a charity in Isabella’s name. Far from ever expressing even a hint of jealousy, Genevieve supported Nikos tirelessly in this work, because she understood how far he’d come. How healthy it was for him to honour Isabella, as a mark of his progress. He no longer had his head in the sand, and that was because of Genevieve.
As Genevieve built her career, he supported her, understanding her drive to succeed, the way she’d been held back by James. No doubt the egotistical man had been jealous of her obvious talent.
Nikos was not completely true to his word, however. He couldn’t resist stymying the other man’s career. A few well-placed calls ensured he received a challenge at the next election; he lost his senatorial seat, and left Washington, to live a life of quiet, yet wealthy, obscurity.
Genevieve didn’t care, though. James had long ago lost any power to hurt her. He was just a speed bump in her life, a brief chapter that had served one wonderful purpose: to bring her to Nikos.
They waited to have children. While they both knew they wanted a family, Genevieve’s career was going from strength to strength, and Nikos knew the timing decision had to be hers.
They were blessed with three girls, and each of them was raised to be strong and independent, to know their worth and use their voice powerfully. Isabella, and her father, were a part of their lives, always. They spoke of Isabella as someone Nikos loved, and they included her father in all family events, so that he became a grandfather to their children, a valued member of their family.
