Chapter 12
Hours after returning to the estate, Gemma was still trying to figure what had happened to evoke such a change in Alexi. One minute, they’d been snuggled on the cushions together. The next he’d been cold and dismissive. And then they’d arrived back at the estate and he’d separated her from Damien.
Damien had been escorted to his grandparents’ private quarters while she’d been tucked into the back of a limo and driven to a warehouse in the middle of the city. The discovery that the large Monet awaited her did nothing to lift her spirts. She was so upset with Alexi’s treatment of her and Damien that she struggled to accurately assess the restorative work the painting needed.
She’d finally demanded to be returned to the estate, only to discover that Vasil and Tressa had taken her son off the estate grounds. With the language barrier, she didn’t know where they’d gone or when they would be returning. She’d called Alexi’s phone, but it had gone straight to voicemail.
In desperation, she called Aimee. “I don’t know where Damien is.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know where he is?”
“Alexi wanted his parents to spend some time alone with him and…I should have put up more of a fight. What if they don’t bring him back?”
“Whoa! Calm down now. Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little bit? Alexi hasn’t done anything to make you think he might steal Damien away, has he?”
“No… But, I get the impression he means to keep him here. In Greece.”
Aimee was quiet. Gemma grew even more worried. “What am I going to do?”
“Sweetie, there’s nothing you can do until Alexi shows himself.”
Hearing a noise, Gemma turned her head. “Speak of the devil. I’ll call you back.” She ended the call and made a beeline for Alexi. “Where is my son?”
Alexi looked taken aback by her tone. “He’s with my parents. Why?”
“Where is he? Where did they take him?”
Alexi spoke to a maid standing nearby and nodded at her reply. “They took him down to the park to show him off to their friends.”
“I want him back right now. I can’t do this anymore. We are going back to the States. Someone else will have to restore the Monet.” She turned, intending to go pack their bags.
Alexi’s grip on her shoulder stopped her.“You are not going anywhere. Have you forgotten our bargain? You committed to staying here for three months, not three days.”
“I’ve changed my mind. We are going home. Today.”
Alexi shook his head. “I cannot allow that to happen. Damien belongs here and so do you. In fact, I was coming to discuss our future. I believe we should get married. Immediately. I’ve already spoken to the priest—”
“What?” Gemma exploded. “Marry you! No!”
Alexi stared at her. His expression hardened. “Damien is staying here regardless. I am giving you a chance to stay here as his mother. Of course, if you wish to leave and return to the States without him, I can have a plane ready in an hour.”
“What? No! I’m not leaving my baby here.”
“And I’m not prepared to let you take him away.”
They were still staring each other down, neither prepared to give an inch, when the front doors opened. Alexi’s parents walked in, each of them holding one of Damien’s little hands in their own. Their obvious happiness hit Gemma like a physical blow. She rushed forward, barely managing to hold back her tears as she scooped Damien up.
Vasil spoke to his son. Alexi responded and a heated exchange followed.
Gemma decided to appeal to Tressa, hoping that the bond of motherhood could traverse the language barrier. Alexi had told her his parents understood more English than they spoke. God, I hope that is true. “Mrs. Moustakas, please. You have to help me. Alexi is threatening to keep Damien here against my wishes.”
Tressa spoke sharply to her son. She gave Gemma a look full of compassion, speaking in very hesitant English. “Our apologies.”
Gemma studied the older woman. She seemed genuine. “For what?”
“For my son. We have suffered a great loss and I’m afraid he and my husband have not handled things very well.”
Gemma was still confused. “I don’t understand.”
Tressa reached for her hand. Tears welled in her own eyes. “Alexi was lost at sea. He is presumed dead.”
Gemma stared at her. The words registered, but she couldn’t have heard them properly. She looked at Alexi. No! That’s not right! Who is he? “Who—”
The man who’d been pretending to be Alexi stepped forward. He gave her a slight bow. “My name is Leonidis Moustakas. Alexi was my twin brother. My friends and family call me Leo.”
“Twins?” she stammered, disbelief muddling her thought processes.
