Page 46 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

“It does indeed, Mrs. Akakios.”

She stiffened at that, but she didn’t correct Ophelia at theMrs. Akakios. “Then I suggest you go get ready, Athan.” She glanced at her watch. “Quickly.” She strode inside without anything else.

Athan didn’t move at first. Too many confusing, whirling feelings were battering around inside of him. But Ophelia studied him with her sharp, assessing gaze.

“You might want to keep her around.” Then she too left.

Athan knew he needed to move. To go get ready for the day. To put on that suit of armor that would allow him to walk down the halls his father had built and stolen, Lynna on his arm, and notreact.

But it felt as though yesterday he had known exactly who he was and exactly what he was doing, and now…after last night, after this morning, he didn’t have a clue. Too much like that night after Aled Carew’s funeral, when he realized what a lie his father had sold him.

Except now it felt less like lies exposed, and more like truths…just out of reach. Ophelia’s words, echoing in his head like a curse.

Keep her around.

* * *

Lynna didn’t care for the way she was feeling, which was why she’d set it aside. Locked it down. There was a problem to be solved and she intended to solve it.

If it helped Athan, it was only in the service ofnothelping Constantine. If she helped Athan, it was only holding up her end of this bargain to get what she wanted. Rhys settled for life and her father’s name cleared.

Perhaps he did deserve whatever befell him, but she couldn’t help but think it rather awful that Athan’s parents hadbothturned against him. Obviously, Constantine had no ground to stand on, but Lynna had watched Athan in the aftermath of both his parents’ bombshells.

Constantine stealing away his fiancée had made him angry, but it hadn’thurthim. His mother’s words in that article had drained all the color from his face. Lynna had been actually concerned about him in that moment.

Before she reminded herself he deserved everything he got, and that her only focus was Rhys’s future and clearing her father’s name.

But that meant aligning herself with Athan. So when he came down the stairs, dressed crisply for a day at the office, she followed him outside to his car. When he climbed into the driver’s side, she got into the passenger’s.

They said nothing. Athan drove adeptly into the hustle of Athens proper, and to AC International.

A building she hadn’t been in for almost a decade. Anxiety began to build inside of her, no matter how she tried to set it aside with everything else. She did not wish to be assaulted by memories of her father.

People would no doubt want to talk about him with her. Why had she thought this was a good idea?

Rhys. Think of Rhys’s future.She could do that, and it wouldn’t be so difficult to maneuver every conversation into one about the future rather than the past. She would never understand why so many people wanted to live in the past, the loss, thepain.

Marching on was only ever the answer. Athan pulled his car to a stop in his parking space, but before he turned off the ignition he looked over at her, something thoughtful and strange in his expression.

“I am struggling to understand why you are doing this for me.”

She pretended to look through her purse. “I’m not. I’m doing it for Rhys and my father’s name.” But she felt his gaze on her, like he was studying every inch of her face for some inkling that there was more to it.

There wasn’t. There couldn’t be.

He got out of the car, and so she did too before he could get around to her side and help her out. But she could hardly avoid touching him completely if the point was to look like she supported him.

So she let him put a hand on her back, gently guide her to the elevator. She tried not to think of that hand, ofanythingfrom last night. Or this morning. She focused on her goal. On divorcing herself from any emotion battering her, because this wasn’t aboutfeelings.

It was about fixing a problem. Halfway up, the elevator stopped and let in an older man who looked vaguely familiar, though Lynna couldn’t place him right away.

“Athan,” the man greeted. He looked at Lynna briefly, but didn’t greet her.

Usually Lynna didn’t mind being ignored, even when it was meant to be a slight, but the pompousness of greeting only one of them really struck her the wrong way today.

“Mr. Giordano,” Athan said in return. “You remember Lynna Carew, I’m sure, as you worked closely with her father. Lynna, this is Regina’s father.”

Once again, the man looked at her, then said nothing.

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