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“I spoke to a lawyer in the U.S. when I got home last night,” Mick said slowly. “He said under the circumstances, it would be best if Lena adopts him and gets sole custody. Then I can sue for visitation and such.”
“Have you spoken to Sophia about any of this?” Apollo asked his sister.
She shook her head. “I haven’t been able to reach her since she left Greece, but she isn’t going to be a problem.”
“But Giorgios will.” Apollo’s mouth thinned with distaste. “I can see him doing whatever he feels is necessary to keep Sophia from divorcing him.”
“Or to use as leverage to get money from her.”
“She has money?” Mick asked.
“We have money,” Apollo said. “As a family. All three of us kids have been getting money from the business since we turned 21, and on paper the company is worth a lot.”
“It’s enough to make Giorgios fight for it?”
“In reality it’s not,” Lena said. “Most of it is rolled over into the business and investments, but if he can use it to hurt her he will. He’s a lazy slob so even a few hundred Euros a month would keep him in coffee and cigarettes.”
“Not gonna happen,” Apollo grunted. “But money in general may be our only leverage with him.
“Look, if I do a paternity test and prove he’s mine, can’t I take him anyway?” Mick asked. He quickly shook his head when Lena paled. “Not from you—but from them.”
Apollo frowned. “It would get incredibly complicated and the Greek courts could take years to make a decision. I think your lawyer was right—it’s best if they give up custody to Lena and then you and she work it out.”
“What if…” Lena swallowed hard as she realized this was her chance. Her grandmother had told her what needed to happen and this was the perfect opportunity. She didn’t know what he was going to think but hoped for some divine intervention to make him agree.
“What?” Mick looked at her.
“What if we got…married.” She licked her lower lip nervously. “I’ll sign anything you want—I don’t want anything that’s not for Mihalis. But you’re here in Greece for two years and if I can talk Giorgios into giving up custody and we turned around and got married…”
“And you already had a paternity test proving he’s yours,” Apollo continued thoughtfully.
“We could file to change the birth certificate,” Lena said quickly, before she lost her nerve.
Mick was staring at her. “Are you serious?”
“You know I’m not interested in your family’s money,” she whispered. “I just want to do what’s right for Mihalis and we’re stronger in the eyes of the court—both here and in the U.S.—if we’re married.”
“That’s probably true.” He could see the logic but she’d caught him completely by surprise.
“It’s a good idea,” Apollo admitted, watching them both. “And it would be good for Mihalis too. The two of you living together, with him, for the next two years while you’re in Greece. It gives you time to sort out the custody situation and get him used to having two new parents.”
“We’re going to need money,” Lena said slowly. “I don’t think Giorgios will do it otherwise.”
“How much?” Mick arched a brow.
“Maybe ten or twenty thousand,” Lena murmured. “I have four thousand Euros in my savings account, which is about $4,500 U.S. and I can probably borrow some from my parents—”
Apollo shook his head. “No, I’ll take it out of the company. I want Giorgios gone just as much as you do.”
“He’s my son, and this is part of getting custody,” Mick interjected. “I’ve got money and access to cash.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Apollo protested. “I don’t want Lena dealing with him—he tried to hit Sophia again when she was packing for her trip, so Lena’s not going anywhere near him.”
“He hit Sophia again?” Mick asked, scowling.
“It used to be a thing,” Lena explained. “A lot of Greek men did that in older generations, but not so much anymore. Giorgios, unfortunately, is a throwback to asshole times. But the silver lining is that hitting Sophia is what got her to file for divorce.”
He made a face. “Yeah, well, I agree with Apollo—I don’t want you anywhere near this guy.”
