The Diakos Baby Scandal

by Natalie Rivers

  ‘Oh!’ Kerry gasped, clutching Lucas tightly as she wobbled, grateful for Theo’s steadying hold on her arm.

  ‘All right?’ Theo asked, slowly releasing his grip.

  ‘Yes. Thank you,’ Kerry replied, looking up into his face. His dark expression made her catch her breath. ‘Are you all right? You look like you’ve had bad news.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Theo replied shortly. ‘But I have had some bad news.’

  He looked at her sharply for a moment, then led her into the living room and sat with her on the sofa.

  ‘It’s Drakon,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid he’s taken a turn for the worse. He’s in hospital in Athens.’

  ‘Oh, no—poor Drakon!’ Kerry gasped. ‘How serious is it?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Theo replied. ‘My PA is trying to find out more information. I’ll let you know when I hear anything.’

  ‘We must send something,’ Kerry said, feeling tears prick her eyes. Drakon loved his island home so much that the thought of him lying in a city hospital was awful. ‘Can we visit him?’

  ‘I’ll try to find out,’ Theo said.

  Later that day they heard the good news that Drakon’s condition was improved. In fact he had asked for Theo to visit him in hospital, to discuss the sale of the island.

  ‘He must be feeling better,’ Kerry said, a smile of relief spreading across her pale face.

  ‘Yes,’ Theo agreed, although he wasn’t so hopeful as Kerry.

  He leafed through the documents he had just thrust into his briefcase, trying to keep his expression bland. Kerry seemed to have become so attached to the old man that he didn’t want to risk her getting in a state. He had to leave for Athens as soon as possible.

  He wasn’t as naive as Kerry. He had the feeling that Drakon was putting his affairs in order. That he wanted the sale to go through quickly so that his daughter was not left vulnerable to property sharks after his death.

  ‘You should tell Drakon why you want the island,’ Kerry said suddenly. ‘Then he would definitely sell to you.’

  ‘He is going to sell to me,’ Theo replied flatly, feeling a nasty jab of irritation at Kerry’s unexpected comment. ‘Mine is the best offer he’s received.’

  ‘But it’s not about the money,’ Kerry insisted. ‘You told me that. He cares about the island.’

  ‘Don’t give me business advice.’ Theo’s voice was bitingly cold. ‘Don’t think that because I took you to his island you are in any way qualified to offer me your opinion.’

  He stared at her angrily. Why had she become so bold all of a sudden? The girl who’d shared his life before would never have started trying to tell him how to manage his business affairs.

  ‘I’m thinking about Drakon,’ Kerry said crossly.

  She met his hostile stare square-on, unable to believe how cold he was being. Her eyes flashed over him, standing tall and stiff in his dark business suit, and once again she felt as distant from him as she’d ever been.

  She’d never got involved in his work before, even when she’d been present at business dinners or overheard him discussing work matters. She’d always known that it was not her concern and that Theo would not welcome her input.

  But that timid young girl had changed. Maybe it was the fact that she was a mother now, and had spent the last six months fending for herself and her baby, making decisions that impacted on another little person’s life as well as her own.

  Or maybe it was because a year ago Theo had heartlessly severed their relationship and thrown her out onto the streets, making her realise how little respect he had for her.

  Whatever the reason, she found she couldn’t stand by silently any more.

  ‘An old man is lying sick in a hospital bed,’ she said passionately. ‘And you have the power to make him feel good about the one thing that really matters to him—his island.’

  ‘It’s none of his business why I want the island,’ Theo replied.

  ‘He has devoted the last twenty-five years of his life to preserving that island,’ Kerry snapped. ‘If he knew that you wanted it for your aunt—so she could live simply, in harmony with the place—think how much that would mean to him.’

  ‘That’s not the way I do business,’ Theo snapped. ‘With rose-coloured idealistic drivel. I deal with hard financial business plans.’

