Page 48

Madison

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

The next morning

"Honey, I don't want to scare you, but the social worker called," my mother says as soon as I answer the phone.

"What?" I just woke up, and I don't think I understood her correctly.

"Miss Mirtes Prates called, saying she is coming here."

That wakes me up immediately, and I jump out of bed. "Did she say what she wanted?"

"Madison . . ."

"Mom, you're scaring me."

"There was a report in a gossip magazine saying that you are a call girl."

"Oh my God!"

"Madison, what’s happened?" Zeus asks, and at the same time his phone starts ringing.

"One moment," I say, stopping him with a gesture of my hand. "Mom, I'll get there as soon as possible. Call Mr. Rimes. Tell him I asked him to meet us there."

I turn off the device, and I'm so nervous I can't find my clothes.

Zeus ends the call he was on seconds later. "I already know everything," he says.

"So is it true?"

"Yes, it is. Ares just called me. Odin has even discovered who the source of the gossip was."

"Is Odin your cousin?"

"Yes. And she didn't even bother to hide.”

" She ?"

"Celine gave an interview, making up these lies."

"If I lose custody of my niece and nephew because of her, I will kill her, Zeus."

"You won't lose custody of the children. I have a plan."

"A plan?"

He walks to the closet, and I go after him. I see that he opens a safe and takes out a box from inside. When he shows me what’s in it, my mouth opens and doesn't close again.

"What does that mean?"

"Finish getting dressed. I’ll explain it to you on the way."

"Will the lawyer go to my mother's house as I asked?"

"Ares is calling someone from our companies' legal team, just in case. It's unlikely that we'll find one who’s a family court specialist, but we're not in a position to choose."

Five minutes later, we’re dressed and in the car on the way to my house.

"I will burn her to the ground, Zeus. Celine doesn't know who she’s messed with. There's no limit to what I would do to protect my family."

"Learn to direct your anger, Madison. Nothing worthwhile is done in a hurry. We'll turn the tables, but at the right time. Now, we need to focus on getting rid of the social worker."

"What's your plan?"

"From now on, to the world, we are engaged," he says, with the greatest calm in the world.

"Have you gone crazy?"

"They have no proof of what you did at the club, or even that you ever danced there. No phones, remember? It's all just gossip. But as Ares said, someone who was watching me—because I have no doubt that this was directed at me—could have seen us leaving there together, which would be natural if we were dating."

"I understand, and it seems like a good plan. But why do we need to upgrade to engagement?"

"Dating can end easily, but engagements rarely do. I've never gone public with any woman, and when I show up announcing marriage with you, they'll believe it. I don't think any judge will take gossip seriously after that. As a couple who will be taking their vows soon, we'll be more than capable of raising Soraya and Silas."

As crazy as it sounds, his plan makes all the sense in the world, even if a voice says that no one will believe that Zeus Kostanidis would marry me.

Before I can put into words what I'm thinking, he stops at a traffic light and opens the box he showed me a few minutes ago at his house. He takes out the ring with a diamond the size of the Grand Canyon and puts it on my finger.

"Wow, you thought of everything."

It's a little tight and I think he’s noticed. "I can have it adjusted later."

"It's not necessary. I won't be using it for long. Just until this mess is over." I look curiously at the jewel. "Whose is it?"

His face hardens. "It was my mother's. My father gave it to her when they got married. I'm sorry, but I didn't have another one on hand that would be convincing as an engagement ring."

"You don't mind if I use it?"

He looks ahead, focused on the road. "Do I mind? I'm embarrassed to have to put something that belonged to that woman on your finger."

When we arrive at my house, it looks like a party’s happening there, because Zeus's three brothers get out of their cars almost in sequence.

What are they doing here?

I don't know them personally, apart from my former employer, but only someone without any perception wouldn't notice that they are very similar.

Everyone comes toward us, and even though I'm anxious, I feel a little like I’m drowning in that sea of testosterone.

Ares is the first to approach, and he kisses my cheek.

I stare at him with wide eyes.

"You're my brother's woman. Family," he says, shrugging his shoulders.

After the others introduce themselves, we head toward the house. When I open the door, I know from the silence that the babies are sleeping, but Eleanor is pacing back and forth, looking very nervous.

"Honey, thank God you arrived!"

I introduce all the Kostanidis men, and just like she does with Zeus, she kisses them one by one. If it wasn't for my racing mind, I would find it funny to see their faces at Eleanor's informality.

Five minutes later, we’ve explained the plan to her. The Kostanidis' company lawyer arrived as soon as we entered, but Mr. Rimes isn’t here yet.

"What did Mrs. Mirtes say on the phone, Mom?"

"That now there's proof that you can't be the children's guardian and that she would come with two more social workers to take them to a temporary home."

"Jesus Christ!"

"Calm down, Miss Foster. Things don’t work that way. She won't take the babies,” Zeus's lawyer says, but I can't believe it.

When the doorbell rings again, Mom goes to the door and comes back terrified. "The witch has arrived."