Chapter 6 Katerina
KATERINA
The bathroom is ridiculous—all marble and gold fixtures, with a shower big enough for four people and a tub that looks like it belongs in a spa. I take my time washing away the travel grime, letting the hot water ease some of the tension from my shoulders.
When I'm done, I quickly wrap myself in one of the robes and step out. As I come into the main bedroom, I hear a soft knock at the door.
"Mrs. Kastaris. I'm Emma. I'm here to help you prepare for dinner."
"Come in," I call.
A young woman enters, probably around my age. She's pretty in a subtle way, with her hair pulled back in a neat bun.
"Hi, I'm Katerina," I say.
Emma nods and gives me a smile.
"Thank you for coming, but I don't need help."
Emma's smile wavers slightly. "I see. Mr. Kastaris was quite insistent."
Of course, he was.
She moves toward the closet. "Mr. Kastaris suggested three options for tonight. I will get them for you."
I follow Emma into the closet, and like everything here, it's massive. It's got rows of shoes, drawers, lines of clothes, a vanity, and in the center, an island with more drawers and glass cases filled with jewelry.
"Here you are, ma'am. These are what he thought would be best."
I examine the three dresses. One is deep blue, another is black with subtle beading, and the third is a deep wine color with a low back.
"Which one would you choose?" I ask her.
She looks surprised at being asked her opinion. "The black one would suit you beautifully."
I smile. "Then that's what I'll wear."
A small smile crosses her lips before she quickly composes herself.
"Please have a seat," she says, pointing to the chair in front of the vanity desk.
She helps me with my hair, drying and styling it into loose waves that fall past my shoulders. When she reaches for makeup, I shake my head.
"Just mascara and lip balm, please."
"Mr. Kastaris mentioned—"
"I'm sure he won't mind."
Emma hesitates, then nods, applying only what I've requested.
When I'm dressed, she steps back to look at me.
"You look very beautiful, ma'am."
I smile and look in the mirror. It's a nice dress. I like the beadwork very much. I'm also surprised by how conservative the dress is. It only hints at my figure—something my uncle always aimed to exploit when having guests for dinner.
When I step out of the bedroom, Ares is waiting in the hallway. His eyes widen slightly at the sight of me.
"A beautiful choice," he says, his voice neutral.
"I thought so."
He offers his arm. I ignore it, walking ahead of him down the hallway. I hear him sigh, and then he stops me.
"Katerina, it's important to me that we appear as a unit."
His words are controlled, like everything else about him. But something about the way he says it makes me pause. Does it actually matter to him? Or is this just another layer of control?
I remind myself that whatever his reasons are for caring so much about this, I don't care much at all. About any of this.
Either way, I nod and take his arm.
We make our way down the stairs, and I can feel the heat radiating off Ares as we get closer to the dining room.
I find it interesting that he's reacting this way. Should I be the one worried? Shouldn't it be me who's scared?
We enter the dining area, and three people turn to look at us—or should I say, look at me. Ares might as well not even be here. Their gazes are intense. A Kastaris family trait.
"Family," Ares says, patting my hand. "This is my wife, Katerina."
The tallest man steps forward first, his eyes cool and assessing.
"I'm Theo," he says, extending his hand. "I was at your wedding, though I didn't have the opportunity to formally meet you."
The other man, younger and more relaxed in stance, smiles slightly but doesn't approach. He nods. "I'm Dimitri. Nice to meet you."
I smile.
And finally, the woman who has been watching me with undisguised curiosity approaches.
"I'm Calli. It's good to finally meet you. Ares has told us so little."
"Well, that's probably because there's little to tell," I reply.
Calli laughs, a bright sound that seems out of place in this cold house. "Oh, I like her already." She embraces me, ignoring my stiffness. "We need more women in this family who don't worship the ground my brothers walk on."
"Calli," Ares warns, but there's affection in his tone.
"What? It's true." She links her arm through mine. "Come on, let's eat. I'm starving."
The dining room is as grand as the rest of the house. A table long enough to seat twenty holds place settings for just five people. Crystal glitters under chandelier light. Silver catches and reflects the candles on the table.
We sit, Ares at the head, me to his right. Theo to his left. Dimitri and Calli sit across from each other. Calli's next to me.
After a brief moment of silence, conversation flows around me—business matters, family gossip, politics.