  ‘Don’t be so hypocritical,’ she said hotly. ‘This isn’t normal business for you. You’re not looking for a profit. You told me yourself that you want the island to fulfil your mother’s dying wish—so that your aunt can have her home back.’

  ‘I’m not about to share my family’s past shame with a stranger,’ Theo snapped. ‘We don’t air our dirty linen in public.’

  ‘You don’t have to tell him everything,’ Kerry said in exasperation. ‘Just say your aunt wishes to live there quietly.’

  ‘I didn’t have to tell you everything—and I’m already regretting that I did,’ Theo said bitterly, slamming his briefcase shut and striding angrily towards the door. ‘By now, after everything that has happened, you of all people should understand that in this family we keep our personal problems private. We keep things in the family.’

  Kerry stared at him as he stood in the doorway, glaring back at her. Suddenly the unmistakable sound of a helicopter approaching the island caught her attention—and her memory flashed back to the conversation she’d overheard on the night Theo had thrown her out.

  He had told Corban to take Nicco away to the island by helicopter, without his mother’s knowledge. Then he’d said they’d deal with Hallie privately—no one outside the family needed to know.

  ‘Like Hallie,’ Kerry cried. ‘Hallie was a problem. So you planned to take her son and deal with her in private.’

  ‘It would have been better for everyone if that had happened,’ Theo bit out. He raked his hand roughly through his hair and came back into the room, shutting the door behind him.

  Kerry felt a wave of anxiety roll through her as she looked up at his livid expression. What had made him close the door, even though the helicopter was waiting for him outside?

  ‘Hallie is an alcoholic,’ Theo said. ‘And Corban was desperate to take care of her. But instead of accepting the best care in a private facility abroad she crashed her car, with Nicco in it, on the busiest square in Athens, narrowly missing a souvenir stall surrounded by tourists. There was quite an audience when the ambulance men pulled her from the car, crying that her husband planned to steal her child from her.’

  ‘Is that what stopped you taking Nicco?’ Kerry gasped.

  ‘No,’ Theo grated. ‘It stopped Corban putting her quietly in rehab, which was where she needed to be—for her own sake and for Nicco’s sake. With all the media attention her recovery was much slower than it should have been. Your interference nearly broke up their marriage—not to mention causing what might have been a tragic accident.’

  Kerry stared up at him, suddenly speechless. Was he telling the truth? That Hallie was an alcoholic? That he and Corban had simply been planning the best way to help her? Had she jumped to the wrong conclusions—putting everyone at risk and causing a whole barrage of problems for the family?

  ‘Because you are the mother of my son, you will soon be part of this family,’ Theo said. ‘But if you want to stay—be part of Lucas’s life—never interfere again.’

  ‘Don’t threaten me,’ Kerry said shakily. ‘You can’t take Lucas from me.’

  ‘Yes, I can.’ Theo said coldly. ‘And if you cross me I will. Never doubt that for a second.’

  He turned and strode out of the door, leaving Kerry staring after him in shock.

  CHAPTER TEN

  THE heavy aroma of flowering jasmine hung in the air as Kerry pushed Lucas’s buggy through the streets near Kolonaki Square, passing designer stores and chic cafés filled with elegant Athenian ladies and well-heeled businessmen.

  The floral fragrance was typical of Athens, and it reminded Kerry painfully of her first summer in the city—when Th
eo had swept her off her feet and she’d fallen head over heels in love with him.

  She’d never stood a chance. His charm, his amazing good-looks and the irresistible force of his personality had totally overwhelmed her. At the time she’d believed she was blissfully happy with him—but she’d been living in a dream world. Now she knew their relationship had been harmonious simply because she’d gone along with everything he wanted, never doing anything to upset the balance. Never asking for anything.

  As she looked back on that summer, Kerry realised a more confident, experienced woman might not have been so in awe of him—might have realised that the relationship was completely superficial. But Kerry had been too in love to see beyond the joy she’d felt just being with Theo.

