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And yet, if she did not do the right thing now, she would once again find herself backed into the same corner she had been stuck in for years – ever since she had been fifteen and too much of a proper daughter to say no to her parents.
When she raised her gaze to her ex-fiancé, the incredulity she saw in Damen Leventis’ gaze made her smile wryly. “Does my honesty surprise you that much?”
Not mincing words, he said, “Yes.”
For a moment, the old fears assailed her. Damen was a man, and she had been taught all her life to bow to a man’s wishes.
But then her courage reasserted itself, and squaring her shoulders, she told him in a voice that only quivered the slightest bit, “I’ve decided to stop pretending I’m the usual biddable Greek lass with you, Damen.”
His voice was bland when he answered, “I never asked you to.”
Blinking, she said, “I...suppose...not. But I’ve always gotten the feeling that you would have been displeased if I had ever gotten in your way or went against your wishes.”
“Perhaps. But it is water under the bridge now, do you not think?”
Oh! He was so cold, so unreadable!
And though this side of him had always terrified and frustrated her, now it also made Alina smile. She said softly, “You don’t seem to be the same person who dumped an heiress to be with the woman he loves.”
Alina was rewarded by the faintest flush coloring Damen’s cheeks, and she took courage from that. Maybe this could still work. Maybe she had been wrong about him all along. Oh, she hoped so. She dearly hoped so.
Ever since she had been engaged to him, she had found the Leventis heir to be arrogant, too much like her overbearing father for her to like. Although he had been nothing but polite and courteous with her, he had also been forbiddingly formal. The only time he had been open with her was during the time they had been guest speakers at GAYL. His attitude had surprised and confused her, but what followed after had cleared a lot of things up.
He had wanted the other girl – the one he loved – to be jealous.
And until then, never would she have expected someone like Damen Leventis could care so much for a woman to want her to be jealous.
Hopefully, he still cared for that girl, enough for him to agree to what she was about to propose.
“What is this about, Alina?”
His voice made her hand shake as she reached for her glass. She drank it all, needing the wine to give her Dutch courage.
He waited, patiently.
Damen had always been irritating that way, Alina thought, acting like he was too cool to lose his temper because everyone and everything paled in significance next to him.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you like this with her, too?”
“Like what?”
“You act like you’re never wrong. You’ve always acted like that.” She almost laughed at the puzzled expression on his face.
“I do not pretend to be wrong if I am right – even if it is merely to soothe ruffled feathers.”
She shook her head. “Never mind.” She hoped, for Mairi Tanner’s sake, that the other girl had found a way to make Damen Leventis less arrogant. He needed a strong dose of humility now and then.
Placing her hands on her lap so Damen wouldn’t know how badly they were still shaking, she made herself look at him straight in the eye as she spoke. “My father wants me to get you to reconsider our engagement.” Not waiting for him to answer, she said in a rush, “I am not in favor of it.”
Alina nervously watched Damen lean back on his seat.
And then all he said was, “I see.”
She wanted to throw a glass of water on his face for that.
“If you really love her, this Mairi Tanner, then can I count on you to lie to my father and tell him that I did my best, but you will never leave her for anyone else?”
Silence.
Why wasn’t he saying anything?
“I will tell your father that you’ve tried your best but I am not to be persuaded.”
The words were spoken so formally, it reminded her of the old Damen – or at least the Damen she thought she knew. But he was different – his words and actions that day at the school had proven it.
And yet –
And yet it felt right now like the new Damen, the one she thought she might consider a friend, was nowhere to be found.
Alina considered his words. He would help her with her father...but he did not want to tell her father about never leaving Mairi?
She asked awkwardly, “Is everything all right between you two?”
He answered in a colder voice, “We are fine. Thank you for asking.”
Alina tried not to wince. She had gotten him mad, and he appeared even more intimidating now.
