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Nikos was dead wrong. Cassandra had been a finalist for a prestigious fellowship, so it was clear her education was not a waste of time.
“Nikos, stop it,” Melina shouted.
“You indulged her, Melina.” He turned to Cassandra. “It’s time to grow up, Cassie. Developing this land could make you a rich woman.”
Cassandra stepped closer to her father. “This is my property,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “I am not developing it. Period.”
He was proud of her. Holding your ground required courage and conviction; Cassandra had both.
Nikos’s expression turned glacial. “I’m leaving.” He marched off to the waiting car.
“Dad!” Cassandra turned after her father.
Leo took her arm. “Let him go.”
“I don’t want him to leave angry.” She wrenched her arm away while tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’ll go talk to him.”
“Not now.” Leo pulled her back into his arms, letting her cry.
“He’s upset.” Melina kept her gaze on Nikos. “I’ve been begging him to retire, but he says he’s not ready to.”
Leo looked over to Nikos, who was leaning against the car. This arguing had to stop now, or else Cassandra and her parents would say things to each other they would regret later. He turned to Melina. “If he’s not ready to retire, he should fight for his business.”
“How?” Melina’s brow furrowed in concern. “He’s lost so much already.”
“Stay here with Cassandra,” Leo said to Melina. “I’m going to talk to Nikos”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea right now.” Melina asked, her voice cautious.
“There will never be a better time than now.”
“No.” Cassandra reached out to him.
“Go,” Melina said with a slow nod. She wrapped an arm around Cassandra’s shoulders. “I’ll stay here with her.”
During his walk to the car, he focused on what mattered most right now. This was about Cassandra and her property, but it was also about her father’s pride. Nikos wasn’t a young man anymore, and he was worried about losing the business he’d worked hard to create. The gravel crunched under Leo’s shoes, underscoring his anxiety for the difficult conversation that was about to unfold.
“Why are you here?” Nikos grumbled, busy with his phone.
“I’d like to talk to you.”
Nikos cocked his head. “About what?”
“I understand you need a break. Maybe I can help.”
“I don’t need anything from you,” Nikos said, raising his voice.
Leo refused to get pulled into an argument, so he stayed on point. “Cassandra’s upset because she loves her father, but she feels torn between you and the loss of her friend. Her friend’s death is the reason she owns this property. She shouldn’t be making any decisions about what to do right now.”
Nikos shoved his phone into his jacket and glared at Leo. “You might have fooled Cassie, but you’re not fooling me.”
Leo held his hands up. “I’m not trying to fool you; I’m trying to help you.”
Nikos got into his face. “Let me tell you something. I can’t stop you from seeing my daughter, but when you’re finished with her and tossed her aside, I’m coming for you.”
Leo wasn’t afraid of him because his feelings for Cassandra would never change. This wasn’t an infatuation. He was in love with her. His mind reeled with the realization. What had started with an attraction had turned into an undeniable truth that Cassandra was part of him. She was ingrained into his heart andsoul.
“I will never do anything to hurt Cassandra. There’s nothing else I can say. As far as your business is concerned, I think you should fight for it. Maybe take smaller jobs for a while. They might not be as lucrative, but they can lead to—”