“Identical twins,” Tressa added.
Gemma squeezed Damien. She looked at his parents, whispering brokenly, “You knew he was deceiving me?”
Tressa nodded with unshed tears in her eyes, but there was no hint of emotion in Vasil’s eyes. “Miss Larsen,” he began.
Gemma couldn’t hear any excuses right now. She shook her head, backing away from them. “I need time to think.” She fled with Damien to the suite of rooms she’d been using since her arrival. She heard Leo call after her, but she ignored him.
She barricaded herself in the suite of rooms, alternating between crying and despair for the rest of the day. A maid brought up a tray of food later and she helped Damien eat, but she herself couldn’t even think about eating.
Guilt rested like acid in her stomach. She’d slept with both Alexi and Leo. The slight personality differences she’d picked up on now made perfect sense, but left her wondering who she’d slept with that fateful night two years earlier. She was upset with herself and with Leo…Why couldn’t he have just told me who he was? Why couldn’t he have just explained?
She was still pondering this decision when Tressa and Leo entered her suite of rooms through a side door. She gasped, jumping to her feet. “Get out!”
“Gemma, my mother wishes to speak with you. I also need to explain…”
Gemma shook her head, her feelings of betrayal warring with the romantic feelings she’d held for Alexi and the way Leo made her feel. “I don’t—please, just leave me alone.”
Leo stepped towards her. His expression fell as she backed away from him. He stopped, holding out a folder of papers. “I just came to give you these. Since these are what sent me after you, I think you should be aware of all the facts.”
He stared at her a moment and then placed the folder on the coffee table. He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I should apologize for deceiving you, but I cannot in all honesty say I am sorry. The chemistry between us is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I envy the relationship you had with my brother.”
He paused seemingly waiting for her response. Gemma stared back at him. She would not give him that satisfaction.
Leo seemed to realise he was waiting in vain. “I will leave you to look at that folder. My mother is here to answer any questions you may have. I will speak with you tomorrow.” He turned and left the same way he’d entered, leaving Gemma and his mother staring at each other.
Gemma glanced at the folder as if it were a snake. “What’s in there?”
Tressa gave her a soft smile and then sat down on a couch, patting the area beside her. “Please. Sit.”
Gemma did so, afraid to reach for the folder. Tressa seemed content to wait. Finally, Gemma’s curiosity got the best of her. She opened the folder and saw a sheath of papers. They looked like certificates of some sort. A piece of paper, written in Alexi’s familiar scrawl was attached to the front. It was smeared in several places, but Gemma thought she could make out the gist of it. She picked it up and read it quietly to herself, her eyes growing bigger with each word she read.
I, Alexi Moustakas, being of sound mind and body, do hereby authorize the transfer of ownership of the following stock certificates in Moustakas Shipping to one Gemma Larsen, of Washington, D.C. in their entirety. This transfer will be complete upon the event of my death, or at a time I declare is right.
A signature was at the bottom, as was a notary seal and block.
Gemma turned to Tressa. “I’m not sure I understand.”
The older woman inclined her head. “That is why I insisted on being here. Alexi and you had a relationship?”
Gemma’s shoulders slumped. “I thought so. We were together for about three weeks two years ago, but then he said he had to go away on business and never returned.” She paused, her next words laced with the defeat and betrayal that still felt raw. “He didn’t even give me his real name. I tried to find him after I found out I was pregnant with Damien, but the private detective I hired couldn’t come up with anything.” Gemma laughed sadly. “I knew he was of Mediterranean descent, but not that he was Greek. Not until…until Leo found me.”
“Did Leo introduce himself as Alexi?”
Gemma shook her head, “No. I thought he was Alexi.” She blushed. “I fainted when I saw him. But he could have corrected my thinking at any time.”
Tressa nodded her head, “Maybe. He was tasked with getting the stock back into the company. His father confided in me earlier that Leo is being blackmailed by the board of directors.”
“Blackmailed?” Gemma turned to stare at the door Leo had left through.“He doesn’t seem the kind of man to allow that to happen to him.”
