“I’ll take care of our guest,” he said and gave Penelope a sharp look.
“Our guest?” she asked ironically. “You act as if this is your house,” she went on, and taking her plate, she went to sit on the other side of the table.
Mark didn’t respond and, totally ignoring her, he filled Alexandra’s plate with bacon and eggs and placed it in front of her. Then he put some baked rolls on a smaller plate and gave it to her with butter and jam. “Would you like some juice?” he asked. “Or do you prefer coffee?”
“Some juice, please,” Alexandra said and smiled at him as he placed the glass in front of her.
Mark sat back at the table as Michael walked in the room.
“Good morning, everybody,” Michael said cheerfully and went to the buffet to serve some breakfast for himself.
Mark and Alexandra smiled at him while Penelope kept silent, her eyes on her plate. It was obvious she didn’t want any of them there. We’re invading her privacy, Alexandra thought and felt even worse.
***
Mark sensed her discomfort, and reaching over, he covered her hand with his.
Penelope shot them a cold stare of disapproval.
Mark breathed out slowly, trying to control his temper. This woman made him furious. If it were up to him, he would have sent her back to where she had come from a long time ago. Alexandros must be blind, he thought, not being able to see the kind of person she really is. All she cared about was his money and his position in society. Then again, he had to admit Alexandros was kind of cold towards her lately. Maybe he had finally realized the mistake he made by marrying her.
“Did you sleep well?” Michael asked Alexandra, and taking his plate, he went to sit right across from her on the left of Mark.
“Yes, thank you,” Alexandra replied. “I was really tired. It must be the time difference.”
“I know,” Michael admitted. “It happens to me all the time. I travel back and forth at least three times a month, and I still can’t get used to it.”
Mark glanced at Alexandra. The glorious sun rays pouring in through the glass doors and skylights were giving her hair a golden shine. She’s breathtaking, he thought. Her face was fresh with no sign of make-up on it and her lips so sinfully inviting.
Snap out of it! he reprimanded himself. He glanced over at Penelope and saw that she was watching him closely. That infuriating bitch!
***
They were almost done with breakfast when Jonathan walked into the room.
“Good morning,” he said and walked to serve some breakfast. He had a frown on his face and seemed in a foul mood.
“Rough night?” Michael asked with a condescending smile on his face. It was obvious he didn’t like Jonathan at all.
Alexandra glanced at Michael and then at Mark. They were both watching Jonathan closely. The electricity in the air made Alexandra feel the urge to escape as soon as possible.
Finishing her breakfast as fast as she could, she excused herself and walked outside through the glass doors leading to the backyard. Drawing a deep breath, she raised her face and closed her eyes, enjoying the warm caress of the sun. Opening her eyes, she let her gaze wander over the beautiful yard, the inviting pool with the sparkling water, and the sea farther away. She drew another deep breath, already feeling better.
All I have to do is try to stay away from Penelope and her grandson, she decided. She didn’t know whether they were guilty of the attempts on her grandfather or not, but one thing was for sure: they were bad news. She could feel it deep down inside, and her instinct never failed her before. It should be easy to avoid them, she tried to persuade herself, since she wasn’t staying long. However, if she wanted to be honest, she doubted it was going to be so simple.
***
Mark glanced at Jonathan, who was eating his breakfast silently, with his eyes fixed on Alexandra walking towards the pool. He felt a kick in his stomach and the urge to grab Jonathan’s head and slam it down in his plate. If he dared to lay one finger on her, he would kill him with his bare hands.
All of a sudden, Mark realized Michael was watching him closely. He tried to smile to relieve the tension.
“I’m done,” Michael said and stood up. “I think I’ll take a walk, too,” he added and walked outside, in the direction Alexandra had taken.
Mark stared after him, relieved that Michael was going to be looking after her. He was excellent at his job, and Mark trusted him with his life. They had been through so much together and had saved each other’s lives on several occasions. When Mark was trapped in a burning military warehouse, it was Michael who defied the flames and stored explosives blowing up all over the place to rush inside and pull Mark outside to safety.
“When is Alexandros coming back?” Penelope asked, unexpectedly.
Mark was taken by surprise. He would have thought Alexandros would have talked to his wife. However, it seemed he was wrong.
“You know Alexandros,” he said, avoiding a straight answer. “He’ll come when he’s good and ready.”
Penelope drew a deep breath and gave him a sharp look.
“I’m sure he won’t be too long,” she said, and the irony was more than obvious in her voice. “He has so much to look forward to,” she added and glanced towards Alexandra, who was now standing by the pool, talking to Michael.
“Why don’t you stop?” Mark burst out. “Why do you always have to be so nasty to everyone?” he asked abruptly and stood up, pushing his armchair back. He was sick of her. He wasn’t going to stay here a moment longer than he had to.
He walked outside towards Michael and Alexandra, feeling sorry for how things had changed in this house. He used to love to stay here, but ever since this woman came, he avoided it as much as he could. She was pure poison, and he wanted to be as far away from her as possible. Not to mention that no-good, greedy grandson of hers who did nothing but sit around all day and spend Alexandros’ money.
