What The Greek's Wife Needs - Dani Collins Page 0,59

“You want her to be safe and loved, and she is.”

“I just wish I could give him this, too. Bring him with us when we take Illi h-home.”

He stiffened slightly.

She felt it and jerked her head up, fighting to get hold of her emotions. “We are taking her home, aren’t we?”

He was tempted, so tempted to give in to what he wanted despite knowing it was the worst possible thing he could do to her. He refused to lead her on again, though. No matter how much he wanted to let this play out until what could only be a bitter end.

“You are.” His body was bracing so hard against the inevitable pain that was coming that he felt as though hairline fractures were creeping through his limbs and torso and neck.

“But—” Here came the hurt, the flash of betrayal that cut him in half, the profound anguish that filled him with guilt. “What do you mean? We’re a family. Aren’t we?”

His arms wanted to squeeze her in, but he made himself drop them away.

“You and Illi are. It’s time you took her to meet the rest of yours.”

“But—”

“This is what we knew would happen, Tanja.” He spoke over her. “It happened sooner than later. That’s good. I’m glad you didn’t have to wait years to know she’s indisputably your daughter. But this is what we agreed, that you would take her home when the time came.”

“But I don’t have to, Leon! I mean, I want to go home. I miss everyone and I want to meet my nephew and introduce Illi to everyone, but we could all go. And then—”

She stopped speaking, not saying aloud that they could come back here.

Because he was already dismissing the notion with a pained shake of his head.

“Think about this clearly, Tanja. This is the best outcome. It’s not a fight. We’re ending things on a civil note with a clean settlement already worked out.” He waved at his desk where the postnuptial contract sat, thick and heavy and not nearly as satisfying as he had anticipated.

“So I’m supposed to just leave? With Illi? And we’ll never talk to one another again? You don’t even care that I’m taking her away from you?”

That was a knife to the vitals that gave such a hard wrench he could hardly breathe. He waved again at the document he had thought would make all of this easy, but it wasn’t easy at all. He had to fight to hold on to a level tone.

“I have the right to expect regular updates. Photos and occasional visits.” It wasn’t enough. He already felt cheated. “We’ll each provide for her in our own way, but we’re both ensuring she has the best life we’re capable of offering.”

“And that’s enough for you?” she cried with disbelief, backing off a few steps as though she could hardly take in all the ways he was disappointing her. “A couple of photos and the assurance that she’ll have a good education is all you want from either of us? Don’t you feel anything else? You acted like I was your salvation the other night!”

It had felt that way, and that was why he had to let her go before he couldn’t.

“The goal was to end this on a civilized note,” he reminded her, dredging up the cool ruthlessness he’d been raised on. “Can we?”

She flinched at his tone, making him feel like a bastard, but that was exactly why they had to end this. How did she not see that, eventually, this was what their marriage would devolve into, only so much worse?

Tanja stood before him with her hands in knotted fists, her body trembling with impotence, mouth working with hurt. Angry tears in her eyes.

“You have put me in an impossible position, Leon.” Her voice was thick with outrage. “If I fight for you, for us, you’ll see it as me trying to prolong this argument, which will only drive you away. So fine. I won’t fight. If you want me to leave, I will. As soon as I can book a flight. But know this.” She held up a trembling finger. “I am leaving because... I love you. I’m doing this for you, because I want to give you the thing you think will make you happy.”

She started to walk out, paused at the door.

“But I won’t wait five years again.”

Leon spent the next weeks traveling. Each time he walked into his empty penthouse, he couldn’t stand the silence, the lack