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“Secretary-General Georgiou,” I replied with equal poise, “It’s an honor to meet you.”
For a moment, the two of us were silent as we casually sized each other up. His gaze was contemplative, and then he cleared his throat.
“Your presence here, it’s not just for the charity, is it?”
I met his gaze boldly, not backing down in the slightest. “You’re right. There’s more at play here, and I think we both know it’s time to address it.”
“I have to say, I underestimated you,” Christos remarked quietly, though the tension between us could have been sliced with a knife.
“It’s not the first time I’ve heard that,” I replied with a small, confident smile, meeting his gaze head-on. I needed him to know that I wasn’t just some damsel in distress. I was a powerhouse in my own right.
“You must be something special for him to not only marry you, but send you here all alone,” he said. “Either very clever or very stupid, and I know it’s not the latter.”
I returned his statement with a calculated smile. “You’re wise, Secretary-General,” I responded, holding his gaze steady with mine.
On the inside, I was dancing with glee. This was going exactly how it needed it to go.
Then he cleared his throat and the tension between us grew thicker.
“If you want to do business with me, I expect the answer to this next question to be the truth,” Christos said, his tone low and semi-menacing. “Why did he send you here instead of coming himself?”
“What makes you think he sent me?” I countered, maintaining a composed front as I took a sip of champagne, my eyes firmly locked with his.
Christos seemed caught off guard, his sharp gaze searching mine for answers, but I gave him none. “Surely he knows you’re talking to me.”
“He’s the kind of man that knows things, yes,” I replied, cryptically yet truthfully. Christos needed to know that my name meant something too, and that I wasn’t the type to back down. Not now, not ever.
“What do you want then?” Christos asked. His brow furrowed with curiosity, but his gaze remained cautious, and I sipped my champagne, drawing out the tension between us a bit further.
I took a deep breath before responding, “My husband is normally a very calm, calculated man, but when it comes to me, he can be very aggressive. You must understand.”
“Make me understand,” he said, his eyes narrowing formidably.
“You see, some people tried to hurt me, and he got very angry. He did some things to ensure that I was kept safe… And while he does not regret them, he understands that he put you in a difficult spot.”
My words were carefully chosen, conveying both a confession and an olive branch, an acknowledgement of the difficult situation we both found ourselves entangled in, and I waited with bated breath to see how he would respond.
Christos leaned in, his interest piqued. “You bring up a good point. Let’s talk about those things, shall we?”
“If you insist,” I replied carefully.
“Let’s start with the charity ball incident with Alexios,” he probed.
I waved my hand dismissively. “A minor scuffle. You and I both know that it was blown out of proportion. Nikolaos can be protective, and emotions ran high that night. It’s of no real consequence to either of us.”
“True enough,” he nodded slightly, considering my words.
“What else?” I pressed.
His brow furrowed, and a flash of anger flittered across his features. “And what about the incident where Nikolaos insulted me? That was a direct affront, and I must say, I didn’t take kindly to it,” he said next.
I met his gaze evenly. “That was a mistake, driven by emotion rather than logic. He understands the implications and respects your position. I apologize on his behalf. It won’t happen again.”
“It probably didn’t help when I insulted you either,” Christos said, a note of realization in his voice.
I nodded, acknowledging his point. “That certainly added fuel to the fire. Emotions were already running high… and it escalated things unnecessarily.”
Christos seemed to consider this, the weight of the situation apparent in his expression. “I see. It was a heated moment on both sides.”