***
“He’s in love with her,” Penelope said, and Jonathan glanced at her frowning.
“That could be a problem,” he pointed out.
“It’s no problem,” she said determined. “It just complicates matters a little bit.” She turned and stared at her grandson. He looked terrible with his clothes all wrinkled and his face unshaved. “You need to shape up!” she snapped at him. “You have a job to do, and you’re not going to accomplish anything this way!”
“Get off my case!” he yelled back at her. “I’m doing the best I can. This isn’t heaven for me, you know.”
“Well, it should be!” she snapped. “How would you like to go back to that little one bedroom apartment, with a view of the trashcans at the back of that filthy diner?”
Jonathan gave her a murderous stare. “Don’t you dare threaten me!” he said.
“It’s not a threat!” she pointed out coldly. “It’s a promise, if you don’t do exactly what I tell you.”
They both stopped as Maria walked inside to pick up the dishes.
Penelope saw the hungry look on Jonathan’s face and gritted her teeth. As soon as the maid left, she reached over and slapped his face. “You stay away from her! The old fool is never going to accept her, and so you have nothing to gain from going after her.”
“Maybe I like her,” he retorted.
“Maybe you want to end up in jail!” she yelled at him, losing her temper.
“I told you before,” he whispered coldly. “Don’t ever threaten me about this again. You’re just as guilty as I am. You were there… you could have given her the pills.”
“Shut up!” Penelope slammed her fist on the table and took a quick look around to make sure no one was listening.
“After all, it was you who decided to get her out of the way in the first place,” Jonathan went on, seeming totally unaffected by her outburst.
“She was a problem,” Penelope hissed in a low, dangerous tone. “And now, she’s a problem, too,” she added, glancing towards Alexandra.
> “You take care of your own problems,” he said stubbornly. “I’m done with all this.”
“They are your problems, as well,” she reminded him. “And don’t you ever tell me again that you’re done. You’ll do exactly what I tell you, when I tell you, or else…”
***
Maria stood behind the door, listening to them arguing. She felt sick to her stomach. Those two made her want to throw up. She hated them with all her guts. That bitch had been mean to her right from the start. As for him… Maria shivered, giving Jonathan a hard look. She could still feel his filthy hands touching her. That son of a bitch had been all over her since he first stepped foot inside this house. And one night—a few months ago—he barged drunk into her room and raped her… Maria swallowed hard, thinking of the brutality of his assault and the weeks of pain and suffering following it. Not wanting to jeopardize her revenge by getting fired, though, she kept her mouth shut while her tormentor kept on sexually harassing her every chance he got. I’ll make sure you pay for what you did to me! she swore under her breath, clenching her fists and fighting back the tears.
Devastated and furious, she turned to stare at the portrait of Alexandros hanging over the fireplace. “You’re a mean, old bastard,” she whispered. It’s all your fault that I’ve been through so much. But I swear you’ll get what you deserve.
Hearing voices from outside, she turned to glance at Alexandra and Michael standing by the pool. Strange enough, she felt sorry for Alexandra. Even though, she didn’t like the girl, she had to admit that Alexandra had nothing to do with her problems. And from what she had gathered, it wasn’t her choice to be here, after all. Well, what do I care, anyway? Let them take care of Alexandra, she decided. Her priority was the old man and her sweet revenge.
***
“I have to go out for a while,” Mark said and shot an anxious look towards Alexandra.
“Don’t worry,” Michael reassured him. “I’ll be here.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be watching over him,” Alexandra said, and all three of them laughed.
“It’s good to see you laugh,” Mark commented and caressed her cheek, tenderly.
“I’ll be fine,” Alexandra reassured him, her cheek burning from his touch.
“I’m going to put my bathing suit on,” Michael said and walked towards the house, obviously wanting to leave them alone for a while.
“Why don’t you take a swim, as well?” Mark asked. “It’ll help you relax.”
“Yes, I think I’ll do that,” Alexandra’s agreed, even though she doubted she could relax right now, not with everything going on.
***
Alexandra spent the day with Michael. She was surprised that they actually had a good time. They went swimming first in the pool and then in the sea. Trying to avoid Penelope and Jonathan, they stayed away from the house for as long as they could.
It was almost two o’clock when they headed back towards the house. They found Jonathan sleeping on a lounge chair by the pool with an empty whisky glass next to him.
Alexandra gave Michael a warning stare, and they walked quietly by him and inside the house. They rushed upstairs to their rooms to take a shower and then have some lunch.
“I’m starving,” Alexandra laughed.
“Me too!” Michael admitted. “You’ve worn me out, young lady! Trying to keep up with you is tougher than the training Mark and I had to go through in the Special Forces. Well, almost,” he added and laughed.
“You like him a lot, don’t you?” Alexandra inquired.
“Who, Mark?” Michael asked. “He’s like a brother to me. I owe him my life.”
Alexandra stared at him for a moment, silently.
“Don’t worry,” he said and patted her on her arm. “Everything’s going to work out. You’ll see.”
Alexandra gave him a smile and walked inside her room, closing the door softly behind her. Nothing is going to be all right, she thought. She was desperately in love with her cousin and nothing could change that.
