Page 201 of Modern Romance October 2025 5-8

‘Yes.’

‘Have you lived here long?’

‘I mean, I used to stay here all the time, before I actually gave up my lease and moved in.’

‘Why did you give up your lease?’

Charlotte pulled her hair over one shoulder, heat sparking in her veins once more at the way his eyes fell to her fingers and lingered there. Such an innocuous gesture, yet he stared at her as if she’d just performed some kind of burlesque routine.

Then again, she’d greeted him at the door and fallen to her knees, so she kind of had, Charlotte thought, with a faint blush spreading over her skin.

‘I—,’ she swallowed again. ‘I don’t think your grandmother will ask that,’ she said, pleased she’d been able to bring their conversation back to the whole purpose of this visit. ‘I ordered in. Are you hungry?’

His eyes rested on her face a little longer, as though he were probing beyond her words, into her brain, trying to see her inner most thoughts, but Charlotte smiled brightly and turned away, walking into the small kitchenette and removing two bowls.

‘I hope Indian is okay. The place around the corner does great curries. Jane and I are obsessed.’

She was babbling.

‘Is this her?’ He came into the kitchen, holding a framed photograph of Jane and Charlotte. They were laughing hard at something the waiter—who was taking the photo—had just said.

Just the sight of Jane was reassuring. ‘Yeah, that’s her.’

‘I vaguely remember her from the night we met.’

Charlotte pulled a face.

‘What?’

‘You “vaguely” remember her?’

He glanced at her. ‘What’s wrong with that?’

‘It’s just—Jane’s probably the most beautiful woman who’s ever lived. I doubt you only “vaguely” remember her.’

He stared at her as though she’d started to speak another language. ‘Is she?’ He looked down at the photo again, frowning a little. ‘I suppose she’s beautiful, yes.’

‘You suppose she’s beautiful?’ Now it was Charlotte’s turn to stare at him in bemusement. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me?’

‘I was a little distracted by the woman beside her,’ he said with a shrug that made her stomach go all squirmy and weird.

She didn’t reply. She didn’t want to keep talking along these lines. She had never been jealous of Jane’s beauty—partly because Jane couldn’t help it, she’d just been born that way, but mostly because Charlotte knew the headache Jane’s looks had caused her. Jane couldn’t go anywhere without men falling at her feet and she hated that kind of attention.

A pang of remorse sparked in Charlotte. At this very moment Jane was in Athens, trading on her stunning looks, to lure Zeus Papandreo into a situation that would delay his own ability to find a bride. It had been the added security Charlotte had needed, to buy herself some time to pull this off.

It was a security she still needed, she thought. While Dante had agreed to go along with this plan, anything could happen between now and the wedding date. She wasn’t going to take any risks by letting Zeus have a head start. No. She needed Jane to stay in Athens and keep him occupied, so that he couldn’t get married before Charlotte.

It was all so preposterous, but she refused to let the company slide. She could only imagine the look on her mother’s face when she went home and told her what she’d done. Finally, payback, after all those years of hurt and rejection. Of the intense heartbreak that had defined Mariah Shaw’s life.

She’d hated asking Jane to do this for her, but there was no one else in the world who knew the truth of Charlotte’s parentage and no one else would be such a reliable bait to arrogant, womanising Zeus.

Jane had assured Charlotte she could handle him and Charlotte was sure Jane was right. At least, she really, really hoped she was.

‘How did you two meet?’

‘In school,’ Charlotte said, scooping some rice into their bowls before adding the curry. ‘Do you eat everything?’

He nodded.