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“What else?” He waved at the door Spiro pressed closed. “The way I handled this.”

“I told you, I agree that marrying us was the right thing to do.” Spiro poured two glasses from the bottle of scotch on the sideboard.

“Here I thought you told me to come here so you could call me on the carpet.”

“I thought Alia would be happy to see Julian.” She had seemed so down the other day, when she learned she wasn’t pregnant. He had wanted to do something for her, but flowers had seemed trite.

“Yamas.” He handed Khristos a glass and tapped it with his own.

“Yamas.” Khristos sat, saying, “That’s another reason we cut things short, so Julian could help Alia and Herena get settled elsewhere and expedite the dissolution of the marriage. You won’t be tied up much longer.”

“Unnecessary,” Spiro said crisply. “We’re staying married.”

“What? Why? Oh. Until the AGM? That’s a good idea.” Khristos sipped, looking thoughtful. “She made a nice impression on the board when I introduced her, but you’re right to get that vote out of the way first. Are you back at the office?”

“I am. I had to do some housekeeping. Lambros isn’t giving up.” The executive that Alia had identified wasn’t the only one in Lambros’s corner. “This marriage has shaken him, though. I had lunch with Mother and she did her usual song and dance about how he only wants what’s best for us.”

Khristos made a noise of impatient disgust.

“I doubled down on the marriage,” Spiro added. “Told her we’re looking forward to a baby.”

Khristos snorted. “Good luck with that.”

Spiro thought about explaining it was a very real aspiration, but decided it was private.

The talk turned to the meetings Khristos had had in New York. As they finished their drinks, there was a knock on the door and Julian entered.

“Where’s Alia?” Spiro asked, looking past him.

“Changing. She asked us to stay for dinner.”

“Of course. I’d like that, too. Drink?” Spiro rose to pour one.

“Spiro.” Julian pressed the door shut with a firm click. “Are you sleeping with her?”

He paused mid-pour. “My, you two are close, aren’t you?”

“She didn’t say anything,” Julian said with ire. “Normally, she tells me everything, so it’s the fact she got flustered and clammed up and looked very guilty when she told me you asked her to go to Asia with you that raises my suspicions.”

“She’s worried about leaving Herena.” It was true. “But my meetings there are important. Finalizing those contracts will prove I’m as effective as ever. Bringing Alia will make it that much harder for Lambros to claim our marriage is a sham.”

“That’s all it is? You can look me in the eye and say that?”

“She’s a grown adult entitled to her privacy, Julian.” Spiro looked him in the eye as he brought him a glass. “As am I.” He walked the bottle to the empty glasses and refilled them.

“Spiro,” Khristos scolded.

“Have I ever passed judgment on your relationships? Not even the shoplifter,” he reminded his brother.

“I’ll tell you about that later.” Khristos held up a finger to Julian. “This is different, Spiro. You know it is.”

“I wouldn’t say a word if she wasn’t on the brink of losing the only mother she’s ever known.” Julian clattered down his glass and paced across the room. “I will be shocked if Herena survives more than a month or two. I brought them here to buy Herena a little more time and cushion Alia against her inevitable loss, not set her up for more heartbreak.”

“What the hell makes you think I’ll break her heart?”

“Because you guard your own like the Hope Diamond! This is unbelievable,” Julian muttered as he ran his hand over his face. “What are you going to tell me? That you’ve fallen in love with her? When your marriage is not even a month old and you weren’t even aware of her for the first week?”

“This is none of your business,” Spiro stated, firmly putting an end to this attack.