Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24493 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24493 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
"Stelios."
He forced himself to pull away because he needed to take a good look at her. "You're fucking sure you're alright? You promise you're not hurt anywhere?"
"Yes."
But she didn't sound or look like it.
"Bailey's in shock," Kayra says.
Fuck.
Was it possible she had only told him she loved him because she was in shock? Could she have temporarily confused feelings of gratitude for love? The thought had his jaw hardening, but when his wife let out another broken sob, he pushed all such distractions aside as he drew Bailey back into his arms.
"It's alright, glikiá mou."
He could feel his in-laws watching him as he pressed his lips to the top of her head, but he didn't give a damn.
"Breathe, Bailey."
This girl was his wife, and whatever she needed, he would provide, always.
"Just breathe."
It took a while, but the tension gripping her body gradually eased, and she even managed to shake her head in protest when he swept her up in his arms.
Bailey tried wriggling out of his embrace as he carried her back to the house.
"I can walk—-"
"Shut up and let me take care of you." Stelios noticed his wife's aunt frown at his words, but it was just another thing that he didn't give a damn about.
Bailey was a Diamandis now, and she would stay his for the rest of their lives.
The four of them regrouped in his study, with Stelios once again ignoring Bailey's protests as he kept her on his lap.
"Helene's son is the one behind all of this." The way Kayra spat the words out was the most emotion Stelios had ever seen the girl show in the entire time he had known her. "His plan was to kidnap Bailey and use her as leverage to keep us from taking over the Familia—-"
His wife shook her head in confusion. "If they just wanted to kidnap me, why were they shooting at me?"
"Because Mario Cholevas is an even bigger idiot than any of us gave him credit for," her grandfather said in disgust. "He didn't even bother doing a background check on the people he hired. All five of them had grudges against our family, and they saw Mario's job offer as an opportunity to earn some money and get revenge. Win-fucking-win."
"How do you know all this?" Bailey asked.
Astro shot her a dry look. "Did you think it's only your husband who has people working undercover to keep you safe?"
When Bailey tried to get out of his hold, Stelios knew he had to let her go, and his wife went straight to her grandfather and gave the old man a hug.
"Thank you, Papou."
"Just don't ever die on us," Astro said gruffly. "Do you hear me, Bailey? I'm sure you already know this, but you are what keeps us human. Not just Kayra or Stelios. But all of us."
"I don't know what to say," Bailey said with a wobbly smile. "The way you all don't mind spending a fortune on bodyguards is just sweet and alarmingly paranoid at the same time."
"Hmph." But Stelios could see that Astro obviously took his wife's words as a compliment. "I wish I could convince myself that our trouble ends here, but I doubt it. There will always be someone who sees our families as a threat for as long as the two of you remain married—-"
Stelios stiffened. "What exactly are you saying, Astro?"
The older man glanced at Kayra, and Bailey's aunt got to her feet. "We believe it's best that you and my niece have your marriage annulled—-"
"No!"
Stelios inhaled deeply at the way Bailey fiercely protested against her aunt's words.
But Kayra didn't even seem to hear anything her niece was saying, with her gaze solely focused on him.
"I have nothing against you, but my niece is my first priority—-"
"And you think she's not mine?" Stelios asked tightly.
"Two weeks ago, your wife's browser history mostly consisted of links to divorce articles."
Stelios saw his wife whiten at Kayra's words.
"Do you still have my phone bugged?"
Kayra's gaze bored through his. "She would've left you if you hadn't made her feel guilty about your condition."
"Theía, stop!"
The distress in Bailey's voice was unmistakable, but Stelios couldn't understand why she simply didn't say her aunt was lying.
"She stayed married to you out of pity—-"
"Shut up, Theía!"
He took a step back when his wife tried to reach for him.
"Did you really want a baby?"
"Stelios, please—-"
"Just answer me, dammit," he gritted out. "Were you telling me the truth when you said you wanted to divorce me because of a baby?"
She stared at him helplessly, and that was all the answer he needed.
"Please, Stelios—-"
She tried reaching for him again.
"Don't fucking touch me!"
Her touch was poison, now that it was fucking stained with her pity.
Wheelbarrow
I know it's over the moment my husband turns away from me.
"You should leave with your family."
The flatness of his tone is painfully familiar, and my heart breaks at the sound of it.