Page 48 of Modern Romance December 2025 1-4

Unless he was hallucinating, Athena, dressed in her favourite pink, was in his finance department, talking animatedly with Evangeline, who was holding a large boutique box in her arms.

Athena leaned into her and lifted one of her flat locks of mousy hair, then whipped a notebook and pen from her handbag—it was the notebook she’d always carried to the meetings he’d forced her to sit through—and scribbled something on it before ripping the page out and handing it to his finance director, who was…and he was quite sure he wasn’t imagining this…blushing.

As if in a trance, he watched them a while longer, only pulling himself out of it when Athena gave Evangeline an affectionate kiss on the cheek and secured the shoulder strap of her bag.

She was preparing to leave.

Adrenaline driving him, he took the stairs three at a time and closed himself into his office.

His heart was pumping harder than it did after an hour-long workout.

Instinct had him stand out on the balcony of the window that overlooked the main entrance, looking down at the figures bustling about their business that busy working day.

A swish of blonde hair caught his eye. His heart tried to break free.

She darted across the road, dodging vehicles as if she were impervious to the danger they posed to her fragile body, and took a left, heading, he guessed, to the Metro.

And then she stopped and stood still, as impervious to her fellow pedestrians having to walk around her as she’d been to the cars on the road.

Slowly, she turned her head and lifted her stare to him.

His heart made another desperate effort to break free.

He thought he saw her smile that special smile that was only for him before she faced forward and set off again.

Soon, she was lost in the crowd.

An hour later and Draco was still on the balcony, his gaze fixed on the last point he’d seen her before she’d disappeared.

The adrenaline that had carried him up the last flight of stairs still pumped hard, but no one looking at him would have seen it. It was all contained in his head.

He’d let her go. He’d let the brightest star in the sky, the woman who’d breezed through the staid corporate world he inhabited, daubing its walls with colour—usually pink—and attitude, slip through his fingers.

And why? Because she didn’t fit the image he’d had in his mind of the ideal wife? Because she was Georgios Tsaliki’s daughter? Because of her reputation? Because ofhisreputation? Because the brightness she shone with dazzled his eyes and distracted him from his life’s work?

What the hell had he been building everything for if he was prepared to throw away the only person he could ever enjoy the spoils with?

She was too distracting? Well, he couldn’t concentrate a second without her. Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t sleep.

He’d never known such loneliness existed.

He’d been every bit the selfish bastard her father was. All those things she’d thrown at him before breaking down in tears had been true, except for one thing—Draco hadn’t ended it because he’d had his fun with her. He’d ended it because the depth of his feelings had terrified him, threatening the control he’d ruthlessly exerted and bound himself in since those powerless days when his mother had lost her job and their home; the smooth, orderly life he’d created for himself on the cusp of falling into chaos.

Let chaos reign.

He hadn’t changed Athena, she’d changed him. Her love had changed him, brought out the man he should have been.

And in return he’d broken her heart.

He didn’t know if he could ever repair the damage he’d inflicted on her, but there was one thing he could do to show her and the world that his heart was entirely hers, and he strode back into his office and yanked the door open.

‘Grace!’ he barked. ‘Tell the senior members of the launch party team I want them in my office.’

‘When?’

‘Now.’

Athena cast a final critical eye over Evangeline and beamed. ‘Perfect. Cinderella is now ready to go to the ball.’