Page 55 of Husband for the Holidays

“His father murdered his mother. Has he told you that?”

Eloise had started to obey the nudge of Konstantin’s hand.

Antoine’s shocking statement was so cold and unexpected, so gratingly harsh while delivered so conversationally, she felt as though she’d been struck. Her ears buzzed and her skin turned to ice.

She turned back to see Konstantin retreating into the furthest depths of himself, presenting only a granite shell and the radiation of hatred directed toward her stepfather.

The crackle of danger between the men had her flight-or-fight response activating, sending stinging adrenaline through her limbs.

“He died in prison. Violently.” Antoine continued to turn the knife. “It was all covered up by his grandfather, but that’s where he comes from. Do you really want to tie yourself to a man like that? Is that the kind of man you want tosleepnext to?”

Konstantin’s hands had been all over her for days, but that wasn’t why Eloise felt so sick right now. No, it was the vileness of Antoine dragging up something so painful and leaving it like entrails in the middle of the floor.

“You think you’re the first to throw that in my face?” Konstantin said with icy disdain. “Or that it gives you any leverage over me? Eloise is the one with the power right now. Cyrus has already sworn a statement. My lawyers are sending notices recommending all of Lilja’s accounts be frozen until the appropriate trustee is identified. If you’ve been squirreling funds to other accounts, it will come to light.”

“And you’ll do what?” Antoine spat in her direction. “You can’t charge her husband with stealing from their common property. She was of sound mind when she put me in charge. You have nothing and you’ll get nothing. All you’ll do is break her heart.”

She would. Eloise knew from experience how awful this would become and was already sick as she absorbed that she would have to do it again. It killed her that she would have to shatter what peace and comfort her mother had managed to find these last years, but she was seeing that it was a horrible illusion, anyway.

“I’m going to tell her that you don’t deserve her because you don’t.”

Antoine puffed up and Konstantin stepped between them.

The door opened behind them and her mother came in, still flustered.

“Everything was fine,” she said with a shaken smile. “I’m not sure what the fuss was about. The manager said he would be in touch soon with more information. What, um... Is everything all right?” She flicked her gaze around the room. The worried lines in her expression etched themselves deeper.

“Parfait,” Antoine lied smoothly. “We’ve come to a gentleman’s agreement. I told you lawyers weren’t necessary. Shall we go?”

“Not yet. I have to give Eloise the ring. Look at it.” Her mother smiled mistily as she showed the platinum set diamond on her hand. “I forgot how much I loved it.”

“Keep it on, Mom. I’m taking you home.” Eloise’s voice shook as hard as the rest of her. Everything within her wanted to run from this moment. She had hoped to never go through it again, but... “Antoine isn’t coming. He’s not the man you think he is.”

“They’re not marrying,” Antoine blurted with a cruel bare of his teeth. “Once you hear why, you’ll question all of this.”

Eloise opened her mouth, appalled he would use Konstantin’s past as a weapon.

Before she could protest that learning about Konstantin’s past didn’t change her view of him, Konstantin spoke.

“We don’t need to marry. Not anymore. Not when Eloise has money and power of her own.”

His blunt words landed straight in the middle of her heart, shattering it like glass.

“I’ll keep him here,” Konstantin said in her direction, without actually looking at her. “He can either give me a list of the relevant accounts and assets, or he can give them to the police. I have all the time in the world for him to make that decision.”

“What on earth? Eloise, tell me that...?” Lilja looked with agonized eyes from her husband to Konstantin’s grim expression to Eloise.

Regret rose to choke her voice as Eloise said, “I’m sorry, Mom. Let’s go home and talk. We’ll call Cyrus and he’ll explain.” As she nudged her mother out the door in front of her, she told Antoine, “Your suitcases will be on the stoop in an hour. Don’t come into the house.”

Konstantin entered the villa he’d only been in a handful of times. He and Ilias had both lived in Athens when not at school, but Konstantin wasn’t a social person. He had sent regrets to all the parties Ilias had invited him to through their early years. Later, Ilias had been in the US, so they had met for the odd sporting event or a beer if Konstantin happened to be there.

No, the last time he’d been here was immediately after Ilias was laid to rest. Konstantin had stood on the periphery while people ate finger food and made small talk. Eloise had looked a lot like she did now—as though the life force had been drained out of her.

That was his fault. He didn’t regret telling her the truth about Antoine, but he would always regret that she had had to hear about his parents the way she had.

“Mom’s lying down,” she said, hugging herself as she met him in the parlor. “She’s upset, obviously. I should have told her that Antoine had left me stuck in New York, but...” She rubbed her brow. “He had her convinced that I was growing up and leaving the nest so she didn’t question it too much. Cyrus has encouraged us to pursue a proper investigation, but he doubts there’ll be much fallout for Antoine beyond embarrassment, since Mom was in her right mind when she gave him control.”

“I should have checked on you both a lot sooner. That will always sit on my conscience.”

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