LITMIR.BIZ

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What’s the difference? My pride is no less fierce than yours.”

      Takis had no answer for that. “You don’t understand. My brother stayed behind to work with my father. He never failed him. But that wasn’t the case with his second-born son. What did I do? I took off. When I think about it now, I cringe to realize how deeply I must have disgraced him.”

      “Disgraced?” Cesare sounded angry. “You don’t know any such thing. He must be bursting with pride over you. When was the last time you had a real heart-to-heart talk with him?”

      “Before I left for New York, we talked. I went to him with ideas for what we could do with the hotel. He looked me in the eye and told me my plans for the family hotel didn’t fit his vision, and that one day when I was a man, I’d understand. That was it! End of conversation. It shut me down. After eleven years I’m afraid I still don’t understand.”

      “Then you need to force another conversation with him and find out what he meant.”

      “My father isn’t easy to talk to.”

      “Then it’s time you faced him so you won’t stay in that hellhole you’re digging for yourself. Let me ask you a question. Do you think me selfish? Or Vincenzo?”

      Takis didn’t have to voice the easy no that came to his mind.

      “Come on and finish your food. Then we’re going back to the castello to talk to Vincenzo before he leaves for Lake Como with Gemma. You’re not the only one who has known the pain of separation from family. Don’t forget that he ran from his father as fast as he could and hid out in New York under a different name for over ten years.”

      Takis had forgotten nothing. The three of them would never have met if they hadn’t left their homes and their countries and gone to New York. He couldn’t imagine what his life would have been like if he hadn’t met Cesare and Vincenzo. The friendship they’d forged in college had changed his entire world.

      All because Nassos made it possible for you, Manolis, said a voice in his head, sending him into worse turmoil.

      Cesare paid the bill and got to his feet. “Are you ready?”

      * * *

      Once Lys had received the return phone call from Danae at noon, she walked out the door of the penthouse foyer to the elevator off the small hallway to await her arrival. The penthouse in Crete had been Nassos’s domain, and a decision had to be made about the furnishings.

      After being back a week from Milan, Lys still hadn’t heard a word from Takis Manolis. But she’d daydreamed about him and what it would be like to go out with him. Since meeting him, she couldn’t imagine ever being attracted to another man. She’d hoped to know his plans before telling Danae the latest state of affairs, but no such luck.

      The doors of the elevator opened. Lys greeted the dark-haired beauty and walked back in the penthouse with her. Dressed in mourning clothes, she looked particularly elegant in a Kasper color-blocked black Jacquard jacket and skirt. Danae had always been a fashion plate and was the true love of Nassos’s life.

      No matter what he’d told Lys in his letter to her, she feared Danae might still blame her for their divorce. The pain of that would never leave her. No olive branch offered could ever change the past.

      If Lys had known what would happen after Nassos had insisted she leave New York and come to live with him and Danae, she would have run away rather than have stepped foot on Crete. Hindsight was a wonderful thing, but it came far too late.

      “Thank you for coming, Danae. I’m sure you hoped we’d seen the last of each other at the funeral, but I’m carrying out one last thing Nassos would have wanted done, even if it wasn’t in the will. Come in the living room and sit down—I’d like to explain a few things.”

      The older woman followed her and found a seat on one of the upholstered chairs. Danae’s natural olive complexion had paled. “I can’t imagine what would have been so important you had to see me in person.”

      “Maybe you’ll think it isn’t important when I tell you, but I have to do it. As you know, Nassos left me half the hotel and nothing else. That means everything in this penthouse is yours. He lived up here after he left the villa. I happen to know you are the one who designed it and put it all together years ago. You’re a real artist in many ways. All this furniture you picked out, the paintings... You know he would have wanted you to have everything.”

      She jumped to her feet, visibly disturbed. “I don’t want anything,” she bit out too fast, revealing her pain.

      Lys could understand that and her heart went out to her. “If you don’t want any of it, then you need to make arrangements for it to be sold or given away, or whatever you think is best. Otherwise I’ll ask the co-owner of the hotel to do with it as he or she wishes.”

      “Who is it?”

      “Would it surprise you to know its Takis Manolis?”

      Danae’s head reared. “Actually it doesn’t. Nassos liked him very much.”

      Lys was glad she’d told her the truth. “I don’t know if he wants it. But until he signs and files the official document with the court, it’s still up in the air. On Xander’s instructions I flew to Italy, handed him the documents and left.”

      “So you met him.”

      “Yes.”

      “What’s he like?”

      She took a deep breath. “Very attractive, but I haven’t heard from him. Maybe he’s trying to find a way to get out of it and possibly designate a person from his New York chain. That could be the reason there’s been no word yet.

      “Xander will have to be the one to keep us informed. I just thought you might like to have the movers come before anything else happens.”

      No sound came out of Danae. Lys could tell she was in a bad way and she wanted to comfort her.

      “Nassos’s death came as a painful shock to both of us.” The anguished look on Danae’s face prompted Lys to reveal something she’d held back since the divorce. “I’d like to talk frankly with you. When my father died, I was afraid to come to Crete, where I didn’t know anyone. But I was underage and as you know, Nassos made a promise to my father to take care of me in case he died. I realize that my arrival was probably your worst nightmare, but it was something I had no control over.”

      Danae lowered her eyes.

      “You were so wonderful to me, I got over a lot of my pain and started to be happy with you. In time I learned to adore you. But you must know that you were the great passion of Nassos’s life.”

      The other woman started to tremble.

      “I have something to show you.” Lys pulled the letter from Nassos out of her purse and handed it to her. Nassos hadn’t meant anyone else to read it, but Lys couldn’t keep it from Danae, who deserved to know the truth.

      “So you won’t think I’m holding anything back, I want you to read this. Xander gave it to me after reading the contents of the will to you.”

      She watched as the older woman took in the contents. Soon her shoulders shook.

      “As you’ve read, Nassos wanted children and I happened to fill a hole in his heart for a while as the daughter you two never had.”

      Danae looked crushed and put a hand to her throat. “I—I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to love a child that wasn’t mine. That’s why I didn’t want to adopt.”

      “I can understand that. I’m sure a lot of childless parents worry about the same thing when they adopt. But you showed me so much love, perhaps it was just that Nassos had more faith in your parenting abilities than you did. When he moved to the penthouse after your divorce, he was a ruined man.”

      “Why didn’t he tell me all these things?” she cried in agony.

      “His

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