Page 14 of Greek's Temporary "I Do"

The box, with the inscription ‘From L’, had contained a simple peony pendant that Leo had bought her, because they were her favourite flower. But on that last Christmas they’d all spent together—before her father had passed, before Gwen had nearly ruined their company—the argument he’d had with Mina had made it impossible for him to claim responsibility for it.

While everyone had oohed and ahhed over the pretty pendant Helena had received, Mina had already been fuming—smarting over the fact that the small blue box he’d given her contained earrings rather than the engagement ring she’d been expecting. She would have made a scene of epic proportions if she’d discovered that it was he who had bought the necklace for Helena. And in what had perhaps been their last moment of twin sense, Leander had stepped in to help him and taken credit for the present.

‘It’s a peony,’ Helena explained, as if he didn’t already know.

‘Mmm,’ was all Leo was capable of replying. It was something he’d completely forgotten about.

‘Something old,’ Helena continued. ‘I guess blue is the feeling I got when Leander didn’t appear and “new” would be you? Or would you be borrowed?’ Helena said, smiling sadly.

‘Borrowed would be the shares,’ he snapped, feeling utterly thrown by the memories beginning to resurface.

‘Of course,’ Helena replied, fake smile back in place, while her eyes glowed with accusations and recriminations. ‘Because you insist on conveniently forgetting that my father helped Giorgos not only found Liassidis Shipping, but also broker many of the deals that made it an international success in the first place. Your revisionist history wouldn’t account for that, would it?’ she demanded hotly through her teeth.

‘Revisionist history?’ he demanded, intensely disliking how well her verbal blow had struck.

As the song drew to an end, Helena’s fingers tightened at his neck. The smile trembled for just a second before firming.

‘We’re done here,’ Helena promised and slipped from his embrace, waving to the guests as she exited the reception through a door where Kate waited anxiously.

He was left for a moment, standing in the middle of an empty dance floor, one hundred and fifty pairs of eyes on him and none meaning a single thing to him.

‘Be me.’

Leo forced a broad smile to his lips, took a comically dramatic bow and returned to the table, needing as much space from Helena as she apparently needed from him.

The whirr of the helicopter blades filled Helena’s ears and she welcomed it. Welcomed the way it blocked out her chaotic thoughts and filled the silence that had descended over Leo the moment they had left the reception.

Helena had bid a tearful goodbye to Kate, unsure whether she’d get to see her best friend again before she travelled to Borneo and hating that the parting had been so focused on Leander.

God, she hoped that Kate would find him. Being around Leo was stressful enough. Every time she looked at him, all she could think of was how he was all but blackmailing her for her shares. If she hadn’t been so desperate there was no way she’d have ever agreed to such a low price. Not as a grieving daughter and not as a grown businesswoman.

‘We’re coming in to land,’ informed the pilot on the open channel in the headsets.

Helena nodded to show her understanding. She’d warned Leo already not to say anything revealing on the open channel—the pilot knew Leander well—and Leo had apparently taken that to heart by not saying a single thing. Instead, he’d spent the entire journey looking out of the window, his expression grimly guarded.

They came to land on the small helipad at the back of the beautiful Mani Peninsula villa. Their suitcases had been sent ahead earlier that morning so their belongings would be waiting for them, and all Helena could think about was getting out of her dress. It was beautiful, quite possibly the most exquisite thing she’d ever worn, but it was too much now.

The co-pilot slipped out from the front of the helicopter and slid the door open for her, holding out his hand. Helena gratefully took it, wanting to leave Leo in the damn machine to fly off God knew—or cared—where.

Kate was gone, Leander was gone, and she was alone with the bastard who had bartered her inheritance for a pittance.

Now that the guests were far behind her, now that the stress of the day was nearly done, she could barely keep the tears back as she hurried towards the villa Leander had booked with her in mind.

‘It will be our refuge for the week. Here you can finally let go and just be yourself.’

But it wasn’t. It wasn’t a refuge but a prison, and she couldn’t let go at all—not even for one second. Because Leonidas Liassidis would be there, waiting around every corner.

‘Where are you going?’ Leo asked, his tone unusually blank.

She felt his gaze on her as she grabbed the bottle of champagne from where it had been placed in an ice bucket by the open front door.

‘To bed. Alone. With this,’ she said, holding up the green bottle, purposely keeping her back to him as the first tear rolled down her cheek.

CHAPTER FOUR

HELENA WOKE UP feeling awful. She peered at the clock on the side table next to the large bed she barely remembered collapsing into last night. She closed her eyes against the glowing display announcing that it was seven in the morning and cursed.

The last thing she remembered was promising herself that she’d just close her eyes for a short nap, but she’d slept for twelve hours. For most people that would probably be a good sign, but for Helena Hadden? Sleep was her stress response. Her body’s default protection setting, a primal act of self-preservation that should have been warning enough.

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