After dinner, Cassandra knew she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep any time soon, so she went to library and poured herself a drink. She sat in one of the deep armchairs, nursing her glass of brandy and staring at the wall.
“Oh, I’m didn’t know you were still up.” Andreas had come into the room without spotting his sister-in-law.
“Want a drink?” Cassandra offered, nodding towards the brandy decanter.
Andreas hesitated for a moment. He had been coming in here for exactly that, which he desperately needed after trying to calm his father down about Cassandra – Nikos was being no help at all. But neither did he want to sit here and act like everything was okay with this gold-digger. But he really did want that drink. “Come on, the air I breathe isn’t poisonous. And everyone in this house could use a stiff drink tonight,” she coaxed. He nodded and sat down as she poured.
“How’s Olivia?”
Andreas shook his head. “I do not wish to discuss my wife with you. You are overly involved with my family as it is.”
That stung a bit. Andreas had always been the serious, methodical, overly rational brother in the family. He used to like Cassandra and appreciate that she made Nikos settle down and stop wasting precious minutes of business time on disposable women. “I’m sorry that my presence had made this weekend such a headache for everyone.”
Andreas took a long sip of his brandy before answering. “What are you doing here, Cassandra?”
“Have you not asked Nikos?”
He gave a small snort. “Nikos has been spectacularly uncooperative this weekend.”
“That’s a shame,” Cassandra said, sighing. “I was hoping you could tell me what I’m doing here.”
“So it really was at his bidding that you came?” Andreas sounded skeptical.
She chuckled humourlessly. “Yes, it really was. He won’t give me a no-fault divorce, even though I don’t want anything from him in the settlement. His condition for that was to come here with him. Apparently he’ll sign the divorce papers on Tuesday, the morning after we get back to New York.”
“Why don’t you just sue him for a fault divorce?”
Cassandra smiled ruefully. While Nikos understood that she wouldn’t do that and risk his threat of exposing the family, and especially Constantine, to scandal, she knew no one else in the family would believe that. How Nikos managed to ignore her concern for his family and merely use it against her was astounding. She just shrugged vaguely. “I have my reasons.”
Andreas almost laughed in his anger. “You know, we all warned Nikos against marrying you. Warned him that you would betray him. Especially without a prenup.”
“All of you except Constantine,” Cassandra agreed, nodding faintly.
“How would you know that?” Andreas asked.
“Because Constantine warned me that Nikos would break my heart,” she said softly, with an ironic smile.
Andreas did a double take at hearing that. “He spoke to you about your relationship with Nikos?”
“Of course. I spent hours and days and weeks at his side; we talked about just about everything in our lives.”
YOU ARE READING
The Art of Love and Treachery
Любовные романыNikos and Cassandra were once very much in love - but a lot has happened since then. If Cassandra wants to finally cut all ties, Greek billionaire Nikos is going to make her work for it. He doesn't want to let her go, but neither can Nikos forgive h...
