Greek Tycoon, Wayward Wife(13)

‘Indirectly,’ he replied vaguely. ‘This evening we will attend a play at the amphitheatre there.’

‘A play?’ she repeated back at him in astonishment, surprised not only that his time would be spent on something other than crunching numbers, but also that he wanted her to join him.

Rion gritted his teeth. So, she thought a man like him wasn’t capable of enjoying a little culture. ‘How is it that you are so adamant we lay the past to rest, when it is perfectly obvious you will never forget mine?’

She frowned. ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘I mean that much has changed.’

‘Has it?’ she asked, a flicker of hope igniting in her heart as the plane touched down, his landing utterly flawless.

‘Why don’t you see for yourself?’ he asked, inclining his head towards the extensive property spanning the horizon. ‘We’re here.’





CHAPTER FOUR




OF COURSE, he only meant much had changed in terms of the kind of house he now owned and the kind of car he now drove, Libby thought dejectedly as they headed away from the airstrip towards the property in the distance, in his top-of-the-range Bugatti—the only car on the planet, if her memory served her correctly, that was worth more than the 1958 Ashworth Liberty. The car her father had named her after in the single greatest irony of her life.

But, although all signs pointed towards Rion’s home being some equally extravagant and overstated villa on the more affluent side of Metameikos, when he rolled the car to a halt outside, she discovered to her surprise that it was not.

It was a period house built of stone, and had two different levels with steps running between them that were covered in terracotta pots overflowing with flowers. There were charming wooden shutters at the windows, and although the grounds were extensive, the house itself wasn’t oppressively huge or ostentatious in any way. It looked like the perfect family home. What was more, if she’d ascertained things correctly during the drive here, it was situated pretty much in between the affluent side and the less privileged side of the province, just in front of the impressively preserved amphitheatre—which must have been the structure she had seen from the runway.

‘What made you choose here?’ she breathed, running her hand over the stonework, convinced he’d say he hadn’t picked it out himself at all, but that when the need to relocate had arisen he’d left the selection of his accommodation up to an employee.

Rion paused for a moment, remembering how he and Jason had sat at the top of the amphitheatre, looking down at the house and the well-off family who had called it home. Owning it one day had been his only life goal then. Until Jason’s death. Until she’d left him. He answered gruffly, ‘As a kid, it was the house I always swore I’d own one day.’

He indicated for her to follow him in but Libby stalled on the threshold, astonished not only to discover that he did seem to have some attachment to Metameikos, but that for one of the first times ever he’d just given her a glimpse into his childhood.

Rion looked back over his shoulder to find her hovering on the doorstep. ‘It’s a little late to be having second thoughts about our arrangement now, gineka mou.’

‘I’m not,’ she said quickly, and then wished she hadn’t sounded so sure about it. ‘I was just admiring the house.’

And having second thoughts of a different nature, no doubt, Rion thought cynically as she admired the décor of the hall. Like why she hadn’t demanded half of everything he owned in her precious petition for divorce.

‘I never expected it to be so…I don’t know…’

But before she could find the right word to complete her sentence they both heard footsteps.

Rion turned and walked to the bottom of the staircase. ‘Eurycleia.’ He smiled warmly.

Libby looked up to see a woman who must have been in her mid-sixties descending the stairs, duster in hand.

Rion tilted his head upwards and switched into Greek. ‘The house looks fantastic.’ He shook his head ruefully. ‘I hope you have not been working here all day.’

The old woman’s eyes twinkled as she reached the second to last step, which put her on a level height with Rion. She placed her hands on the sides of his head in a motherly gesture and kissed him on the forehead. ‘You know it’s my pleasure. Welcome back.’

She raised her eyes then, and caught sight of Libby for the first time. ‘Orion Delikaris,’ she said, swiping him with the duster. ‘Are you so rude that you are going to leave your guest just standing there, without even introducing us?’