  She knew that some people wanted to spend their lives enjoying the present, with no thought for the future—but she wasn’t one of them. As a child she’d longed to be part of a warm, loving family, and that was what she so desperately wished to give Lucas. But now it seemed to be an impossible hope—every day Theo seemed to become even more distant from her.

  They’d returned to Athens, and preparations were underway for a quiet family wedding, but communication between them was limited to brief, impersonal exchanges about Lucas. She longed to talk to him properly, to try and improve the atmosphere between them. But their last argument had been so terrible that she was afraid to disturb the uneasy equilibrium they’d reached.

  At least she now understood why Theo had been so blindingly furious with her the night Hallie had crashed her car—but the reason made her feel dejected and guilt-ridden. It wasn’t just that she’d interfered—questioning Theo’s intentions and challenging his command—it was because he truly believed that he’d been doing the right thing for the people he loved. He couldn’t even begin to understand why she had gone against him.

  But Kerry had never guessed Hallie was an alcoholic. Looking back on it, she realised the signs had been there. But as she’d usually only seen her friend on social occasions it had never occurred to her that Hallie drank a lot—and she knew that sometimes alcoholics became very good at concealing their problem. It was also likely that Theo and Corban had done their best to hide it, thinking that by keeping it in the family they were doing the right thing—but if Kerry had known she would never have made such a terrible mistake.

  She returned to the hotel with a heavy heart. She felt so sorry for what had happened—for what she had done—but she didn’t know how to talk to Theo about it. However, she did know that the problem was not going to go away on its own. It was always going to be there, creating a chasm between them.

  She took the elevator up to the family’s luxury apartments and got Lucas ready for his nap.

  ‘Time for a sleep, my little angel,’ she said, laying him carefully in his cot.

  He settled almost immediately, and she wandered out onto the balcony, drawn by the sounds of splashing and laughing floating up to her. She looked down to the private terrace of Corban’s apartment and saw Corban, Hallie and Nicco, all playing in the pool. They were back from their trip.

  A wave of emotion rolled through her. They all looked so joyful. Nicco had grown so much, Hallie was pregnant again and the love and pride Corban felt for his family shone out of his face.

  They were all together, having fun, enjoying each other’s company. It was the perfect family moment. And because of her that moment might never have been able to happen.

  Suddenly her throat felt tight and her eyes filled with moisture. The next second she burst into tears.

  Theo strode through the hotel on his way up to see Kerry. His staff had informed him—as they always did—that she’d returned to the hotel, and he wanted to tell her that Corban and Hallie had arrived home from their travels.

  He did not want her to stumble across them inadvertently, possibly creating an awkward situation. It was his intention to be present the first time they encountered each other, so that a potentially tricky moment would be under his control.

  He walked through their apartment quietly, in case Lucas was asleep, and found Kerry standing on the balcony looking down at the terrace below. Something about her body language pricked his attention immediately. Her shoulders were drawn in and she was shaking.

  Suddenly he realised she was weeping.

  ‘Kerry?’ He spoke her name quietly, but she spun round at once, her face an open book of remorse.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she sobbed. ‘Oh, Theo—I’m so sorry for what I did that night.’

  The pure emotion in her voice cut into him disconcertingly—but he told himself it didn’t matter what she said, how she tried to defend her actions. He knew he would never forgive her for what she’d done. She’d deliberately betrayed his plans—putting both his sister-in-law and his nephew in danger.

  ‘I did something inexcusable—something terrible.’ Her voice rose urgently. ‘But I never meant harm to come to anyone. You have to know that wasn’t my intention.’

  ‘I have no idea what you intended,’ Theo said honestly. He’d racked his brain repeatedly—wondering what had possessed her to go running to Hallie. Surely she’d known him well enough to realise that he only ever wanted what was best for his family. ‘What in God’s name were you thinking?’

  He stared at her, feeling all the anger he’d tried to put aside for Lucas’s sake rising up within him once more.

  ‘I was thinking about my mother,’ Kerry suddenly blurted. ‘I was thinking about how it killed her!’ She dragged in a tortured breath and turned away from him, covering her face with her hands.

