Page 8 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

But did she need to be unscathed? She was resilient. If it got Rhys and Mom what they needed… Could she withstand a little damage?

Maybe it wasn’t ridiculous to sleep on it. To go to her room, where she’d been planning to stay the next week anyway, as he’d pointed out, and write out a pros and cons list. Really sort out the smartest choice, taking all of her mixed-up feelings out of it.

Because while she was an excellent decision-maker, and coolheaded in most things, she knew Athan brought out more emotions in her than she liked. Time and space wassensible, and how she made every major life decision.

Carefully. Mathematically. Emotions, feelings—both positive and negative—led to catastrophic decisions. She had watched her parents lose everything because they’d trusted kindness and love. She’d watched her father dig himself deeper into suffering by being so obsessed with bitterness and betrayal that only alcohol had quieted his mind in his last months.

The only reasonable option was to take all thatfeelingout of it. No revenge. No knee-jerk refusal. And certainly no reckless acceptance. She inhaled deeply. “All right. You’ll have my answer in the morning.”

And it would be no, because of course that was theonlyanswer, but she would be certain of her no and would have absolutely no regrets or second thoughts, because by tomorrow morning she would have looked at it from every angle.

And come to the correct conclusion.

* * *

Athan didn’t bother to retire. He wouldn’t sleep. Not tonight. So he went to his study—not the kind of dark, medieval type of study his father preferred, but a bright room full of natural light and colorful art. Comfortable chairs instead of old stuffy ones.

He poured himself a drink and considered his options. He needed a backup plan. He would find a way to make Lynna say yes, but he had to be flexible enough to understand it might not look exactly as he liked.

This, he had determined, was his father’s greatest flaw. Sure, being an inflexible, demanding monster could build you an empire, it could get you far enough, but it would also eventually be the source of your downfall.

So, Athan was determined to handle this with all the flexibility it required. He could keep twisting the deal until Lynna took it. As long as it made AC International his, it was worth any price.

When his phone rang, he looked at the screen readout and frowned. He could ignore it. It would make the most sense.

But he’d never been a man to back away from a challenge. He answered it. “Well, good evening, my darling. Have you landed in Athens? Cleaned the knife of my blood? Or did you leave it in my back to twist it?”

“I am sorry, Athan,” Regina said quietly. He wouldn’t say she soundedcontrite, but there was a certain solemnness to her tone.

He studied the amber liquid in his glass. Considered hurling it at the wall. But he kept the bitterness out of his voice and settled for dry and underwhelmed. “Well, an apology changes everything.”

“His offer was better. Surely you of all people can appreciate that.”

“You didn’t give me the chance to counteroffer.” He thought of Lynna. Would she? Was there any way his offer had gotten through that thick skull of hers?

Regina laughed. “Part of his offer was not allowing you the chance to counter. It wasverylucrative, and I’m sure I’ll be very happy. So would you be if you just accepted your father has a better grasp on things.”

Athan took a deep drink from his glass. Had his father spearheaded this phone call? Because not that long ago, Regina had believed inhisbid to take over. Which, he supposed, meant she didn’t care about the business side of things at all. She was just looking for the best deal.

He didn’tblameher, exactly, but that didn’t mean he was happy about it. “He’s twice your age, Regina.”

“He’s a handsome, powerful interesting man. My father loves him. It’s hardly a downgrade.”

“Your father is terrified of him.”

“Well,I’mnot.”

“You should be.” And Athan could not think of a simple way this conversation came to a productive conclusion, so he hung up on her.

Because she should be terrified. No woman came away from his father’s clutches unscathed. No matter how smart or strong, silly or weak, beautiful or plain.

Constantine Akakios was a user. An expert user, but a user all the same. Anyone who didn’t escape was bled dry—one way or another.

Athan pushed to his feet and stalked over to the balcony, its bright white gleaming in the golden light of a fading day. Beyond his extensive villa was the impossibly blue bay, the rocky shoreline and hilly fingers of land that seemed to reach out for the sea.

He looked out over the crashing waves. Darkness encroaching, but light holding out there on the horizon. For a little while longer yet.

Lynna would agree to marry him. And then he had two years to make certain that his father paid.

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