Please Don't Ever Let Me Go (ON HOLD)

Chapter Eighteen

**| Sang's POV |**

The song ended too soon and a moment later, Doukas was back at my side with a fond smile on his face.

"She's here," he said.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Who?"

"Halina Galanos," he replied, his expression softening. "Come on, I'll introduce you to her."

"Halina?" I whispered. "My great aunt?"

Doukas nodded. "And she's been itching to see you since she landed yesterday. It took a lot to get her to wait until tonight. If I don't introduce you now, she'll be upset. She really can be a diva." Despite the words Doukas said, his expression was soft when he spoke of Halina.

I took in a deep breath and released it, drawing comfort from Kota when he squeezed my hand in support. I was about to meet a family member from my mother's side.

I didn't know what to expect and it scared me.

Doukas weaved us expertly through the crowd, people moving to give us space as they watched us with varying degrees of expressions. Some looked curious, others indifferent, and others with discomfort when they looked at Doukas. He either didn't notice or he didn't care. I was betting on him not caring.

At the moment, I wished his confidence was transferable because I needed some of it. We walked up to a group of three people who stopped as they watched us approach. Two of them broke off and left, leaving an older woman who looked to be in her fifties.

Her green eyes were pale and wide as they stared at me. The closer I got, the paler she looked, popping out against her black dress. She wore a floor length black dress with a black belt at the waist. The scoop neck was a sheer white fabric embellished with diamond beads. When she rushed towards me, I noticed a layer of sheer black fabric lift away from her dress and then I was enveloped in a tight hug with the smell of warm vanilla.

I froze at her touch, my body shaking from it. Images of my stepmother came to mind but I quickly pushed them away, trying to hide the fear this woman's touch invoked in me.

She finally pulled away and her thin lips dipped into a frown briefly before pulling back up into a smile.

"Oh my," she laughed, the sound light and airy. "I don't know what came over me. For a moment, I thought I was looking at my sister. You look just like her when she was your age." She leaned forward. "Let me get a better look at you, dear."

While she looked me over, I did the same. Definitely in her early fifties, still beautiful and youthful looking. The only thing to give her away were the laugh lines etched in her face. She was a woman who enjoyed laughing. Her grey-blonde hair was pulled up on top of her head. She had the same green eyes I saw every time I looked into a mirror, high cheekbones, high arching eyebrows, and she stood and moved with a confidence of a woman used to getting what she wanted.

She sniffled and I widened my eyes, noticing her eyes were misty. I panicked and looked at Kota who seemed just as lost as I did.

"Don't mind me," she said and waved her hands around. "I'm just glad to finally meet you. There's no doubt you are a Galanos. You look just like my sister and her daughter."

She took in a shaky breath and slowly released it.

"Ma'am," a big burly man said, stepping up to us. I stepped back at his massive size and closer into Kota who shifted so I was slightly behind him. "Mr. Drivas wants to have a quick word with you."

She scowled at the man before shaking her head. "I swear, that man likes to think he owns the world." She turned to me. "I'll be back, Sang. Please have fun tonight and we will talk later."