Page 7 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

“Redemption my…” At his raised eyebrows, she trailed off. “I would never in a million years marry you or any Akakios.” And she turned on a heel as if that was it.

It was not it, couldnotbe it. He followed her into the kitchen, recalculating. His staff had already cleaned up much of the dinner preparation mess, but there were unserved dishes sitting there. Lynna went for them, began to pack them away.

Still working. Sometimes, she made no sense to him. But that was the thing about business. People didn’t have to make sense if you knew their weak spots.

“Two years of wedded bliss, then you may divorce me. Another significant payoff there. Schooling for Rhys. A guaranteed job for him,andI will mentor him. A house for your mother—hell, make it two.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Money is no object, Lynna. I need you. I need your name.” Which gave him the idea that might actually win her over. “And once I have ousted my father from AC completely, I will deliver a public apology. To your father and your family. Splashed across every news outlet in the world, clearing his name once and for all.”

CHAPTER THREE

Lynnafroze.She wouldn’t deny that the money was tempting. It solved a lot of problems, but she was a problem solver. She hadn’t needed anyone’s help before this moment, why would she need it now? With enough hard work and determination, she could give Rhys and her mother everything they deserved.

Or at least close.

Maybe shewantedthat to be true more than it was. Regardless, there was one thing Athan was offering that no amount of her hard work would ever accomplish.

No matter what she did, she would never be able to clear her father’s name from the accusations Constantine and Athan had leveled against him. Crushing his spirit, ruining his reputation, filling a once loving and generous man with bitterness…and putting a black spot on Rhys’s future.

A public apology.“You would only do that to make your father look bad.”

“Does it matter why I would do it if I would do it?”

She didn’t dare look at him. Because the question was simple and her answer was not. Did it matter? To her it did, she wantednothingthat helped either man, but she did not think her mother would have such qualms if it cleared her father’s name. Her mother would make that deal with the devil. And Rhys would be free of that stark black stain.

Of course, her mother would possibly have her own aneurysm at Lynna marrying an Akakios.

She was not considering this. It was lunacy.Lunacy.

A public apology. A guaranteed job and mentorship for Rhys.

How could she deny him that chance?

How could she feed him to the lion’s den that had essentially killed their father?

“Sleep on it.” Athan said this with that thread of silk and coercion in his tone that had no doubt fooled her father, that had once fooled her into thinking he was afriend. Why would she listen to him? She knew what he was.

“We will breakfast together. Feel free to put together a counteroffer.”

She looked at him then, focused on being calm, cool, and completely unaffected by him and his outrageous offer. Because, no. This just wasn’t a realistic offer or choice oranything.

He was just…shell-shocked. By his father stealing his fiancée out from under his nose. A man like Athan didn’t do shocked and upended like other people did. He went into scheme mode.

But this scheme was just…not possible.

“My counteroffer is no.” And since he didn’t have the good sense to nod or accept or look the least bit like he understood, she didn’t have the good sense to shut up and leave. “It also involves you taking a long walk on a short pier.”

His mouth curved, and something deep inside of her seemed to curve in response. She was quite certain it was a feeling associated with hate since no one else she’d ever encountered had caused that strange tightening sensation so deep within her.

“Think on it, Lynna. If your answer is still no in the morning, I will respect that. I will pay you for the full three weeks, and you may return home or enjoy a vacation in Mykonos at my expense.”

She narrowed her eyes. It was a trick. She knew a trick when she saw one. But didn’t that mean she could be immune to the trick part of it? “At your expense?”

“You only have to spend the night and give me your answer or counter in the morning.” He shrugged, as if it was oh so simple. “You were going to be staying here for the week anyway. What’s one night?”

She knew better. Shedid. And still…all the things he was offering kept shuffling through her mind. She couldn’t make a deal with the devil, or even a lower-level demon. No one came out of those unscathed.

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