Sapphire St. Clair's POV

"Relax, will you?" I heard the gentle reminder to the man sitting beside me so sanguinely at the back of the car as we made our way to my grandfather's estate in the Hamptons. "You look like a woman who is about to face a firing squad today instead of having dinner with her family."

I eyed him sideways before focusing back my gaze on my window. "How accurate is your description of how I exactly feel at the moment."

Loukas held my cold hand and squeezed it affectionately. "Relax, I'm sure everything will be okay. It's just a dinner with your family we've done this countless times before. I don't think there's much different from the others before."

I focused my gaze on his exasperatingly. "But that was before we were still married at that time and now..."

"And now what?"

I paused for a moment searching for the right words that wouldn't start another row with him. The last thing I wanted was to have a squabble with him minutes before I joined my family for dinner.

Daniel changed the original plan last minute when he informed me before boarding Loukas' plane that he organized a family dinner and he was expecting me to be there also since Emerald and Ruby's husband were in town Daniel claims that all members of his family were in New York at once so he was happy to see them.

I never had the chance to inform him during our conversation that Loukas had joined me on this trip or that he was with me right this moment accompanying me to this dinner Granddad hosted. Honestly, I also didn't know how to bring up the topic with Daniel.

I just hope that my family would recover from their shock instantly upon seeing me arrive with Loukas, especially my sisters. I hope that they won't ask unnecessary questions that I have not yet been ready to answer over dinner.

"Sapphire...?" Loukas's concerned voice brought me back to the present time. "...are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

He didn't look convinced at my assurance. "You seem miles away from me. Care to share what's going on?"

It amazed me until now that this man knew me too well for his good. I tried to smile for his benefit but he probably guessed how slightly forced that smile was. "I'm just thinking about my sisters' reaction when they see you tonight. You know I haven't told them yet about us. I'm pretty sure they'll have the shock of their lives."

"Will they all be present tonight?" He asked, intertwining our fingers together. I'm still astounded by how my fingers fit perfectly with his large ones.

"Yes," I replied focusing my attention on our conversation. I dragged away from my eyes from our locked fingers. "Everyone would be there including Roman." When I saw the confusion in his face I added. "Ruby's husband."

He smiled at the thought while shaking his head slightly. "I still couldn't believe that your wayward younger sister is now married."

"No one can believe either at first," I admitted recalling how Emerald gathered information about her secretive twin's personal life. "Well, probably except for Daniel the moment Ruby went back to New York, Granddad knew something was up."

"That's Daniel for you."

I smiled back at him. He knew how capable my grandfather was when he wanted to know something. Besides, he has gotten pretty much close to Daniel during our marriage they even shared business ventures until now. That's one of the things that left me uncomfortable when we got divorced Granddad was still very much close to him and still doing business with Loukas.

"Were you fine with the idea before that Daniel never cut ties with me even after we separated?" Loukas suddenly asked as if reading my mind. "Does it bother you that I'm still his business partner after all that happened?"

I looked at him straight in the eyes. "Honestly? It did bother me since the last thing I wanted after I walked out on our marriage was that you still have communication with my family. The last thing I wanted was to see you every time only to be reminded of what I left behind." I confessed to him justly. "What about you? Why did you continue to do business with Daniel after our divorce was it purely on business or there are other reasons?"

He gave a self-mocking smile as he stared deep into my eyes. "Both. Despite our separation, I cannot deny the fact that business ventures with Daniel were hard to resist. On the other hand, I also want to watch on the sidelines if there would be suitors coming after you after our divorce."

My eyes widened at his revelation yet my heart gave a tiny jolt. "Are you serious? What will you do then?"

Loukas gave me a dangerous smile that made me shiver. "Trust me you don't want to know."

"Try me."

His eyes danced with delight. "Nope."

"Loukas!"

"Sorry, agapiméni." He raised our intertwined hands and kissed the back of my hand. "But I won't tell you. But remember that as a fair warning when someone is sniffing after you." His hard turned dark at the thought. "Just like that damn lawyer."

I raised an eyebrow in his direction. I didn't know why I suddenly felt cheery at the thought of him being jealous. "You mean, Xavier?"

"Who else?" He made a face that I found quite funny. "That man. One day I will have a word with him."

"He didn't do anything. He's just a friend." I pretend to scowl at him openly. "Besides, you are the one to talk to when you are parading that Vitalis heiress in your arms around the hotel for everyone to see."

