Page 23 of The Billionaire’s Siren (S.E. Smith Signature Romance: Heart & Soul #1)

Fourteen

The soft rise and fall of Alexandros’s chest as he breathed was the only sound in the room. His face—so calm, so heartbreakingly at peace—felt like a punch to her ribs.

Dani stood at the edge of the bed, barely breathing, her fingers clenched the soft canvas knapsack she had slung over her shoulder. Her body still hummed from the night before—her thighs ached, her lips tingled… and her chest ached like it might crack open.

Tears blurred her vision as she stared at the man she loved.

Loved.

She did. She loved him.

And that was why she had to go.

She pressed her knuckles to her mouth, choking back the sob rising in her throat. His scent still clung to her skin—dark, woodsy, intimate. His touch already a ghost she’d never be able to outrun.

Last night had been more than she ever imagined. More than just sex. It had been a deeper connection, one that had touched her all the way to her soul. She had surrendered to feelings she knew but didn’t understand—until now.

It terrified her.

Once, she had dreamed of a love like this. The kind that wrapped around her bones and made her believe in forever. The kind her grandfather had felt for her grandmother. The kind her parents had shared.

It was the nightmare of that love that had woken her, feeling queasy and panicked.

Look how that ended.

Her throat tightened.

Pain speared her again—but this time, she let it in.

She could still hear their laughter—hers and her parents’—as they planned their vacation. Then came the screams, tearing through her memory like the moment it all fell apart.

She closed her eyes. She could almost feel the flames. Smell the smoke. Hear her mother’s anguished, pain-filled screams. Feel the weight of her father’s silence.

For years, there had only been charred pieces of memory, relived in fragmented nightmares. But the soft, broken sound of her mother’s weeping, her tortured pleas, had haunted her dreams.

Dani finally understood the answer that had always been there—in the shadows. She understood why her mother’s heart—her very desire to live—simply gave out. It stemmed from the pain of losing the man she loved more than life itself.

Her grandfather had tried. He’d held her, comforted her, offered reasons that never soothed the ache. The therapist had done the same. But nothing could stop the weight of her grief—or her fear.

Her mom might have made it if her dad had lived.

That was love, Dani thought bitterly. A beautiful dream that could turn into a nightmare in an instant, leaving you vulnerable—defenseless.

She used to think love could heal. That was why she’d trusted Zayan—because he offered the illusion of it. He had made her forget for a short while.

But true love—genuine love—doesn’t make you forget. It makes you realize how much you have to lose, she thought with a twist of agony.

The thought of losing Alexandros—whether it was in five years or fifty—was unbearable. The idea of waking up one morning and not having him beside her, of hearing his laugh vanish, of watching the light in his eyes dim forever?

No. She couldn’t survive it.

She wouldn’t survive it.

She would rather walk away now. While she still could.

With trembling fingers, she reached out to brush his hair back from his forehead, but paused before she touched him, afraid of waking him up. Her vision swam. His skin would be warm under her touch. The faintest smile still ghosted his lips, as if he was dreaming of her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I love you too much.”

She stepped back on silent feet, careful not to disturb him.

Her knees threatened to buckle beneath her, but she forced herself to stay upright.

Her clothes from the night before were crumpled in a heap on the floor, but she ignored them.

They were ruined—like her. Unfixable. Torn between what was and what would never be again.

She turned away, crossing the room. She picked up her boots by the door before adjusting the knapsack she’d packed before dinner last night.

The fact that she’d packed it was proof she was making the right decision. She’d known, deep down, she wouldn’t be able to stay. Not after spending the night with Alexandros. Not after feeling what actual love was. Not when the risk of losing it was so unbearably high.

The hallway was silent.

Cool air brushed her face as she stepped barefoot onto the marble floors. Each step sent her boots tapping against her knee like a warning bell—each knock a whisper: Don’t do this .

She padded quietly past the guest bedrooms, hearing her grandfather’s familiar snores as she passed a room two doors down. She continued down the staircase and into the foyer lit only by the faint orange glow of a single table lamp.

