She sat down and the doctor continued explaining several things regarding her pregnancy. After her prescription was filled out, she returned home with a smile on her face.
She just couldn’t wait to tell Nikos! She hoped that he would be happy about it. If not, then she definitely found her reason to leave him.
Her phone rang and she assumed it was Nikos.
“Hey! Guess what?” she blurted out.
“Cassia?”
It was not Nikos’ voice but Hector’s. In a snap, all her joy faded away.
“Hector? Where are you? Why haven’t you called? I haven’t heard anything in over a month!”
“I’m sorry, Cassia. We do not have time for this. I’ll tell you everything once we’re together. Meet me in Santorini. From there on, we’ll go to Germany. I have a friend there who can hide us. We’ll be safe. But we have to go now.”
“What? Hector, I can’t just leave like that! You don’t call me for a whole month and then you expect me to drop my life and run away with you?”
“Cassia. We do not have time for this,” he spoke slowly and emphasized every word.
“Make time, Hector. I am through being in the dark. I am done acting like your faithful lapdog and I am done with waiting for you.”
“Cassia, what brought this on?” he sighed heavily.
“The fact that I’ve been blinded for a long time, Hector. I thought you were perfect because you stayed with me for the longest time, but that wasn’t the case. Yes, you stayed physically but you were never there for me in any other aspect.”
“I am sorry for my shortcomings. But I will make time for you now, Cassia. Run away with me and I’ll give you everything you want.”
She sighed as pain pierced her heart.
“Too late, Hector.”
There was silence for a long time wherein she only heard his heavy breathing.
“This is about him, isn’t it? You stupidly fell for Nikos Demakis again. He’s using you, Cassia! He’s using your kidnapping as an excuse to protect you, be with you then use you!”
“No. He cares about me, Hector. He’s changed. After I was kidnapped, he bothered calling me, sending flowers and letters to make sure I was okay. I haven’t heard anything from you! You do not care at all!”
Hector laughed.
“You’re as naive as ever, Cassia. You did not learn from your mistakes ten years ago.”
Something changed in Hector’s tone and he sounded so menacing that a shiver of dread slid down her spine.
“Stop this, please, Hector. We’ve been friends for ten years...we can still be friends.”
“No!” he growled. “What is it about Nikos Demakis that the world just seems to bow down to him? Why does he always get what he wants? I thought you were different, Cassia. It turns out you are like them after all...”
“Them? Who’s ‘them’, Hector? What are you saying?” she cried frantically.
“All the others. It’s not fucking fair!” he roared.
Hector Petrides flew into rage.
He remembered everything he ever experienced growing up as a bastard in the slums of Greece. He remembered how his mother died, begging for attention from his father. He remembered the tortures he had gone through trying to survive. He remembered how he vowed to make them all pay.
“You were the only one I’ve ever loved. I really thought you were different...At least tell me why, Cassia. Tell me why you choose him over me.”
“He’s there for me. He protects me. He makes me feel things I’ve never felt with you...he makes me happy! I’m really sorry, Hector.”
“That’s not enough reason for me. I know you’re hiding something. Tell me!” he bellowed.
Cassia sighed and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to lie to Hector especially when she hurt him so much already. But this was just it for them. She couldn’t run away with him now because of her baby. If she did, she’d just endanger both of them.
So she opted to tell him the truth directly.
“I think I love him and I am pregnant with his child!”
Hector felt like the world came crashing down on him.
He closed his eyes as pain washed over his body. It was followed swiftly by anger. Once more, Nikos Demakis took what was his, and his rival won. He always fucking won.
“This is the ultimate betrayal, Cassia.”
“I’m so sorry—“
“I’ve protected you from everything when I should’ve killed you from the start. It was because I thought you were different. Now, you and your bastard will die.”
“Hector, what?!” Cassia shouted but Hector already ended the call.
Fear spiked within her and she walked as fast as she could back towards her bodyguards. She also took several deep breaths to calm herself. Hector just said those things because he was mad. It was nothing to worry about.
But his tone was not one of mere anger. It was one of fury. It was so extreme that it was not something that was just born today. It felt like he’d harbored it for a long time and she could not control the feeling of dread and sense of impending doom that slid down her spine.
January 18, 2013
Unknown Island
Greece
“Boss, we have something interesting to report.”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow and lifted himself from the marble countertop of the bar to look at his men. He dragged the bottle of vodka closer and drank. He was drunk and he was causing a scene but he did not care.
“And what would that be?”
“The men trailing Demakis’ wife reported that she bought pregnancy tests from the pharmacy this morning and then visited a doctor just this afternoon. We think she’s pregnant with Demakis’ child.”
Sebastian threw back his head and laughed. He kept on laughing until people were looking at him as though he’d gone crazy. He already knew that particular piece of information. But for their sakes, he pretended that it was the most wonderful news he’s ever heard.
“Excellent then. Get her and Demakis will pay us anything. Once we have the money, we kill her and let him watch the light fade from her eyes. Then we watch as he loses everything.”
Sebastian grinned after he smashed the now-empty bottle.
A week from now, he’d get revenge.
And everything would be over...
January 25, 2013
Antoniou Winery
Santorini, Greece
She was finally going to tell him.
Hell, it’d been a week but she was really going to do it. She was not going to back out now. Nikos truly had the right to know. Besides, seeing him with little Anton confirmed that he was great with kids and she had a feeling he would be a great father as well.
Besides, the time she spent with him had been nothing but bliss. It’d been an adventure and she was glad that she took that leap of faith and gave him a chance.
She finally had everything she wished for in life!
She wanted to be a designer and have a great career. She had that. Cassiopeia was as successful as ever.
She wanted friends who would never ridicule her because she was different or judge her by her social standing. There were Anna, Jenna, Arlene and Isobel.
Lastly, she wanted a family. Nikos was hers and now they had a child on the way.
Surely, nothing could be better than this!
Now, she was back in Santorini where everything began. This was where their wedding was held and in this particular room was where they first shared each other’s passion. For a week, Cassia planned everything down to the last detail. She wanted her announcement to be really special.
She went behind Nikos’ back to make everything perfect. His friends were all in on it but they were sworn to secrecy. Cassia planned on telling him over a romantic private dinner then there’d be a baby shower with all of their friends after.
Nikos was due to arrive here any moment now and her nerves were eating at her. She was even more nervous now than on her wedding day!
Suddenly the door opened and it made her heart stop.
Nikos strode into the room wearing a huge grin. He quickly went for her and kissed her until she was breathless.
“Is this a second honeymoon, agape mou? I love it. It’s brilliant!”
His eyes danced with mischief as he pulled her closer and began to kiss his way down her neck. Her knees almost buckled but she tried to be immune to his touch for once. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away gently.
“I was thinking we’d have dinner first.”
She glanced behind him and pointed at the table laden with food and candles at the balcony.
Nikos raised an eyebrow.
“I really like this day,” he whispered tenderly before he let her go.
Once they were seated, Cassia’s courage ran away and left her behind again. As she stared into Nikos’ green eyes, her mouth ran dry and her well-rehearsed speech vanished.
“Do you want to say something, agapimeni?” He looked at her with a puzzled but amused expression as he ate the salad appetizer.
Cassia, on the other hand, just pushed the food around her plate as she tried to find the words. She sighed.
“You can tell me anything, Cassia. Is this about your decision to stay?”
Shocked, she looked up, “Err...w-well...a bit about that.”
Nikos groaned, “Please don’t tell me you arranged all this just to tell me you’ll be leaving me.” His voice shook, giving away his fear. He reached for her hand and squeezed.
“No! It’s not about that!” she hurriedly comforted him.