Page 43 of Seasons of Sin

“Of course,” he dipped his head forward, but something like hope was beginning to flare in his chest.

Saphire expelled a breath. “We’re getting a divorce.”

Angus was an excellent lawyer. He hadn’t been handed a damned thing in his whole life; he’d worked hard at university, then built an illustrious career all for himself. He’d worked hard, and he’d hardly slept for a decade, and now he was one of the most renowned solicitors in the country. He prided himself on his poker face, but holding it in place in that moment was a feat almost beyond him. He managed, just, to keep any emotion off his features as he digested her statement.

“Say something,” she begged finally.

He nodded, and sipped his coffee. “Does your mother know?”

Saphire shook her head. “No. I’ve just seen Jordan. It’s all happened very quickly.”

Another nod. “What happened?”

She sighed. “You and mum were right,” she said finally. “We should never have got married. I was too stubborn to see it.”

He pulled a face. Something wasn’t adding up. “So you and Jordan just decided …”

“Yes,” she nodded. “It was mutual. Amicable.” She leaned forward, putting a hand on his knee. “And I don’t want this to have any impact on his career path here.”

Angus’s laugh was a deep, booming noise that resonated through to Linda. “Hell, I’ll promote him if you’re finally rid of the wanker.”

“Daddy!” Saphire stared at her father in surprise, but a smile quirked at the corners of her lips. “Iknewyou didn’t like him.”

“Of course I don’t. He’s an arrogant prick. I’ve come across my fair share of Jordans in my time, all of them with that same pretty-boy sense of entitlement. He doesn’t understand you, Saphire. You’re an ornament to him. Nothing more.”

Saphire’s breath caught in her throat. “Why didn’t you ever say this to me before?”

“I wanted to, but your mother thought we’d push you away.”

Saphire nodded. “I mean it, though. I don’t want this to be bad for him, career wise. You know he wants to get into politics.”

“Saff, he might be an arrogant prick, and I might think he’s a thoroughly worthless son-in-law, but he’s got a brilliant legal mind. I would never have let him progress in the company if it wasn’t warranted.”

She grinned. “Good. I’m glad.”

“A divorce, hey? I suppose it’s inappropriate to ask you to join me for a champagne.”

She laughed, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“Another time. I’ve got a plane to catch.”

* * *

Though London had been warm,Athens was even more so. The heat was stifling, with barely a breeze to offer even a hint of relief.

Saphire fanned herself with the magazine she’d lifted from the aeroplane. KONSTANIDES was emblazoned proudly acrossthe front page. She knew that if she opened the picture, Thaddeus’s face would greet her.

So she didn’t.

It had taken a lot of fast-talking and phone calls to confirm where he was, but she’d done it. In some ways, Saphire wished it was anywhere else. Being back in Greece was sending shards of anxiety through her.

How could she be here and not know how he felt? How could she be here and not have the freedom of going to the island?

Impatience was a whip at her back. He was somewhere in that building. She stared at the monolith with growing need, and, as she’d done earlier that day, she skipped across the street. This time, though, happiness increased with every movement.

Thaddeus.

Her whole body clenched as she thought of him.