Page 5 of Influence

It freed me from relentless matchmaking attempts by ambitious debutantes and their eager mothers.

Spending time with a woman, or to be blunt, fucking her, wasn’t the same as wanting to marry her. Often, this difference in views placed me in the challenging position of having to extricate myself from awkward situations.

An arranged marriage provided the advantage of avoiding the typical emotional challenges associated with intimate relationships. Emotions wouldn't factor in if it were just a business contractual arrangement. I’d witnessed the devastation caused by loving deeply and losing it all.

My father had never recovered from losing my mother, Amara, and my sister, Cora.

Five years ago, they died tragically in a car bombing meant for my father and me. Instead of us, they became the unintended victims of a territorial war they had no part in.

Then I lost my father to a heart attack just three years later. Yet his spirit had already faded with Mama and Cora in that car. Without them, he became a mere shadow of his former self, the brightness in his once-vibrant blue eyes extinguished.

Following his passing, I promised myself to never let another woman into my heart. A cold, arranged marriage was exactly what I needed.

Then there was the ultimate reason for marrying Layana Vitalis.

The future of the Galanis legacy.

The Vitalis family name represented power in Greece and was synonymous with respect and legacy. The Vitalis family presided over the most crucial regions of the nation,earning respect through their actions and character. Tales of their lineage were whispered in shadowy taverns and around firesides, stories passed down through the ages for countless centuries.

Marrying a Vitalis sister meant joining a lineage akin to royalty, bringing numerous advantages. From the moment of their births, the three remaining sisters were regarded as matrimonial prizes. Rejecting the proposal extended to me would have been sheer stupidity.

They didn’t choose me by chance—I’d outplayed every contender.

But why had Layana chosen me above all others?

I had a nagging suspicion that the decision wasn’t solely hers to make. Everyone was aware of the deep bond she shared with her sisters, and it stood to reason that their guardian, Vik, would have played a significant role in whatever choice was made.

Could it be that he had influenced her decision?

Vik was well acquainted with my father, and as Juno Vitalis’s second, he spent considerable time on the estate.

Soon enough, I would uncover the truth behind her choice.

As I headed downstairs, my phone buzzed, interrupting my thoughts. With a sigh of impatience, I pulled it out and answered, “Galanis.”

“I have news about your brothers,” one of my lieutenants announced, stirring familiar tension within me.

I struggled to suppress the impulse to clench my jaw. It felt like I couldn’t get through even an hour without confronting some problem related to my self-involved younger siblings, Stefano and Markos.

“Speak up,” I ordered, my patience running thin.

“Our team is watching them. They’re on the family yacht near Cyprus.” His reply deepened my frustration.

“Why are they there? Who authorized their use of the yacht?” I pressed.

My brothers spent more time vacationing than contributing—utterly useless.

“We are waiting for details from our people mixed in with their men,” the soldier replied, a calm contrast to my growing annoyance.

“Report once you receive the details. They’re up to something. The last thing we need is for one of them to jeopardize our deals,” I instructed, the gravity of the situation weighing on my mind.

“Yes, sir,” he affirmed before the line went silent. After hanging up, I tucked my phone back into my pocket and went downstairs. I halted at the bottom, captivated by Layana stepping into the grand foyer.

Her gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that suggested she had anticipated my presence at that exact spot.

What was it about her that drew me so irresistibly?

I had always been drawn to women with fiery spirits, and Layana undoubtedly possessed that quality in abundance. She was no pushover. She exuded focus, determination, and an undeniable aura of fearlessness that was hard to overlook.

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