Forever and Ever, My Greek Billionaire(4)
He was alone in the airport’s second-floor lounge. All 10,000 square feet of it had been closed off to other passengers for Stavros’ private use. A waste of money in the eyes of many, perhaps, but for him it was vital. Thousands of people depended on him, their livelihoods dependent on how strong the world perceived him to be. For them, Stavros knew he could no longer afford to keep acting weak. For their sakes, no one was to know how one tiny woman had driven him to his knees.
Stavros’ glance turned towards the expansive windows. Outside the airport, the skies were a pristine shade of blue, without even a single cloud to mar its appearance of tranquility. Even though the airport was right in the middle of the capital, the presence of flora and fauna was ubiquitous. Nature at its finest everywhere was the kingdom’s slogan, and the airport’s landscaped grounds was proof of it, with trees shedding foliage made multicolored by fall and covering the roads like an endless intricately designed carpet.
It was a breathtaking scene, but Stavros was blind to it. He only existed at that moment for one reason, and he counted the minutes until that reason was in sight.
Willow.
The woman who had captured his heart only to destroy it, just like how his own mother had done.
Finally, the announcement came, and Stavros came to his feet in a lithe, graceful motion. His bodyguards swarmed around him the moment he left the lounge and made his way to the tarmac.
He waited, his heart beating harder with each second. By the time the plane had finally landed and the door slowly opened, Stavros’s powerful form was nearly vibrating with tension.
A small part of him warned it wouldn’t be easy, that what had happened back in Athens could happen again – Willow pushing him away, throwing his feelings in his face.
He knew that could happen again, but he didn’t care.
He was capable of letting her go as much as he was capable of stopping himself from breathing.
Willow was the last one to come out, and her face was wan and gaunt, making him frown. It was completely unlike how he had seen her the last time, where her lovely face was flushed and her eyes sparkled so brightly it almost looked like she had been feverish with pleasure.
He watched her descend the stairs with her head down, her knuckles turning nearly white with how tightly she was gripping her bag. She was a picture of misery and he couldn’t understand it. Why, he wanted to shout at her. Why do you look like this when you already have what you want?
He waited until she was on the ground before walking towards her, blocking her way. When he stood in front of her, forcing Willow to stop, he saw her freeze and he knew she knew, something inside her able to recognize his presence even without seeing him.
His resolve strengthened. Whether it was out of guilt or intuition, it didn’t really matter. The connection was still there, and he would damn well fight for it.
“Willow.”
****
It was almost like she was dreaming, hearing the voice she so loved say her name. Only when she heard it for the second time did she realize it was real—
Stavros.
He truly was here, and the thought had her torn between joy and misery.
“Look at me, Willow,” Stavros grated out.
Even now, his voice was stark with pain and anger, and she wanted to weep at the sound of it. I’m sorry, Stavros. She repeated the words in her mind. But it’s just not time yet.
Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and lifted her head, thinking she would be ready—
But she wasn’t.
The emptiness in his beautiful eyes nearly broke her. It almost made her give up this seemingly impossible fight to make him understand that their love for each other could withstand everything. If it was only her who would be suffering, then she would suffer for as long as she needed. But it was seeing him suffer that was killing her.
She tore her gaze away, breathing hard, doing her best not to cry, as she demanded, “What are you doing here?” If she kept looking at him, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stand it.
“You really don’t know?” Stavros laughed, and the hollowness of the sound almost made her flinch.
Willow tightened her grip on her bag, using it to prevent herself from throwing everything to the ground and hugging Stavros to her.
She was ignoring him. And suddenly, he remembered the time he had practically done the same thing to her. That time he had told her it was over between them at the exhibit, and she had practically begged him to take her virginity. Had it hurt her this way, even if all along she had been pretending?
His jaw clenched at the memories, a part of him still refusing to believe that all of it had been planned. That all along she had been pretending with him. He looked at her and suddenly he couldn’t stand it.