Page 126 of About Love and Revenge

"What happened? Did she quit her job?”

“My father happened. He found out, said that an Argyros didn't need favors, and sent her away.”

Jesus! The bastard’s cruelty to his children was infinite. “Forget about it. Now you have a lot of books and also someone who reads them to you, but I'm sure that before long you'll be able to do it yourself.”

She pulls me to her by the neck. “Have I told you how much I love you today?”

“Maybe, but go on. I'm greedy when it comes to your love.”

Days later

“Where are we going?” She smiles, her hand resting on my thigh.

I dismissed the driver because I wanted privacy, but despite that, I can see our bodyguards following us in the rearview mirror. I know that besides them, a few cars ahead, there is another vehicle in place for our protection.

Grigori is careful about my safety to the point of being paranoid, and that's no small feat considering I'm one of the most distrustful people I know.

“It's a surprise.”

“I don't like mysteries, Lykaios.”

“Liar. You love to be surprised.”

And it's true. Elina is so vibrant! Even little things make her excited as a child. Picking her up for an unplanned dinner date, a midweek movie and popcorn session, and new books, mostly.

I have always been a voracious reader, but I have disciplined myself to read daily by her side. No matter how tired I am or how many times we've made love, I always make time for our reading together.

“Have I been to this place before?”

“Not exactly.”

“How long before we get there?”

I hide a smile because of her impatience. “Not long now.”

We're heading to my house in the Hamptons,about two hours from Manhattan.

Besides believing that she needs a break from both studies and sessions with the psychologist, the library there is much bigger than the one in our apartment, and I think she’ll love it.

I’ve noticed that on the days when she has her therapy sessions, she comes home quieter. I don't really know how to get her to open up, so I try to pamper her in any way that I can, and before long she's back to being my usual Elina. I just want her to know that she can talk to me about the sessions too.

“We're heading to our beach house.”

“You have a beach house?”

“No,wedo.”

She leans her head back in the car seat and closes her eyes.

“What is on your mind?”

“I’m thinking about where we're going to live when we have a baby.”

I wasn't expecting that.

Of course, I want children with her, but how can I explain that, at the moment, all my efforts are focused on making her love me more each day so that she won't leave me when my revenge on her father is complete?

Not knowing what to say, I take her hand and kiss the palm.

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