22. Santo
I stared out the passenger window as my father turned onto the long driveway leading to the villa. My hand throbbed beneath its fresh bandage. A hairline fracture in two knuckles, the doctor had said. Just enough damage to remind me of my stupidity every time I moved my fingers.
“You’re lucky it wasn’t worse,” my father said for the third time since we’d left the clinic.
I didn’t respond. I was too busy watching my phone, willing it to ring, to show Tia’s name on the screen. We’d left the estate nearly three hours ago when my father insisted on taking me to the hospital after seeing my hand. Tia hadn’t reached out in all that time and neither had I.
My father pulled up to the entrance and handed the valet the keys after we stepped out. As we stepped inside, Dimitrios emerged from the kitchen, a glass of water in hand. His eyes immediately fell to my hand.
“Aren’t you tired of always being in bandages?” he asked, setting his glass down and moving closer to inspect the damage.
“Not my son,” my father answered dryly, before I could respond. “They’re his second skin.”
Dimitrios shook his head. “What did the doctor say?”
“I’ll live.” I moved toward the stairs. “I’m going to bed.”
“Tia left with her mother about thirty minutes ago,” my uncle said.
The world moved. “What do you mean, left? Left where? Why was her mother even here?”
Dimitrios glanced at my father, who moved closer to me. “Katalina called her. Told her we were keeping Tia hostage here.”
“That manipulative bitch,” I growled. “She’ll stop at nothing.”
“The mother arrived looking ready for war,” Dimitrios continued with a smile. “I tried to explain the situation, but she was only interested in speaking with her daughter. ”
I didn’t wait to hear more. I pushed past my uncle and hurried upstairs two at a time, ignoring the pain shooting through my hand. Behind me, I heard my father and uncle following.
Tia’s door was ajar. I pushed it open, my chest constricting at what I saw. The room was still intact, but the little things were missing.
Her wallet no longer sat on the nightstand. I crossed to the bed and lifted the pillow. The pajamas she couldn’t sleep without were gone. When I yanked open the top drawer of her dresser, I saw the empty space where her passport had been.
“Fuck,” I muttered, slamming the drawer closed. The mirror above it vibrated with the force.
“Chrysanthos,” my father said from the doorway, “breaking more things won’t bring her back faster.”
I turned to face my uncle, who was framed in the doorway. “Where did they go?”
“I didn’t ask, and Tia didn’t volunteer the information.”
“Did she go with Zeus?” I asked, already pulling out my phone to open the locator app installed in his chip.
“Zeus is here.”
“Fuck!” I stepped toward him. “Did they say anything? We can call the hotels.”
“You need to calm down first,” Dimitrios said firmly. “The way you’re reacting right now will only make things worse. You don’t want this to be your future mother-in-law’s first impression of you.”
“Your uncle is right,” my father said. “You need to cool off.”
“Cool off? While Tia is probably on a plane back to America?” I started towards Konstantin’s suites. “Kayla would know.”
“Kayla is asleep,” my father said, catching my arm. “You should get to bed yourself. Tomorrow, we’ll find Tia.”
His words gave me pause. Reluctantly, I nodded and went towards my suite. Maybe sleep would give me clarity, though I doubted it.
Sleep never came. I spent the night pacing, my mind racing with thoughts of Tia. Had I pushed her too far? Said things I couldn’t take back? The look on her face when I’d accused her of never being all in haunted me. By dawn, I’d texted her twenty times with no response.
Zeus whined at the foot of my bed, his eyes following me as I moved restlessly around the room.
“I know, boy,” I murmured, scratching behind his ears. “I miss her too. ”
As the first light of morning filtered through my curtains, I showered and dressed quickly. My hand throbbed, but I ignored it. Finding Tia was all that mattered.
I headed downstairs just before ten. As I approached the dining room, the sound of female laughter greeted me. I rounded the corner, poised to question Kayla about Tia’s whereabouts, and came to a complete stop.
There at the dining table sat Tia, surrounded by my Yiayia, Theia, Kayla and Tia’s mother. I’d seen the woman in pictures Tia showed me, but I was not ready for how young she looked. She was skinnier than Tia and her skin wasn’t as dark, though not as light as Kayla’s.
“Chrys,” Tia said softly and stood, hurrying towards me, eyes fixed on my hand.
“Your hand.” She carefully took my injured hand in hers. The warmth of her touch sent relief coursing through me. “What happened?”
“It’s nothing,” I replied, unable to look away from her face.
“Come meet my mother,” she said, as she tugged me toward the table.
Tia’s mother sat straight-back in her chair, her observant eyes tracking our every movement. She was beautiful, with the same high cheekbones as Tia, though her expression more guarded .
Tia told me how her mother had worked night shifts as a nursing assistant throughout her childhood before building a digital marketing agency that now generated millions annually. Looking at Deanna now, I could see why she’d succeeded.
She had that same commanding presence my father carried. The unmistakable aura of someone who knew their worth and wouldn’t be intimidated, regardless of their surroundings.
“Mom, this is Chrysanthos Christakis. My fiancé.”
I stepped forward, extending my uninjured hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. White. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Her gaze flicked briefly to my bandaged hand before she accepted my handshake. Her grip was firm.
“Chrysanthos,” she replied. “I wish I could say the same about you.”
I nodded, acknowledging the subtle rebuke. “I understand. I hope I’ll have the opportunity to change that.”