If I thought that he would deny it fiercely I was sorely mistaken, for he smiled wolfishly in my direction and affectionately brushed my cheeks with his free hand. "Don't tell me you are jealous of her, my darling love?"

"Of course not!"

I sorely regret my immediate response because I think I sounded lying since he smiled pleased with himself as he pulled me in his chest and hugged me tightly. I could hear the steady beat of his heart. "You do know that I love you so much, right? From the moment we met, you have my heart utterly so. How can you doubt my love for you?"

"After all that happened between us, I thought it's better if you find another woman to marry and start your own family with her." I muffled in his chest. Maybe I wasn't prepared for the reality to happen even if I always reminded myself that I no longer have feelings for him.

"Shh..." He said, tenderly rubbing my back to reassure me. "If you are not that woman then I have no interest in getting married again."

I drew back from our embrace and searched his face. "Why do you love me that much after what I did you?"

"I don't know I just do."

I shook my head and rested my head on his strong shoulder. "What kind of answer is that?"

"An honest one."

Before I had the time to retort to him the car finally pulled in at the massive estate of my grandfather. The same estate where my sisters and I spent our weekends and summers along with our grandparents.

"We're here," I muttered as if it wasn't obvious as the car traveled on its way to the entry steps of the mansion.

Once the car stopped in front of the huge fortress Loukas was already on my door side helping me slide out of the car. I never felt more nervous in my life than I have now as he led me to the marble steps of the main entrance. I could feel that my heart was pounding so loudly in my chest. He rang the doorbell with such familiarity as if the two years we'd been separated had not happened.

A uniformed maid opened the door for us with a ready smile on her face. The moment we stepped inside the foyer I saw Emerald standing in the receiving room with a glass of sparkling wine in her hand while chatting with Ruby and her husband who snuggled together on the sofa.

Silence filled the room when they saw us. Only the shattering glass hitting the marble floor greeted our arrival. The fluke glass slipped off Emerald's hand without realizing it.

"Good evening," I muttered almost shyly breaking the awkward silence. Three pairs of eyes were keenly fixed on our intertwined fingers as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Who could blame them? I thought silently, there was no doubt in their mind that we were together in every sense of the word.

"Oh...my...God!" It was Emerald who first recovered from her shock, probably unaware of the housekeeper cleaning the broken glass beside her. "I swear to God if my eyes had been playing a trick on me."

"Hi, Em. Long time no see." Loukas greeted my younger sister with such casualness that we were not creating a big scene here.

"How—how..." The supermodel in our family seemed to be lost for words as she turned to look to her twin sister who remained silent on the sofa beside her husband. "I mean..."

Ruby shook her head detaching herself from her husband as she approached her twin. "Pull yourself together, Em."

"Wow. Sapphire and Loukas are back together. My brain cells temporarily left the earth at the news." Emerald shook her head in disbelief. "Our dear sister just practically gave Daniel an early Christmas gift. Hell, it's only April."

"Hope it's not April's fool for the old man." Roman quipped in. "Are you guys ready to be grilled at the dinner table?"

Ruby glared at her husband before smiling in our direction the way her eyes warmed with delight. "I'm sure Emerald only meant that she's happy to see you guys together again. I'm sure Granddad would be delighted when he sees you."

"Where is he, by the way?" I asked searching around for the man who organized this dinner party. "And where's Amethyst?"

As if on cue, Max was descending from the staircase like the robust child that he was. His brown eyes lit with delight upon seeing Loukas. "Uncle Loukas!"

He ran towards our direction and Loukas opened his arms so the boy would fly straight to his waiting arms. He enveloped the little boy with a warm hug.  My heart lurched at the sight of their happy expression. Ever since Loukas became like the de facto father figure to my nephew that's why Max was very close to him. "Long time no see, buddy."

"Yeah," Max grinned happily. "Look how tall I'd become since the last time I saw you. A few more years and I'd be as tall as you."

Loukas laughed, ruffling the boy's hair. "You're probably right."

"What's with all the noise?" I heard my grandfather inquire, descending to the staircase along with my older sister.

"Look, Gran. You will be over the moon upon seeing who will be joining us over dinner." Emerald announced with a knowing smile on her face.

Daniel's eyes lit with triumph before he blinked them away but I saw it anyway. "Loukas! Good to see you, boy."

"You must do good deeds lately that's why Santa is giving you your early Christmas gift," Emerald commented to Daniel. "You must be ecstatic right this moment."

Granddad gave her a private smile that made me frown. "I always do good things, my child. Always."