The villa was asleep. She would still have to be careful. She knew the family had added additional security—especially after what had happened to her.

Outside, the sky was still cloaked in deep navy, stars twinkling overhead. The smell of saltwater filled her lungs as she crept across the stone terrace, staying in the shadows and out of range of the security cameras. She followed the gravel path to the boathouse.

She glanced back only once.

The villa stood proudly against the hills, bathed in shadow and moonlight. Somewhere inside, Alexandros was still sleeping. Safe. Beautiful. Unaware.

Her heart cracked.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered again, then turned away.

Inside the boathouse, the air was cool and damp.

The little aluminum dinghy was tied loosely to the dock.

She untied the rope with numb fingers, shoving the small boat into the dark water with a quiet desperation that felt almost like a prayer.

It bobbed in the surf like it too was unsure of her decision.

She slipped into it quietly and grabbed the oars.

Each stroke was slow and steady, the dip and pull of the paddles slicing through the water with soft splashes that seemed far too loud in the silence.

It took longer than she expected to reach The Gentle Breeze , anchored just offshore. The sea rocked the dinghy as she tied it off and climbed the ladder to the deck, her limbs trembling with each step. The moment her boots hit the wood, her knees buckled.

This was it.

No turning back.

She pushed up, holding onto the side before she walked on numb legs to the wheelhouse, blinking furiously to clear her tears. With practiced movements, she pulled the bow and stern anchors. The trawler shifted, weightless again.

Her gaze turned toward the villa. She could still see it there, nestled on the slope, lights twinkling like fireflies in the dark. The bedroom windows were dark.

Goodbye .

She bit her lip, trying to keep the sobs from carrying over the water. There would be time for tears later. She would let them wash the pain away—she hoped .

Turning away, she powered on the engines. They purred to life—betraying her with their obedience, when all she wanted was a reason to stay.

By the time the horizon began to soften with the first kiss of dawn, The Gentle Breeze cruised silently through the inter-coastal waterway. Dani gripped the wheel with trembling hands, steering away from the only man she knew she would ever love.

Her chest ached, every heartbeat cracking something deeper.

She was doing the right thing.

Aren’t I ?

Better to leave before love turned to ashes.

Better to run than risk breaking the way her mother had.

Better to drift into the unknown alone than be wrecked on the shores of grief again.

But even as she told herself that… the tears wouldn’t stop falling.

And neither would the whisper in her soul begging her to turn around.

Alexandros prowled the floor of his office. His assistant was talking about corporate acquisitions—deals, expansions, numbers. None of it mattered. Not since the morning he woke up and found Dani gone.

He didn’t care about acquisitions. He cared only about one thing—the woman who vanished from his bed three weeks ago. The one who haunted his every waking thought.

He turned when the door to his office suddenly opened. Theo entered first, his expression grim but laced with a glint of triumph. Demetrius followed, silent, a plain manila folder in his hand. He held it out without a word.

Alexandros’s jaw tightened, and he dismissed Julius with a sharp nod.

She had disappeared without a note. Without a goodbye. Without a trace .

Just her scent on his skin… and a hollow where his heart used to be.

His world hadn’t just tilted. It had shattered—and he was still walking through the wreckage. He needed to know why.

He snatched the folder from Demetrius’s outstretched hand and turned toward the tall windows overlooking the Athens skyline. The city shimmered beneath a late afternoon haze, distant and indifferent.

“She’s been hiding under our noses,” Demetrius said, a hint of amazement in his voice. “The entire time.”

Alexandros didn’t look at him. He flipped open the folder.

Photos. Satellite timestamps. Port authority logs. Names he didn’t recognize. And then—her name. Only tweaked slightly.

Rae Bouras.

His lips pulled into a hard line.

The first report hit like a punch. Dani had taken The Gentle Breeze to a marina in Italy—Porto di Livorno—just two days after disappearing. She’d left the trawler docked there under the pretense of engine issues, paid in cash, and vanished.

