Page 142 of About Love and Revenge

“I can’t. I’ve been fighting with myself for hours. I saw the photographs yesterday. I finally understood what you lost and also who you were before my father came into your life.”

“You left our house.”

“No, I was thinking.”

“About us?”

“About myself, mostly.”

He threatens to speak, but I shut him up with another kiss.

“I thought about everything we've lived through so far. Since you brought me here, our relationship, the wedding...and now, the baby.”

“Our son.”

“Yeah. There's a new life in here, and I didn’t go for a walk because I knew you were hunting Leandros but because I knew I didn't want to raise my son in an environment filled with heartache and pain, Odin. I grew up in a family without any love.”

“There's a lot of love between us.”

“I know, but there's a lot of hurt in here.” I place my hand on his chest. “I'm sorry I went through your stuff, but I needed to know. I couldn't read the letter, however. As if my reading difficulties weren't enough, I think it’s in another language. Will you tell me what's in it?”

He nods.

“Did you save it to remember?” I run a hand over my face, a little frustrated. “See? I know almost nothing about your past. I've never asked for this before because, more than anyone, I respect secrets, but now I need to think not only about myself but my son as well.”

“I received everything in that box along with my inheritance.”

“Inheritance?”

“Yeah. From the man who saved me. Christos found out that he was my mother's brother. Half-brother, actually. Ingvar. The night he died, in addition to making me his heir, he left me this box and made me promise that I would only open it when I had completed my revenge.”

“Have you completed it?”A sudden anxiety makes my pulse quicken.

“I'll get to that part in a moment. Let me tell you what you want tohear and then you can decide what you want to do.”He looks away, which bothers me.

“Okay.”

“A few months ago, Christos decided to investigate my savior. I didn't want him to, but my cousin argued that he needed to know. I never touched that box, because I gave my word that I wouldn't. I felt indebted to the man who had saved me, but from the moment Christos told me about our blood bond, I questioned Ingvar's motives. Pieces of the puzzle began to emerge, but some didn't fit.”

“Why?”

“I always thought he was related to my mother. Despite the different surnames, who besides a relative would be so bent on revenge? Anyway, I silenced that voice inside me because of my promise.”

“You said you suspected he was related to your mother, but that's just by name? Because he's Scandinavian?”

“No, mainly because of the hatred he had for your father. Despite everything I went through, I was just a kid, and sometimes I wanted to live like a normal kid, but he never let me forget. When he thought I was losing focus on our plans, he would tell me everything he saw that night again and again, how there wasn’t even enough left of my family to be buried.”

“God, Odin. That is inhumane.”

“Then we got to a point where he didn't have to do that anymore. I was already so conditioned that I lived and breathed hate.”

“You never hated me.”

“I tried.”

“Tried?”

“Yeah. Not to hate, but before returning to the island, I tried not to have mercy on any of the Argyroses, even though it was never my intention to take revenge on you or your mother.”

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