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Athanasios

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

Two Nights Later

I’m a little nervous as I park in front of Madison’s house, and I think my girl notices.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, her hand resting on my thigh.

Brooklyn went to the hospital today for a check-up and, as we planned, met me in my office afterward.

“Why does something have to be wrong? We’re just having dinner with your relatives.”

“Athanasios Pappakouris, you’re hiding something from me.”

“Me?” I ask, pulling her in for a kiss and hiding a smile. “Maybe.”

I send a message to Eleanor to let her know we’ve arrived, as she’s an essential part of my plan. Then I step out to open the car door for Brooklyn.

“You’re making me anxious.”

“You were born anxious.”

“Yeah, I can’t deny that.”

My heart is pounding, and I pull her into my arms, stopping her in her tracks. I take her hand and place it over my chest, on the left side. “Feel that?”

“You’re alive,” she says with a smile and a wink.

“Yes, and this heart will beat for you until the day I leave this planet.”

“Athanasios . . .”

Brooklyn has her back to the house, and from my peripheral vision, I see my “plan” approaching.

Soraya and Silas are walking toward us, smiling. She’s holding a small ring box, and he’s carrying a bouquet of red roses. Behind them comes Popcorn, with a card in his mouth, and I’d really like to know how they trained him not to eat the message.

All three are dressed formally. Our little girl is wearing a long dress, and Silas and Popcorn are in tuxedos with red bow ties.

“You’re being too serious.”

“Mama!” the twins call out in unison, and only then does she realize we’re not alone.

When she turns around, she bursts into laughter and looks back at me.

“You didn’t . . . You set me up!” she says, laughing.

“I never said I played fair, Brooklyn. I want you, and I’ve assembled my own team to leave you with no way out.”

She hugs me and then walks over to where the kids are. She kisses each of them and pats Popcorn on the head.

“Is there an order to this?” she asks, pointing at the gifts.

“Yes, take the flowers first.”

The look on Silas’s face as he hands his mom the roses makes all of Eleanor’s training to keep him from ruining the petals worth it.

Brooklyn smells them and thanks him. “And now?”

“Take the card from Popcorn.”

She does, and I know what it says: Be mine forever.

She looks at me again, and her laughter fades. In its place is pure emotion. “The next one is Soraya’s gift, I assume?”

I nod, and she walks to our daughter.

When the little girl hands her the ring box, Brooklyn kisses her blonde head, then comes back to me instead of opening it. “Do it. Give me the full fairy tale.”

I don’t hesitate. I take the box from her hand and kneel. “I love my job. Saving lives,” I begin.

“Playing ‘God’?”

“Yes, but today, I couldn’t be more grateful to my father, who encouraged me to follow in his footsteps, because it gave me the chance to bring you back from the coma. To make you mine. Brooklyn Foster, I’ll never be able to express how much I love you, so I’d rather show it through my actions. I’ll take care of you and allow myself to be cared for. I’ll love you and our children. I’ll stand by your side every day, even on the days you want to fight. I love you, and that love will last beyond my days on Earth. Marry me.”

She steps closer and wraps her arms around my neck, my face resting against her abdomen.

The kids join us too, and we share a group hug as Popcorn tries to squeeze in the middle.

“I love you, Athanasios. I want to be your wife. There’s nothing I want more.”

After slipping the ring onto her finger and talking to the twins, I stand and lift her into my arms. Only then do I realize that our entire family, along with L.J. and William, had been waiting outside.

“Congratulations!” Madison shouts, running to her sister. “Yay, I get to wear a fancy dress! This will be great motivation to lose the baby weight.”

“I need to talk to you,” my fiancée says, pulling me by the hand.

I let her lead me, curious about what it could be.

Almost at the same moment, my phone vibrates with a message from Odin.

The rat has been caught in the trap.

I feel my blood turn cold.

“One moment,” I tell Brooklyn. I step away and send Odin a reply.

Does this mean we can finally bring her to justice?

We both know I’m talking about Shelley Edward.

It means your family will be safe forever.

“Athanasios?” my wife calls out.

I look from the phone in my hands to her, completely torn.

I’m not na?ve. I understand the subtext of that message. I’m someone who saves lives, not someone who takes them.

“You’re scaring me,” she says, and the smile that was on her face just moments ago fades.

“What did you want to talk about?” I ask.

“Maybe this isn’t a good time.”

“Forgive me. I upset you. Please, tell me.”

“Not here. In the library.”

She leads me there, and once we arrive, she closes the door.

“You really love me,” she states.

“More than you can imagine.”

“But you also love plans. Everything in your life is organized.”

I smile, relaxing a bit. “Not everything. You turned my world upside down.”

“Then, can I shake it up a little more?”

“How?”

“I’m pregnant. I went to the hospital today, not just for routine tests but to get the results of my pregnancy test. I’d already done the pharmacy one, but I wanted confirmation and?—”

I pull her into my arms and kiss her, my heart racing. For several minutes, I just hold her and kiss her, keeping her close. When we finally pull apart, I see my entire world in this embrace: the love of my life, now carrying my child.

“You’re quiet.”

“I’m happy and trying to process this feeling inside me. You’ve given me the best gift in the world. We’re starting our family. Completing our family. I want everything with you.”

I remember the message I received earlier.

It’s no coincidence that I proposed here, at Madison’s house. Today, we set a trap for Shelley Edward, leaving my fiancée’s family home seemingly unprotected to test whether her hatred for Brooklyn would outweigh her caution.

It did. What she didn’t realize is that her madness and thirst for revenge would also be her biggest mistake.

It was Beau waiting for her, and now, after Odin’s message, I suspect there won’t be any trial for her.

Right and wrong.

Past and present.

The duality of good and evil.

Who is entirely good?

Not me. There’s no limit to what I’d do to protect my family.

I choose the future.