Page 105 of One Night Together

“I don’t know.”

“There are no obvious problems that I can see, but you should get a formal inspection to be sure.”

Her brows pulled together. “How do I do that?”

“I can help you. I’ll check with some contacts.” He took her hand. “Let’s go find your parents.”

Nikos and Melina were deep in conversation while sitting on a stone wall on the perimeter of the property.

“Here you are,” Cassandra said, approaching them. “Don’t you want to see inside?”

“Not yet.” Melina patted the space beside her. “Come sit with us for a minute.”

Cassandra took a seat next to her parents while Leo remained standing. Her parents wanted to come here, but they didn’t want to look at the house. Something wasn’t right.

“I see so much potential here.” Nikos sprang to his feet.

“Nikos,” Melina said. “You promised me—”

Nikos ignored her. “It would be a waste to leave this location as it is. What are your thoughts, Leo?”

Melina shook her head and pulled her scarf around herself.

“Dad,” Cassandra said. “You agreed not to talk about development, remember?”

“It’s just a question.” Nikos turned to him. “As a developer, Leo, what do you see?”

This was a dangerously loaded question. He had just broken the ice with Nikos, so he would need to be careful with his answer. The friction between Nikos and Melina added to Leo’s discomfort.

Leo glanced at Cassandra.

“You might as well answer him,” she said with resignation, getting to her feet.

Leo gave a nod, trying to collect his thoughts. There was potential—a lot of it—but it didn’t matter what he thought. His stomach clutched into a tight knot. He had no safe position. He wouldn’t hurt Cassandra, and he couldn’t side with Nikos. “Well, it’s scenic and secluded, but I don’t think my opinion matters now.”

“I could build something grander than the Kronos Hotel here.” Nikos gestured to the landscape. “It could be one of the most exclusive hotels in the world.” Nikos approached him and asked, “How would you like to be a part of this? Together, we could make twice as much money as Malcolm did.”

What the hell? They’d already had this discussion.

“I don’t compete with Malcolm,” Leo said, trying to keep his voice under control.

“Okay, I get it,” he said with a cajoling tone. “We could join forces and work on this project together. I’ve got the crew, and you’re an architect.I’ll even let you head the team, Leo.Promise me you’ll think about it.”

Leo had no idea how to respond. He wouldn’t go against Cassandra’s wishes.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Dad?” Cassandra said in a firm voice. “I’m not developing this land for a hotel, condos, or anything else.”

“Cassie, nobody’s trying to force you to do anything,” Melina said, standing. “Isn’t that right, Nikos?”

“We’re just having a casual conversation, Melina.” He turned back to Cassie. “It wouldn’t hurt to listen to a few ideas, would it?”

“Nikos, Melina,” Leo interjected. “For Cassandra’s sake, let’s everyone pause for a moment. There’s no rush here.”

“Some of us are running out of time,” Nikos snapped. He pointed a finger at Cassandra.“You wasted your time going to an expensive college to get a useless degree.”

“Calm down, Nikos.” Melina placed a hand on his arm.

Nikos pushed her hand away, saying to Cassandra, “All you have to show for it is a low-paying job not even in your field.”

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