Two days later, she’d signed onto a private yacht crew. The Valdez. Registered in the Caymans. It had set sail for the Athenian Riviera… and remained anchored there for the last two weeks.

He turned the next page.

His heart stopped.

A mechanic’s log entry. The handwriting was hers, even if the name read Rae Bouras. A new marina. A new life.

A lie.

She was working on marine engines again—beneath his nose—while he’d been combing the globe. While he hadn’t slept. While his mother had wept, and Stuart had made excuses, and Theo had driven half of Europe searching.

His hand clenched the folder so tightly the plastic sleeve crinkled.

“Is she under surveillance?” His voice was low. Controlled.

“Yes,” Demetrius replied. “We’ve had eyes on her since last night. Stuart’s got his own guy—or I should say gal—on her, too. I suspect he knew where she was all the time. ”

At the mention of Stuart’s name, Alexandros turned. Fury burned in his eyes.

Of course, the old man knew. He had the resources and knew Dani better than anyone.

The question was why had he let her run?

Why hadn’t Stuart told him? Not just that Dani was safe—but where she was. Why had he let him believe he didn’t know?

“Pull the car around,” Alexandros said tightly.

Demetrius bowed slightly and left without another word.

Theo lingered, arms crossed. “Want me to come with you?”

Alexandros shook his head, his jaw rigid. “No.”

Theo studied him for a moment, then gave a dry laugh. “This is why I’m never falling in love. Women are too much trouble. You aren’t going to throttle her, are you?”

A breath passed through Alexandros’s nose—half agreement, half agony.

“She’s not just trouble,” he said hoarsely. “She’s everything. And no, I won’t throttle her—but I might just tie her to the bed.”

Theo chuckled and gave Alexandros’s shoulder a solid slap. “I’ll keep Nikos on her until you do.”

Alexandros grunted a response, watching his brother turn and walk out.

Alone in the office, Alexandros stood still, the folder dangling from his fingers.

Three weeks.

Three weeks of torment. Of waking up with his arms empty. Of reaching across the sheets to cold linens. Of smelling her on his skin and clothes like she was an apparition who was there but he couldn’t see.

Three weeks of cursing himself for not waking when she’d slipped away.

Three weeks of fury and fear, braided so tightly they hollowed out his ribs like ghosts he couldn’t outrun.

He stared out at the skyline, his reflection faint in the glass.

She had run from him .

But she hadn’t vanished.

And now… now he had found her.

No more distance. No more shadows.

No more excuses.

He lifted his phone, pressed in a number, and waited as he strode out of his office to the elevator. The call was answered on the first ring. He breathed down the anger coursing through him. He needed to remain calm.

“Why didn’t you tell me she was safe? Why didn’t you tell me where she was?” he demanded, skipping the greeting entirely.

Stuart’s loud sigh echoed in his ear. “If I told you she was safe, you’d know I knew where she was. She wasn’t ready to be found. And if I recall, you weren’t exactly calm either after she disappeared.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. Why, Stuart? Why did she run? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I can’t answer why she ran. Only Dani can answer that. What I think and what I know are two different things. You need to get Dani to open up to you—if she will. The only thing I do know is that she is scared.”

Alexandros stiffened and paused as the lift slowed and opened into the underground car park.

“She is scared—of me?” he asked.

His gut twisted at the thought of Dani being afraid of him. He would never hurt her. She… she was his world. It was his job—his right—to protect her from harm.

“Not of you—but I think for you. Ask her. I knew you would find her when the time was right,” Stuart said, before he ended the call.

Alexandros lowered his phone, his mind tormented by what Stuart had left unsaid.

“Scared for me?” he echoed, the words slicing through him. “Why would she be scared for me?”

He slid into the back seat of the black BMW SUV. Demetrius was behind the wheel. The tinted windows shielded him from the sun. But nothing could block the fire building inside him now.

No more running, Dani. Not this time. Never again.