“No, but family loyalty is a strong force. Leo’s uncle is prepared to gift Petrina with his share of the company stock upon the event of her marriage to Leo. Regardless of whether the stock Alexi held was returned or not, Leo would then have enough stock to control the company.”
“So Petrina really is his fiancé?” Gemma hoped her expression didn’t convey how she felt about the idea of Leo and that vile woman as a couple.
“No, I believe Leo would rather marry a dog than that woman.” Tressa grimaced. “Don’t get me wrong. I’ve watched her grow up, but she has not grown into a very nice woman. She is shallow and personally I can’t imagine having her for a daughter-in-law.”
Gemma laughed before covering her mouth with her hand. “Sorry.” Her laughter was part nerves, part relief.
“Don’t be. Now, about the stock certificates. With the declaration of my son’s death, you have become a very wealthy woman. You have enough stock to have a seat at the board table if you so desire.”
Gemma stared down at the certificates. “I don’t want to have a seat at any board table. I don’t know the first thing about boats…”
“Ships, dear.” Tressa corrected her.
Gemma blushed. “Ships. Big ships. Anyway, I don’t anything about that sort of thing. I really just want to restore art and raise my son.”
“Well, regardless of what you want, you now have enough money and leverage to make a new life for yourself.”
“But Leo… He threatened to keep Damien here and not let him leave.”
Tressa spoke quietly. “My husband and I are old and we would like to see our only grandchild grow up here, amidst all of the things only we can provide for him. Please, consider your next steps carefully. He is all we have left of Alexi.”
Gemma was silent. Tressa and Vasil were Damien’s only grandparents... “You said Alexi was declared dead?”
Tressa shut her eyes. “His ship went down at sea. After an extensive three-week search, the authorities declared him dead. There are very strong currents in the area he was last reported being in and several storms went through while they were searching.” Tressa wiped tears from her eyes. “Alexi’s body was not recovered. Vasil felt it was time to move forward with life.
“I can’t tell you how happy meeting Damien has made my husband and myself. It is like having a small piece of Alexi back with us. Damien is a lovely boy and you’ve done a very good job with him. We would like to be a part of his life going forward. Is that too much to ask? We want to give him…the world.”
Gemma had contemplated those very things during the long hours she’d spent in her suite of rooms after discovering Leo’s true identity. The Moustakas family was extremely wealthy and she was not. She wanted to be the one to give Damien the world, but she also worried that the price for doing so would ruin her. Gemma swallowed. “I don’t think I can make any decisions right now. This is a lot to take in.”
Tressa patted her hand and stood. “Take all of the time you need. But, please, don’t think you need to hide up here by yourself. I very much enjoyed getting to know your son today. I know Leo has enjoyed being around him.”
Gemma stayed where she was as Tressa left, so tired and emotionally wrung out, she simply wanted to shut her eyes and go to sleep. Alexi was presumed dead. His twin brother was not only handsome, but the chemistry between them was unlike anything she’d ever dreamed of. She drew a deep breath. He asked me to marry him. Despite everything that had happened between them, she was tempted by it. While that might solve one problem, it could also create a whole bunch of new ones.
Gemma paced back and forth across the length of her room. Alexi’s parents obviously love Damien already and I want them to have a chance to see him grow up... But that meant bringing him to Greece, or moving permanently. What about my life back in the States? And what about Leo? What if, now that his secret is out, his offer of marriage is no longer on the table? Where would I fit into the scheme of things if I stayed here?
She sank down onto the couch again, no closer to any answers than before. She looked at the folder containing the stock certificates and shook her head. The Alexi she’d known wouldn’t have given a second thought to doing something so extravagant. The date of the letter seemed to coincide with his departure from her life. Did he know, somehow, he wouldn’t be coming back tome?
Another piece of the puzzle that needs solving.
Gemma yawned. Exhaustion grabbed hold of her. Knowing nothing would be gained by staying up all night, she headed for the bed she shared with her small son. Snuggling against Damien, she drifted off to sleep. Decisions could wait until tomorrow.