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I let out the breath I’d been holding. “That tracks with some of the things he said when we met.”
“Like what?” Avra straightened.
I folded my hands in my lap and remembered our first conversation: the grand hall, pillars carved with dancing nymphs, chandeliers dripping with crystals. Dominic had smiled as if he owned everything in the room.
“He said he wanted a wife mainly to host his gatherings and to project an image—wife, child, perfect family tableau. He talked about us like we’d be props on his stage.”
“That’s fucked up.” Avra’s lips curved into a grim smile.
“I know,” I agreed. “Then he started grilling me about the kidnapping. In a creepy way, to tell you the truth. I left feeling awful and dreading seeing him again.”
Avra stood and shook her head. “Enough. Dominic Lucianos is off the list. You deserve someone who sees you as a person, not an accessory.”
My chest loosened. I glanced at Laya, whose grin lit her face. “Really?”
“Absolutely.” Laya held up both hands.
I sank back into the plush armchair, sunbeams pooling across my shoulders like liquid warmth, and for a moment, every tight coil of worry unwound. Relief spread through my chest until I could think of nothing else.
“That lifts a mountain from my shoulders,” I said, letting the words tumble free. “With so few names left on that list, I felt I owed him at least one chance.”
Avra leaned forward, elbows on the mahogany table, her gaze steady. “Remember, Cali, this choice belongs to you. Not to us, not to anyone else. You’re choosing the person you’ll spend your life beside. Choose with care.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I like Leon Boscos,” I confessed, the corners of my mouth lifting despite my nerves. “He’s on my mind from sunrise to sunset.”
Laya’s face brightened. “You’re serious? That’s fantastic!”
“I heard you laughing while you were on our phone call last night.” Avra tapped a finger against her lips. “He had you spellbound.”
I shrugged, heat creeping up my neck. “The old Cali wouldn’t have felt guilty for skipping someone who didn’t spark her interest. I don’t know why I held on to that guilt now.”
Laya slid her hand across the table and squeezed mine. “Maybe call on that old Cali when you need her. She knew how to guard her heart.”
I drew in the scent of chardonnay from my glass. When I opened my eyes, the tension in my shoulders felt gone. “Thank you. I feel lighter already.”
We burst into laughter, chasing the last threads of anxiety from the room.
“So then,” Avra said, voice warm as candlelight, “it’s Leon Boscos. You two will make a remarkable pair.”
My pulse jumped. “I’ll wait until after the charity gala to tell everyone.”
In a few days, we’d host a children’s benefit at the Greek National Opera located at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens, our stage for unveiling the Vitalis sisters’ return to power.
We selected this location due to its central position among many key regional players, making travel convenient. Moreover, its proximity to Patras reminded the syndicate families that I aimed to prevent any engagement rumors from overshadowing the fact that my sisters and I were among their equals at the table.
Avra hummed in approval. “Smart move. With two more families pledging fealty, half the territories answer to our banner.”
“We’ve come so far in a turbulent but relatively short time.” A joyful gleam lit Laya’s eyes. “I’m proud of us.”
“Mom and Dad would be proud too. We did it.” I reached across the table and clasped their hands. “It feels odd how everything is falling into place.”
Laya frowned. “Odd how?”
I rested my chin on folded hands. “What if this is an act? What if they’re waiting to turn on us once we lower our guard?”
Avra closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, her calm felt like steel.