As I watch him and his friends pile out, leaving me with just Damien and a furious Evangeline on the pool deck, it hits me that this is just a preview of what’s to come. Not everything is going to be easy and carefree. It’s already causing turmoil between me and my family. But it will be worth it, and easier to handle with Daphne at my side.
Chapter Five
Daphne
It’s hard to act normal the next day but I’m nothing if not used to putting on a happy front, so I do. My dad isn’t feeling well, so Ty takes me up to the Jordan Marine offices and introduces me around. It seems like a nice thing to do, but I can’t help but notice the way he acts more like he’s my boss than my cousin, at one point even asking me to make him a coffee while he chats it up with the Chief Technology Officer.
“I actually wanted to talk to him about the new wireless monitoring systems for the ships,” I say.
Ty blinks over his shoulder at me and then steps aside.
To drive my point home, I give him his own task. “Maybe you can ask Ms. Yang to join us?” I ask, referencing our CFO. He holds my gaze for a long, tense moment, and I think he’s going to argue with me, but then he concedes, stepping out and leaving us to talk.
Everyone else is perfectly reasonable. I hold a few more meetings and even plan a trip to the docks, but the whole time, Theo is in the back of my mind. I hate that I haven’t heard from him and am sure he got cold feet. He’d been caught up in a moment, and now, that moment has passed. My chest aches as the hope I’d fostered since last night fades. Hope not only for my family and my business that the end of the feud was near, but hope for myself, that I had finally found happiness in a way that wasn’t orchestrated by my family.
That afternoon, Ty and I are in his BMW heading home, and I’m scrolling through local real estate listings in the passenger seat, when my phone rings. It displays an unknown number but that’s not surprising; I haven’t exactly been in town long enough to have developed a long list of contacts. Thinking it might be someone from the office, I answer.
“Hello?”
“Daphne?”
It’s him. My heart stutters in my chest at the sound of Theo’s sensuous voice. Glancing up, I see Ty watching me, his brow furrowed. “This is she,” I say in a professional voice.
“Is now a bad time?” he asks, lowering his voice.
“Yes,” I say. “But please, go ahead.” I turn slightly away from Ty’s questioning gaze and look out the window. I barely see the city flying by us though as Ty maneuvers through downtown traffic.
“What about later?” he asks, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “What about forever?”
So, he hasn’t gotten cold feet. “I’ll have to check my calendar,” I say teasingly while still trying to keep the smile off my face so as not to raise Ty’s suspicions. “Can you send me the details?”
“Yes, I’ll text you. Valentina should be on her way with the requested paperwork.”
“I’ll review it as soon as I can,” I tell him.
“It’s not soon enough,” he says.
Still trying to keep up the professional facade, I say, “I appreciate your patience.”
He chuckles and I press the phone tighter to my ear so Ty can’t hear, but also because I love the sound and how it makes me feel, like everything else will be okay as long as the two of us are happy.
Once we’re home, Ty and I head to my father’s room to check on him. That’s one thing I’ll always appreciate about Ty. He might not care much for me, but he’s always been there for the family, especially my father. He’s sitting up in bed, but his face is pale and drawn tight with pain. Ty pulls up a chair beside his bed and retrieves a metal cigarette case from his pocket, opening it and offering one to my dad.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say as my dad reaches for one.
“Let an old man have his vices.” My dad holds the cigarette between his lips while Ty lights it.
Shaking my head, I turn to leave and am just outside the door when I hear my father say a familiar name.
“Has Theo been arrested yet?”
I stop walking—stop breathing—to hear Ty’s answer. “For the fire? No. So I’m sure they’re already planning retaliation.”
So, they—we—are responsible for the fire on the Latsis ship and the death of those two crewmembers. This is worse than I thought. Tears well up in my eyes at the thought of the innocent employees who have lost their lives, and the families who certainly miss them. Damn my father. And damn Ty. I remember how they’d both seemed so offended when I’d asked. They must have spent years perfecting their acting skills. And it makes it even worse that they don’t trust me. I’m here to run the company, and they expect me to comply and obey, but they don’t think I deserve the truth.
My father inhales, and I can picture the smoke from the cigarette furling around his head. “All I want before I die is to fucking put an end to Don Latsis’ line. Is that too much to ask?”
I press a hand over my mouth so they can’t hear my gasp. Bracing myself against the wall with my other hand, I force myself to stay still. They did it all so that Theo would get in trouble?
“I’ll think of something,” Ty promises, sending ominous tremors down my spine. “Even if I have to do it myself.”
Unbelievable. What do they think this is, sixteenth century Italy? While I want to burst back into the room and tell them what’s what, I know I can’t do that yet. I don’t want anything to get in the way of this marriage, and I have no doubt they would do whatever they could to stop it. When I’m wearing Theo’s ring and have him to back me up—then I’ll be able to stand up to them. So, instead of confronting them, I hurry away on light feet. Before I round the corner at the end of the hall, I swear I feel eyes on my back, but when I turn around, there’s no one there.
When I’m safe in my room, I pull out my phone. There are several texts from Theo with the time and address of where to meet him tonight. The last text is two simple words that make me smile.
Theo: Wear white.
I wander out onto the balcony and sit on a cushioned chair, trying to calm myself in the fresh air. All my life, my loyalty to my family has been unwavering. I’ve done everything my father ever asked of me, turned a blind eye to any shady dealings, kept the company afloat when he was too focused on fighting and revenge to manage it. Since he’s been sick, I've been the dutiful daughter, following in his footsteps.
That’s all about to change. No more feud. No more lies. No more senseless deaths. The company is mine now, and so is its legacy. Instead of ending the Latsis line, I’m going to continue it and join it to mine. Our love will unite two warring families and bring peace to my father before he leaves this world.
I tap out a quick text to Theo in reply.
Daphne: I’ll be there.
Chapter Six
Theodore
I’m waiting for Daphne in front of Bambino’s, the Italian restaurant I reserved for the night after calling in a few favors and dropping a ton of cash. I wanted to give her more than a courthouse or an attorney’s office, and this seemed right. It’s small, intimate, private—perfect for our wedding. Damien and Attorney Abbott are waiting for us inside. I texted the information to Mac and keep hoping he’ll show, but there’s no response and no sign of him. I try not to let it ruin the moment and focus on my bride instead.