Page 7 of Reclaimed By His Billion-Dollar Ring

His daughter’s expression did not change. But Nikos knew with every fibre of his being that her father’s invitation was not welcome to her.

That was understandable.

Again, memory pulled at him—but still he would allow it no ingress.

She did not blink. ‘You are seeing your cardiologist that morning, Papa,’ she said. Her voice was tight.

Georgios waved his hand impatiently. ‘Plenty of time to get home for lunch!’ he said airily. Then he turned his attention back to Nikos. ‘We shall see you then?’ He smiled genially, but dismissively.

Nikos nodded, the gesture encompassing Calanthe as well, and murmured his thanks. Then, knowing he had used up his host’s attention span, he strolled away.

He was done here for tonight.

Thoughts flickered behind the unreadable mask of his face. So that was Georgios Petranakos in person. And that—once more that mix of honeyed memory and jarring awareness twisted in him—was his daughter Calanthe, in person.

Her name echoed in his head. He had had no thought of her when he’d followed his impulse to make himself known to her father. Yet now that he had seen her...

More beautiful than ever.

Eight years ago he had made the decision and done what he had done. But now the years had passed, changing so much, and what he had once let go of had just come into his life once more.

All his life he’d seized opportunities as they’d come by. It had taken him from a frugal rural life on a small Aegean island to diligent studying at school and entry to a lengthy architectural degree, on to venturing into business for himself, seeing those opportunities and capitalising on them, in the process making himself a wealthy man.

The journey had been intense and demanding, absorbing all his energies.

He had seized at those pleasurable carefree weeks with Calanthe just as he had seized at all the opportunities that came his way. And then the currents of his life had taken him onward...

And now they have brought Calanthe back into my life. Into my reach.

And this time...

His dark eyes glinted. Resolve filled him. A decision took shape in his mind.

The past had gone. But the present—oh, the present might yet be claimed for himself...

And this time—this time—there was no impediment to indulging that claim.

Calanthe lay in bed, her sleepless eyes staring upwards. Out of nowhere, with no warning, the past had opened up and walked into the present.

Nik. The man I gave myself to—gave my stupid, stupid heart to. The heart he not only tossed aside but...

A wash of humiliation swept over her. She had not felt it for years and yet it was here now, again, hot and humid and hideous. She could not bear to feel it...to remember it. To remember how her father, seeing her shed unstoppable tears over the man who had walked out on her, had taken her hands in his and told her just why Nik had walked out on her...

She heard her father’s voice, kindly, but adamant.

‘A man who could do that, my dearest girl, is worth no tears—no tears at all!’

She felt her face contort. No, Nik was worth no tears—yet she had shed them all the same.

She felt her hands clench at her sides in anger and in impotence. Then, deliberately, she stretched her fingers out, though they did not want to do so. Deliberately, she took a scything breath and set her mouth, a hardness forming in her unseeing eyes.

So Nik had walked back into her life again. The cold, disbelieving shock she’d felt as he’d headed towards her hammered into her once more. But she would not—would not—let him in again. She would keep him out with all the strength she possessed.

Her face twisted.

He will never hurt me again—never. I won’t allow it. I won’t permit it. I won’t ever be vulnerable to him again! Because I know him now as I did not then. I know him for what he is.

That knowledge must keep her safe. It must.

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