I watch each of them carefully. Theo, serious and strategic. Dimitri, charming with a sharp edge. Calli, deceptively carefree yet missing nothing. And Ares—the center of gravity they all orbit.
"So, Katerina," Dimitri says during a lull. "Are you finding Chicago to your liking?"
I set down my glass. "I've only seen it from car windows so far."
"Ares hasn't shown you around?" Calli asks, raising her eyebrows at her brother.
"We just arrived today," Ares says smoothly.
"Still," Theo chimes in, "you should see the city. It's quite different from Kalamata."
"I'm sure Ares has plans." I take another sip of water. "He seems to plan everything."
Theo's mouth twitches in what might be amusement. Calli doesn't bother hiding her grin.
"He does," she says, laughing. "My brother leaves nothing to chance."
There's a slight silence, but Calli doesn't allow it to expand.
"Oh my gosh, I love the beads on your dress," she says, launching into a story about a beaded dress she owns.
I tune her out—not on purpose, but because I hear what Theo says to Ares. Their voices are hushed, but I catch fragments that instantly sharpen my attention.
"We have some new intel about Father's murder. I think—"
"Not now," Ares cuts him off with a barely perceptible shake of his head.
Theo leans closer. "The timing is crucial. If what I suspect is—"
"I said not now." Ares's voice drops even lower, his jaw muscles flexing. "It's all I'm thinking about, but not in front of her."
My fork pauses halfway to my mouth. I keep my expression neutral, though my pulse quickens. Their father's murder. This is the first I've heard of it. Uncle Stavros mentioned their father had died, but never how.
“Katerina? Hello?” Calli waves her hand in front of my face. “What do you think?”
I shake my head as the table looks at me. “Sorry. Just a little tired from the trip.”
“Of course,” she says, but her eyes narrow slightly. She glances at her brothers, then back at me. “Travel is exhausting.”
“So, Katerina,” Dimitri says, leaning back in his chair with casual grace that doesn’t match the intensity in his eyes, “tell us about yourself. What did you do in Kalamata before all this?” He gestures vaguely to encompass the dinner table, the house, my marriage.
I think to myself, Before my world burned to ash or before my uncle sold me to solidify an alliance?
“Not much worth mentioning,” I say, moving the food around my plate. “I draw.”
“Draw?” Calli perks up. “What do you draw?”
I shrug. “Whatever comes to mind.”
“Maybe you could sketch me? Ares would love a portrait of me on his desk,” Calli laughs as she takes a sip of her wine. “Or maybe something beautiful from Kalamata? We could have it framed and hung someplace, I’m sure.”
“Perhaps,” I reply noncommittally. “I don’t think I could draw as well as what Ares already has hanging on the walls.”
“Have you ever tried?” Ares asks.
I look at him, and in this moment, I realize his gaze on me is different from everyone else in the room.
“No.”
“Well, maybe you should.”
“Try?”
He shrugs. “Why not? You like it.”
I blink, caught off guard. Ares, of all people, is the one to say this?
Besides my parents, I don’t think I’ve ever met a man who supports my drawing. Most saw it as a waste of time.
I was not expecting Ares to break the mold.
“I’m looking forward to the charity gala next weekend,” Calli says, smoothly changing the subject. She turns to me. “It’s the perfect opportunity to introduce you to Chicago society.”
“I’m sure it will be,” I reply, though the thought of being paraded around as the newest Kastaris acquisition doesn’t excite me.
“It’s important,” Theo adds. “The right first impression matters in this city.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, meeting his gaze.
“Anyway,” Calli continues, “we should go shopping beforehand. I know all the best places.”
“That sounds nice,” I say, though shopping with Calli would likely mean another layer of Kastaris surveillance.
We finish dessert and say our goodbyes. Once they leave, Ares turns to me.
“What did you think of them?”
“They seemed nice.”
“Good. They are your family too now.”
I nod.
Just as Ares is about to say something, his phone buzzes. He checks it, his expression hardening. “I have to go.”
He turns to leave, then stops. “It’ll probably be a few days before you can leave here. I need to get things in order.”
“In order?”
“Yes. I’ll be back in a few hours,” he says and leaves.
I stand there alone for a second, looking around, and a sudden thought enters my mind.
Why don’t I see what Chicago is all about on my own?
Now, I just need to figure out how to get past security.