Page 193 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 1-4

It was a miracle he hadn’t swept his daughter up and taken her away then. The fury he felt at Dido’s lies was unlike anything he’d known. It would have served her right if he’d done it.

Except ripping his little girl from her conniving mother could only hurt Athena.

He could handle Dido. A life of emotional isolation ensured he had plenty of defences against those who got too close. Only he knew how dangerously near Dido came to upending his equanimity.

The only thing he didn’t understand was why she hadn’t used their child to extort money from him. Or sell her story to the tabloids. All he could think of was her obvious fear that he’d snatch Athena if he found out about her.

Could it be that once she’d had the baby, maternal love had triumphed over greed? There’d been no mistaking Dido’s terror of being parted from Athena.

His mouth firmed. He was tempted to take Athena and give Dido a taste of what it was like to miss a daughter’s love. But for Athena’s sake he wouldn’t.

Besides, Dido’s protectiveness had stirred something. Made him wonder what his life would have been like if he’d had a champion, a protector, a loving parent.

He wanted to despise her. He did despise her. Yet she’d revealed something genuine and powerful that spoke to him, made him pause.

Shaking his head, Panos reached for the trousers he’d draped over a chair. He didn’t bother with his shirt before padding barefoot into the kitchen.

The place was silent as he put coffee on to brew. Then he looked in on Athena. She was lying on her side with her back to him, but as he tiptoed in he saw her eyes were open, fixed on the mobile of colourful birds that swayed slightly in a tiny current of air.

There it was again, that feeling of breathlessness as if someone jammed a fist into his lungs. His chest was overfull as joy, disbelief and gratitude filled him.

For as long as he could remember he’d craved family. Someone to belong to, to connect with, who didn’t care about his wealth or supposed status. Athena represented all that but, he’d discovered in their short time together, she was so much more, something he hadn’t really thought about in his vague imaginings.

His daughter was a person in her own right. She might be tiny but she had a big personality. She was no mini version of himself or Dido. That fascinated him. He couldn’t wait to get to know her, to understand her and have her get to know him too.

He must’ve made some noise because she turned her head and looked up at him with serious eyes. Would she remember him after they’d spent such a short time together? Perhaps she’d be scared, seeing a stranger in her room.

Silently, Panos cursed his eagerness to see her. He was taking a step back when her mouth curved into a tentative smile.

Panos pitched his voice low. ‘Kalimera, Athena. Do you remember me? I’m your baba, your daddy.’ He took a step closer and her smile faded, halting him instantly.

She didn’t look nervous. He told himself that was a good sign. Racking his brain for a way to forge a connection, he remembered the nursery song from yesterday. Softly he crooned it and saw her eyes light up.

‘Dadda!’

‘That’s right,’ he said, jubilation turning his blood effervescent. ‘Your daddy. But at home in Greece we say baba. Can you say that? Baba.’

‘Babab.’ She giggled then added, ‘Dadda!’

His heart rolled over. He had no other explanation for the strange, wonderful feeling.

He knew little about being a parent but he vowed he’d be the best baba Athena could ever want or need. He had a lot of catching up to do and it was time to start.

Athena got to her knees then her feet, bouncing with excitement. Clearly his little girl was a morning person like him. The realisation brought inordinate joy. Another thing they had in common, apart from brown eyes, and a strong streak of determination.

‘You’re ready to get up now?’

‘Up, up.’ Her arms rose towards him and when he picked her up and swung her high she gurgled. ‘Up, dadda.’

Panos couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy.

* * *

Something woke Dido after a bare hour’s sleep. An unfamiliar sound. Not the soft chatter of her daughter speaking to herself. Something else.

The deep murmur of a man’s voice. Her gritty eyes snapped open and yesterday’s events rushed back in a catastrophic cascade. Instantly nausea struck, the roiling of her stomach every bit as real as when she’d had morning sickness. Now it was down to fear of what Panos would do.

He’d been incensed to discover she’d kept their daughter secret. Despite knowing it had been the best thing for her child, she understood his ire. But that didn’t excuse his intention to snatch her baby.