For some reason his request made me glance at Ax. He was once again engrossed in conversation with a clutch of men who were no doubt hanging on his every word.

That spark of rebellion returned and I answered Stavros’s smile. ‘Maybe. We’ll see...’

Excusing myself, I wove through the crowd, my pinned-on smile beginning to fray a little more at the edges every time I was stopped by a well-meaning guest wishing to very belatedly congratulate me on my marriage and Andreos’s birth, while subtly probing for cracks in my demeanour.

True to his word, Axios had taken care of all the speculation and chosen the most direct explanation for my absence.

‘My wife wished to have a peaceful pregnancy and took the time she needed to safely deliver our son.’

Only the most daring would choose to probe my absence after that.

All evening I’d watched him hold court, effortlessly exuding power and charm over hardcore businessmen and moguls I’d only read about in the newspapers.

And while the wedding last year and the family gathering earlier had already shown me his authority and charisma, watching him speak to and mingle with some of the most influential people in the world truly rammed home to me the almost frightening power he wielded.

He was a powerful man whom my father had managed to bend to his will. A man whose reputation I’d put in jeopardy with my disappearing act.

Had I been fooling myself by striking a deal with him?

Enough! Running rings around my decisions was futile.

I stepped out onto the thankfully empty terrace of the grand hotel ballroom and called Sophia. Reassured that all was well, my thoughts flew as they often did when I thought of Andreos to the battle that awaited me. To the fear that my time with him would be cut short.

My hand dropped to linger over my stomach, to the dull ache residing deep inside...

‘Are you all right?’ Axios demanded with a gravel-rough voice.

I jumped and whirled around, hastily dropping my hand when his gaze moved to it. ‘You’re spying on me now?’

He sauntered towards me. ‘I came to check on you because I didn’t want you to feel neglected. And I haven’t forgotten that you fled your marriage after one day and didn’t return for a year,’ he returned with sizzling fire.

‘Because you were happy to leave me alone on your island without a care for what I wanted. Have you forgotten that? Did it even occur to you that I might want a different life for myself other than what you chose for me?’

For the longest time he didn’t reply. Then, ‘That was an error in judgement. One I regret,’ he intoned solemnly.

The unequivocal apology had the same effect as the one earlier. My jaw dropped. ‘You...do?’

‘Ne,’ he drawled.

For another charged moment he stared at me. Then his gaze dropped to my phone.

Almost dazedly I stared at it. ‘You can stand down your spies. I was simply calling Sophia to check on my son.’