  Theo stared at her in shock. What was she talking about? What did the death of Kerry’s mother have to do with what had happened the night Hallie crashed the car?

  ‘They took my mother’s baby away.’ Kerry’s words were muffled, but Theo could just about hear what she was saying. ‘They took me away from my mother—and it destroyed her.’

  She scrubbed her palms over her face, then turned round to look at him again. He could see just how badly talking about—even thinking about—her mother was affecting Kerry. Her face was pale and her eyes wide, and her whole body was shaking violently.

  ‘Come inside and sit down,’ he said, reaching out towards her.

  She curled in on herself and shrank away from him—as if at that moment she couldn’t bear to be touched. But then she edged past him and walked unevenly to the sofa.

  For a moment Theo hesitated, then he poured her a glass of cold water and sat down next to her.

  Kerry picked up the water automatically with a trembling hand and took a sip. It was the first time she had ever spoken about her mother to anyone. Her heart was thumping and her palms felt damp and clammy.

  She didn’t want to say anything else—what would Theo think when he knew the truth about her?—but now she had started she knew she had to finish.

  ‘My mother was very young when she had me,’ Kerry said. ‘Only sixteen.’

  She paused, glancing at him to see if he seemed shocked—but his expression was unreadable.

  ‘My grandmother was horrified. She forced my mother to hand me over to her, so she could bring me up alongside Bridget, her other, much younger daughter,’ Kerry said. ‘But it was a disaster for everyone. She never really wanted me, and always resented having an extra child to take care of. But even worse, her decision to take me destroyed my mother’s life. It made her feel like a failure and she never managed to get her life on track.’

  She paused again, and took another sip of water to steady her nerves. Now she was telling Theo she felt really strange—almost as if she was watching someone else telling their life story.

  ‘So Bridget is really your aunt,’ Theo said. ‘But you were brought up together, by the same person.’

  ‘I think of her as my sister,’ she replied. ‘We grew up with each other and there’s not much age difference between us.’ She rubbed her hands over her face and took a few steadying breaths. Now she had started, she had to tell t
he final, most awful piece of the story.

  ‘Maybe if my mother had had her child to look after, she would’ve had a purpose in life—a reason to sort herself out,’ Kerry continued. ‘As it was, she turned to drink and then started taking drugs. She died of an overdose in the end.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Theo said. ‘That must have been very hard for you.’

  ‘At the time I thought she was my much older sister,’ Kerry said. ‘I didn’t even know her because Mum—I mean my grandmother—threw her out after I was born and wouldn’t let her back in the house. I met her once or twice when I was little, but I barely remember it.’

  For the first time Kerry detected a response in Theo—and she lifted her eyes to see a look of shock on his face.

  ‘She didn’t tell you who your mother was? She lied to you?’ he asked incredulously.

  ‘My grandmother said it was in everyone’s best interests,’ Kerry said bitterly. ‘Really she was covering up the shame she felt because her teenage daughter had had a baby. I only found out when I was eighteen years old. I needed my birth certificate to apply for a passport when I got a job in the travel agency.’

  She shuddered, hugging herself as she remembered the utter shock she’d felt as she’d looked at the birth certificate, staring in disbelief and confusion at her older sister’s name, written clearly in the section for her mother’s name.

  By then she’d already been dead. It hadn’t been possible for Kerry to get to know her. Her grandmother, an embittered, mean-spirited woman, who hadn’t even wanted to look after her in the first place, had denied her the right to get to know her mother.

  It was only when her eyes blurred with tears that Kerry realised she was weeping again. Theo was beside her in an instant, this time pulling her into his arms and holding her to his broad chest.

  She leant into his embrace, taking comfort from the strong, regular heartbeat below her cheek. It meant so much that he hadn’t pulled away from her in disgust when he’d heard her story. She knew it was a lot for anyone to take in—and now he had discovered that the mother of his son came from a truly messed-up family.