All of a sudden, she remembered she was going to meet her grandfather for dinner tonight. She felt sick to her stomach and rushed to the bathroom. I better take a quick shower and have some lunch before I get sick, she thought. Then it might be a good idea to take a nap, to be ready for the confrontation tonight.
Chapter Fifteen
“I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE!” Mark said, stepping inside Alexandros’ office in Fira—the capital of Santorini—in yet another building owned by their corporation. “I’m afraid things haven’t worked out quite as we planned.”
“What’s wrong?” Alexandros asked, raising one eyebrow anxiously.
“She knows,” Mark replied simply.
“And?” Alexandros inquired.
“She didn’t take it too well,” Mark admitted.
“You didn’t handle it right?”
“It’s not that,” Mark said. “She found out from Jonathan.”
Alexandros let out a deep breath. “That idiot!” he burst out. “He keeps on poking around into my affairs.” He stared at Mark intensely. “What exactly did he tell her?”
“I’m not sure. I wasn’t there. But from what he said, he only introduced himself as the grandson of your wife,” Mark replied, thoughtfully.
“I can imagine her reaction when she heard my name.”
“You can’t imagine anything,” Mark said. “She passed out and scared us to death.”
Alexandros stood up and walked over to the windows. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, keeping his gaze outside.
Mark turned to look outside, too. The view of the volcano from up there was magnificent. Fira—together with Oia, Imerovigli, and Firostefani—were located high on a cliff, making up the so-called Caldera’s eyebrow or balcony of Santorini.
“It’s awe-inspiring, isn’t it?” Alexandros remarked.
“Yes,” Mark admitted. “I’ve been enjoying this view all my life, and it still takes my breath away.”
“It helps me think,” Alexandros murmured, more to himself than Mark. “I believe it’s time for me to make some painful decisions.”
Mark just stood there, staring at Alexandros. He could tell a battle was taking place inside him. The man was too smart to be fooled by Penelope’s lies. He probably knew she had married him for his money and social position. And of course, it was common knowledge that Jonathan was a nuisance, living off other people’s money.
As Alexandros turned around, Mark read determination written all over his face and realized that he was about to make some serious changes in his life.
“I should be going,” Mark said, sensing that Alexandros might want to be left alone for a while.
“Yes,” Alexandros agreed. “You better go home. It would be better if you arrived there before I do.”
“I think so,” Mark said. “I need to talk to Alexandra and see how she’s doing.”
Mark walked to the door and turned to glance at Alexandros. “Good luck!” he said.
“Thank you,” Alexandros replied and gave Mark a reassuring smile.
He seemed confident, but Mark couldn’t be fooled. He knew that deep down inside, he was just as anxious about this meeting as Alexandra.
***
“Is he here?” Alexandra asked, feeling all tangled up inside.
Mark stared at her sitting in the armchair by her bedroom window. She was so lovely that for a minute he forgot about everything else. Her slightly tanned, flawless skin looked exquisite against her long white dress, hugging her body like a glove. Her silky, golden-brown hair was loose around her shoulders, and she wore no jewelry, except a gold locket around her neck.
She looks so much like her mother, Mark realized and felt a tightening in his stomach. He was sure Alexandros would have a hard time seeing this living image of his adorable daughter.
“He should be here any minute,” he responded to Alexandra’s question.
He saw her clenching her fists and felt his heart sinking. He wished thi
s meeting tonight would turn out all right for all of them.
Walking over to her, he pulled her from the armchair into his arms.
Alexandra let him hold her, caressing her hair. He could sense how much she needed him.
All of sudden, she pulled away and wrapped her arms around her body. “We shouldn’t be doing that,” she said.
Mark let out a deep breath. “Alexandra…” he whispered.
“Stop,” she said softly and placed her fingers over his lips. “Don’t say a word,” she begged him.
Mark felt every muscle in his body tensing up. Oh, how he wished he could tell her the truth. He hated seeing her suffer like this.
“I wish I could see him alone,” Alexandra said, and Mark glanced at her. “I don’t want the others to be present the first time I talk to him,” she added. “It would only make things harder.”
“But of course,” Mark agreed. “I don’t think Alexandros was planning on meeting you in front of the rest of us. He probably wants to talk to you alone.”
“I don’t mind about you,” she said, and Mark realized she probably needed his presence for support.
“I understand,” he said, “but I’m not sure if Alexandros would want anybody else there. We’ll see.”
Alexandra turned towards the window. “I really don’t know what to say,” she whispered. “I feel I’m losing control of my life.”
Not being able to restrain himself, Mark went behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his strong, firm body.
Alexandra took a deep breath. “I need you,” she admitted.
“I’m here for you,” he whispered in her ear. “I know it’s hard for you, but we’ll face it together.”
“I didn’t ask for any of this,” she said, bitterly. “I’ve lived my entire life away from the Vassiliou family. It’s so unfair to get caught in all this,” she added as hot tears welled up in her eyes.
Mark turned her around and stared deep into her eyes. “I’m here for you,” he repeated.
“You don’t know how hard it is to hide your real identity,” she told him, “to spend your entire life trying to make sure that nobody suspects who you really are.”