Ms. White’s expression softened. “My daughter seems to think very highly of you,” she said. “Despite some... concerning circumstances.”
“I know I haven’t made the best impression,” I admitted. “But I love your daughter very much, and I intend to spend my life proving I’m worthy of her.”
Domna made a small sound of approval from across the table .
Ms. White studied me for a moment longer before gesturing to the empty chair beside her. “Join us for breakfast. We have a lot to discuss.”
I took the offered seat, grateful when Tia slid into the chair beside me, her thigh pressed against mine. Beneath the table, her fingers sought mine, intertwining them.
“So, Chrysanthos,” Ms. White began, delicately buttering a piece of toast, “Tia tells me you’re quite the race car driver. Is that how you injured your hand?”
“Actually—” I started.
“My grandson had a disagreement with a wall,” Domna interjected. “The wall won.”
“Do you always take your anger out physically when you’re upset?”
The table fell silent. Tia’s grip tightened on my hand beneath the tablecloth.
“Mom,” Tia whispered, her tone pleading.
“It’s a fair question,” Ms. White said, her gaze unwavering. “I see a young man with a broken hand, and my daughter with tear-stained eyes.”
“Deanna,” Yiayia interjected, “Santo may be impulsive, but never cruel. He would never raise a hand to a woman.”
“The wall was definitely the only casualty,” Irida added .
I raised my uninjured hand, stopping their defense. “No, she’s right to be concerned.” I turned to face Ms. White directly. “This isn’t typical behavior for me, but it’s not an excuse. I was angry and acted foolishly. It’s something I’m working on.”
A flicker of approval crossed Ms. White’s features. “At least you own your mistakes.”
“I do,” I said firmly. “And I’m committed to being better. For Tia.”
Tia’s hand squeezed mine under the table, and I knew we’d be alright.
Before Ms. White could respond, Dimitrios strode in. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, his attention on his phone. “I should have been in Australia yesterday,” he muttered, snagging a scone from a silver tray.
He glanced up, noticing Ms. White for the first time. His face broke into a genuine smile. “Ah! Ms. White. Welcome to our home.” His smile was warm as he offered his hand.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Christakis,” she replied with a genuine smile.
Konstantin entered next. “Has anyone seen Kayla this morning?”
“I haven’t run off yet, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Kayla teased from her seat .
Konstantin’s face softened as he took the seat beside her, his hand briefly covering hers on the table.
“Did Chrysanthos leave? I told him—” My father’s voice died abruptly as he entered, his eyes locking with Ms. White’s. Both froze.
“Father,” I quickly intervened in English, “this is Deanna White, Tia’s mother.”
He recovered with remarkable speed. “Ms. White, a pleasure. I hope you’ve found our home comfortable.”
“Very,” she replied, her voice strained. “Your family has been most welcoming.”
I glanced between them, certain I was missing something.
“How are you finding Greece, Ms. White?” Konstantin asked, breaking the strange tension.
“Please, call me Deanna,” she said.
“Mom only arrived yesterday,” Tia explained. “She hasn’t had time to explore.”
“Yesterday?” my father echoed, his tone oddly thoughtful. “Hmm.” He didn’t elaborate.
Kayla suddenly rose, tapping her glass with a spoon. The room quieted as all eyes turned to her. “Since everyone’s here, I have an announcement.” She looked at Konstantin, who nodded encouragingly. “I’m pregnant. We’ re having a baby.”
Exclamations of joy erupted around the table. My Yiayia clapped her hands in delight while Irida mumbled something about preparations and hurried from the room.
This was good news for the family. One of the conditions for fully regaining the deed for Thalassía was for Kayla and Konstantin to have a child. The island would be under Christakis’ ownership when this baby was born.
“Congratulations,” Ms. White offered. “Children are life’s greatest blessing.”
“They are,” my father agreed, and they shared a look before looking away.
Breakfast stretched on for another hour, filled with excited chatter. When Ms. White became engrossed in conversation with my Yiayia, Tia leaned close to my ear.
“Let’s go,” she whispered, rising smoothly from her chair.
We slipped out unnoticed to the small library off the main hall. The moment the door closed behind us, she turned and wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing herself against me.
“I’m sorry I doubted you.”
I circled her waist with my arms, pulling her closer. “I’m sorry I yelled. ”
She drew back just enough to meet my eyes. “I scheduled an appointment with Kat this morning to verify everything. She said she’s on bedrest and couldn’t come. I don’t believe her.”
“I don’t care about Katalina,” I said, brushing my thumb across her cheek. “I have plans to ensure she never bothers us again. What I care about is you. Why didn’t you answer my texts?”
“My phone died,” she replied simply. “Mom showed up and everything happened so fast. By the time we got to her villa, I was exhausted. I fell asleep before I could charge it.”
“I thought you weren’t coming back,” I admitted. “When I saw your things were gone...”
“I needed to talk with my mom. But I was always coming back to you.” Her fingers gently traced my shoulder blades.
“Do you think your mom likes me?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” she said, rising onto her tiptoes. “But I love you. And that’s what matters.”
Her lips met mine in a desperate, hungry kiss. I backed her against the bookshelf, deepening the kiss as her fingers threaded through my hair.
The taste of her filled my senses. Her body molded to mine, soft curves pressing against me as our mouths moved together .
When we finally broke apart, both breathless, I rested my forehead against hers. “I love you too, aggelé mou. More than anything.”