Chapter 157

He kept staring at her, his gaze searching and yet not seeming to find any answers, for eventually he looked away and resumed his story.

Well, understandable or not, Antonios was the favourite. I didn’t accept that, though. I tried so hard, Theos, to make my father love me.Trust me—’

He broke off then, and Lucette ached to comfort him. But she didn’t, because everything about Ariston was brittle and tense, and she had a terrible feeling—a fear—that he would shake her off if she tried to hug him as she wanted to.

To make a long story short,’ he continued finally, his voice brusque, ‘he never did. He had a heart attack and he sent for Antonios—told him the truth about the business. He’d been involved in dodgy dealings for years, trying to make back the money he’d lost on bad investments. He was a hair’s breadth away from losing everything. He made Antonios swear not to tell anyone...not even me.’

‘And did he tell you?’ Lucette asked.

Ariston shook his head. "Not for ten years. Ten y