’Fine, now let us be on our way and put all of this behind us.’

Nikos hadn’t planned to say anything else, but he did catch the look Evangelina had shit him – a look he was familiar with, though usually it was on much better terms than this. The Condos lord clenched his teeth and willed himself to not even look at Gavriil for fear of his emotions getting the better of him and rushing the man with sword raised. Not that Nikos feared the man, far from it, but the baron did not wish to upset Evie any further. This entire thing had been because he couldn’t control his emotions when it came to her. He couldn’t let it get any more out of hand. Nik could feel his father’s eyes on him, could sense the agitation the older Condos lord was exuding from not being told exactly what all this was about. But Nikos was not about to tell him the details.

As Gavriil and Evangelina left, the Dimitrou lord pointedly not bowing to Nik as he did to Nikolias, the younger Condos gripped his sword ever tighter, his knuckles turning white. He waited until he heard the front door open and close, ignoring any of his father’s demands to explain himself. At last, Nikos looked at his father, anger hardening his features. ”It’s not of your business, father. As you saw, it has been dealt with.”The words sounded hollow, even to Nikos. ”If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed.” He picked held his sword with tip down, but did not loosen his grip as he turned to leave the room and head down the hall, determined to drown out this day at the bottom of a bottle and let a drunken sleep erase the memory…. Not that it would actually work… but he could try.

Little did he know, that his mistress was waiting for him to give her the explanation he’d refused to give his own father.