Page 107 of About Love and Revenge

“Do you think I should accept it, then?”

“I can’t answer that, Elina, but I honestly think you deserve a chance to be happy. As for accepting the proposal, as much as I like you, you'll have to make up your own mind on that.”

“That's what I feared.”

“I know.”

Odin

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

I lookat the report in front of me, wondering what to do next.

No, actually, I know exactly what needs to be done. What I'm considering is how to get Leandros where I need him while at the same time making sure Elina's mother is safe.

If I’m being honest, I didn't stop to think about her well-being before, although I never wanted to involve her in my revenge, but I realized, after that conversation in Montana, how deeply Elina worries about her mother, which makes Cinthya my responsibility too.

Although I have no admiration for the woman, as far as I know, she's not guilty of anything but neglect. Her obsession with preserving her marriage nearly destroyed two of her children, but she shouldn’t have to answer for her husband's crimes.

Grigori’s report states that, unlike the other times, in this latest sighting there was no sign of Cinthya.

Where is she?

It's hard to imagine a woman like her staying away from her husband.

Even when Elina arrived in New York, with no experience outside the safety of the island, she showed a willingness to learn. I can't see that in her mother.

I have to find her and make sure she's taken care of.

The net is closing, and decisions need to be made as planned so that there is no margin for error. I already have too many sins to answer for, and I don't want to bear the blame if anything happens to the Argyros matriarch.

After I walked Elina to the car last week, I couldn't stop thinking about what she told me—about her having dyslexia.

I knew roughly what it meant, but since then, I've dedicated myself to learning all about it. From what I've seen so far, dyslexia is a neurological condition that causes a block in the proper recognition of words. It manifests in childhood and, with early intervention, can be almost completely overcome, but the support and commitment of parents along with professional help is essential.

On that same night, after Elina was asleep next to me in bed, I thought about all the times she lay on my lap so I could read to her. I remembered the dreamy expression on her face every time I stopped to comment on a passage from the book; she never dared to touch them herself.

The scene in her home’s library back on our island in Greece came to mind. How she cried as she threw the book away... Now I know it was frustration at not being able to understand the words.

When I asked whether her parents sought help, she said it was complicated, but I think I know what happened. Cinthya never cared enough about her children to really see them. If the woman allowed her husband to beat up the children and herself, would she worry about delving into her eldest daughter's learning difficulties?

I don’t think so.

As for Leandros, I'm not sure whether he just refused to get help for her so that it wouldn't become public knowledge or if he used her difficulty to manipulate her. I would bet on the latter, but it doesn't matter.

I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she never doubts herself again. Elina said she lived a life of embarrassment because of her learning difficulty, and I’ll go to hell if it’s necessary to help her regain her self-esteem.

Several pieces of the complex puzzle that is her begin to fall into place.

While doing that research, I saw that one of the main characteristicsof a dyslexic person is trying to speak slowly, consciously policing themselves not to change letters out loud. Now, with more attention, I notice how she sometimes starts some words and then suddenly stops, changing them to another.

I noticed that once or twice this week she changed the letters of a word, which has never happened before, and I may be fantasizing, but it makes me believe that she may now feel more confident with me and doesn’t feel the need to pay attention to what she is saying at all times.

I never gave any sign of noticing the mixed-up letters, however. When that happens, I keep talking to her normally, and the moment we discuss something I’ve read to her, I encourage her to give her opinions even more freely than she used to.

I look at the calendar on my phone.

Today she has her appointment with the speech therapist, and I would very much like to go along, but I understand that she’ll feel more comfortable with Zoe, so even though it went against my nature, I said goodbye with a long kiss and asked her to call me when she was done.

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