It all suddenly makes sense. Patrick’s subsequent emotional retreat, curling into himself.
“Lillith knows,” Patrick says. “Angus told her that Christmas Day.”
She swallows, suddenly dizzy under the blazing heat and the weight of this revelation.
“So prove it, Arra—prove you’re not after the legacy. Stay with me despite knowing you’ll get none of it, not one penny from the Angus McGregor empire. Because I am not a McGregor. Lillith owes me nothing.”
He holds his hands out to his sides. “I’m just the simple son of some Danish electrician named Hans Skov. No wonder I never looked like Angus.”
He turns away.
“You’re lying!” she shouts. “I refuse to believe it!”
He keeps climbing the stairs up to the taxi rank.
She lunges after him, grabs his arm. He shakes her off so hard she slams back against the stone wall. The impact knocks the air from her lungs and sends her hat cartwheeling down the stairs. She doubles over, struggling to gasp for air, eyes streaming, black dots swimming in her vision.
When she finally manages to look up—Patrick is gone.
Carter
Carter feels trapped and increasingly wound up now that he’s on the bus en route to hunt the Minotaur in his underground labyrinth. He sits alone on a seat behind his mom and Gramps. They’re conversing in low tones about his father. Gramps whispers to his mother that she needs to take responsibility, too—a relationship is a two-way street. Carter sees his mom stiffen, anger rising.
Everything has changed.
What seemed like an adventure now feels dark and scary. Where he thought he could be brave, he’s not. He’s not a hero. He’ll never conquer the half man, half beast in the cave maze and emerge to cheers. Those who seemed his idols, his mentors, are shifting shape into something more uncertain.
Mostly he’s upset that Gramps hasn’t been honest with his mom about why they’re on this trip. He’s additionally concerned because when Gramps did finally show at breakfast, he seemed edgy. Distant. Something big had changed. Carter saw it in his eyes. He’s guessing it has something to do with Vincent Kapoor. Maybe he ran into him on the boat. If Mom finds out, she’ll blow. She’ll be so sad. And all Carter wants is for her to be happy like in the old days, and for his dad to come home.
His eyes burn and he turns his face to the window so no one can see him beginning to cry. Perhaps he doesn’t even have the balls to become a great detective one day.
Their bus halts at a traffic light.
That’s when he sees her. The redhead. Down the stone alley.
Arrabella.
She’s in little white shorts and a halter top, and she’s arguing on the stairs in the alley with the tall pale-haired man. Both appear furious. She waves her arms, points at the man, and yells something. He shoves her away and whirls around to climb the stairs.
Arrabella grabs for his arm. He shakes her loose and flings her against a stone wall. Her big black straw hat goes flying and rolls down a few stairs. Her red lips part in a perfect O of shock.
Carter holds his breath. His pulse spikes. He leans forward. But another tour bus draws up in the next lane and blocks his view down the alley.
When the traffic light turns green, the other bus pulls away. And the alley is empty.
As his bus moves forward, Carter suddenly spies the orchid man climbing quickly down the stairs. He goes past where the couple was arguing. He turns a corner and disappears.
He’s following them.
Roshaan
Roshaan has a few hours off work before she needs to be back on board—so she’s accepted Theo’s invitation to meet at a secluded beachside taverna known mostly to locals on Crete. The invitation was his response to her unanswered voicemails about the ring. It’s a pricey little place. Quite exclusive.
She’s nervous as she steps onto the trellised and bougainvillea-covered patio. Theo stands up at a table and waves her over. Her heart does a funny little squeeze as tension whips tightly across her chest. It’s such a confounding response that she has to this man. A heady mix of hot desire and trepidation at the same time. He seems to manage to balance her on this knife-edge at all times.
It took him forever to respond to her messages, and when he did, he sounded happy and excited, and before she could even speak, he suggested they meet for a special lunch to discuss things.
Hendrick’s comments about her ring and Dr. Marsh’s words of warning weigh heavily on her mind as she makes her way to the table.
