Zeus

The chopper landed smoothly on the palace grounds at 9 a.m. As soon as I stepped out, a butler was waiting to show me inside.

As I entered Buckingham Palace, my eyes caught the grand halls, the gold accents, and the many historical paintings. Every visit made me feel like walking into a museum where touching anything was off-limits.

The footman opened the dining room doors, and I walked in.

"Oh, there he is!" Queen Emerald—my dad's sister—flashed a big smile and put down her teacup. "Right on time."

"Of course, that is expected of him. He runs a billion-dollar shipping company. Aren't we all counting on him with our investment?" said King Philip, hidden behind the morning paper. He was my aunt's husband and my dad's best friend. Our family always referred to him as Harry.

"Okay, Uncle, I heard you. Don't worry, your money's safe with me."

He put down the papers, grinned, and gave me a big hug. "Hello, Zeus. It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you both, too." I grinned and gave my aunt a hug as well. I took a seat, and a maid poured me a cup of coffee.

Aunt Emerald examined me closely, her forehead creased in concern. "Oh dear, it seems like you've lost weight."

Looking down at myself, I smirked and said, "Pretty sure I look the same."

She shook her head. "No, you don't. You need a wife to take care of you."

I nearly choked on my coffee. "Wow. Straight to the marriage talk before I even finish my first cup? Impressive."

Aunt Emerald smiled, looking guilty.

"So, you've been talking to grandpa Eros, huh?" I asked.

"Well..." She shrugged, "You know how he is. He wants to see you settled before—"

"Before he forgets who I am?" I finished dryly.

She gave me a pointed look. "Don't joke. He's serious about this."

Grandpa Eros had been pressuring me to marry since I turned 27. As the first heir of the Petrakis Business Empire, I was expected to settle down so grandpa could meet his great-grandchildren—the next generation of Petrakis Heirs—before dementia or Alzheimer's took his memories.

But I wasn't even interested in dating, let alone marriage. I was fine being on my own. Content. It was safer keeping to myself.

I took a sip of my coffee again and said, "So, what am I supposed to do? Just pick a woman and start making babies to keep Grandpa Eros happy?"

Uncle Harry chuckled aloud. "That could work."

"Don't tempt me." I smirked. "I might hire an actress to play my fiancée and get everyone off my back."

Aunt Emerald gasped in mock horror. "Zeus Petrakis, deceiving his own family? What a scandal."

Uncle Harry put down his cup and leaned forward. "Or you could do it the proper way—meet someone, fall in love, and get married. Like we did." He looked at his wife adoringly.

"I wish it's as simple as it sounds." I said, shaking my head.

My heart was like a stone—incapable of beating fast for a woman. It had been that way for the last eight years, ever since things with Zoe had crumbled.

No, falling in love would be impossible.

"Don't worry, dear. We'll make sure you meet plenty of charming ladies at the next royal event," Aunt Emerald assured me, tapping my arm.

I leaned back in my chair. "And I'll make sure to disappear halfway through the evening."

Uncle Harry chuckled aloud. "You're just like your father. Stubborn as ever."

I smirked, looking at Aunt Emerald, who I knew was equally stubborn. "Runs in the Petrakis family, doesn't it?"

Suddenly, the dining room doors swung open. My cousin, Prince Magnus, looking half-awake with his hair still a mess, strolled in like he had all the time in the world.

"Look who finally decided to join us," Uncle Harry announced dryly, glancing at his watch.

"Good morning to you too, father," he said, yawning.

Uncle Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're supposed to be here at eight, Magnus."

Magnus blinked in surprise. "I am here at eight."

Uncle Harry gave him a disapproving look. "It's already nine."

Magnus shrugged nonchalantly. "Time is merely a social construct."

Uncle Harry's jaw twitched. "And what if it's your turn to rule England one day? Do you think the people will wait for their king to wake up at noon?"

Magnus smirked. "I supposed they might...if I'll declare it a national holiday."

Uncle Harry sighed in defeat. "You are hopeless."

Magnus grinned and turned to me, giving me a quick hug. "Zeus, my man! Good to see you. Still single and disappointing grandfather Eros?"

"Oh, not you too," I said.

"Of course, us too!" Princess Valerie—Magnus' younger sister—entered the dining room, wearing a tennis outfit. "Hello, Zeus."

"Val!" I called out, and she rushed over, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

She sat down next to me and said, "Grandpa had been going on and on about how you're 27 and still not married. It's the scandal of the century."

"Actually, he talks about it more than politics." Magnus smirked. "Maybe he should just arrange a marriage for you. Old-school style."

I held up a hand. "Let's not give him ideas. The man is already one step away from locking me in a room with eligible women and seeing who lasts the longest."

Valerie gasped. "Oh my God, like a romantic Hunger Games? I'd pay to see that!"

I groaned. "Remind me never to come here again."

Aunt Emerald, who had been sipping her tea, smiled. "Oh, don't be dramatic, dear. We only want you to be happy."

Valerie grinned. "Don't pressure yourself."

Magnus smirked. "Yeah, no pressure at all. Just your entire family breathing down your neck. But take your time."

I shook my head. "You two are the worst."

Valerie winked. "And you love us."

I smirked, glancing at my watch. "And unfortunately, I have to run. The trade expo starts shortly."

Valerie smiled. "Saved by the bell."

I hugged everyone and promised I'd be back, then headed for the helicopter. As the wings whirled to life and took off for the expo, the marriage interrogation weighed on my mind.

But the only person I thought about during the entire conversation—

Zoe.

***

As the clock struck 10 am, I waltzed into the conference room at the final possible moment to find only one seat open, and a pair of familiar eyes glaring at me across the table.

Zoe looked perfectly polished and somehow even more breathtaking than she had in the kitchen two hours ago. Not that I'd noticed then or now, of course.

I smirked at her, thinking of how flustered she'd been last night, and her gaze dropped to her notes as if she was remembering the very same thing.

"Miss Stavrakos," I murmured, settling into my seat. "Looks like the organizers think we'd work well together."

She scoffed, a low little sound, but didn't respond.

"Good morning, everyone!" John greeted a moment later as he entered the conference room. "Thank you all for coming. Today we'll hear presentations from our expo participants and discuss logistics."

John gave a quick rundown of the expo. I tried to focus, but I could feel Zoe's eyes on me. Whenever I looked up, she'd quickly look away, like we were playing some silly game from high school.

"We'll start with presentations from our featured companies," John said, then turned to Zoe. "Zoe Stavrakos from Vital Harvest. Would you like to start?"

She stood up, and I could tell from the way she wrung her hands that she was nervous.

"Vital Harvest started in the kitchen of my apartment two years ago," she said. "I wanted to create food that was both healthy and delicious. Food that made people feel good and not guilty after indulging."

Most of the exhibitors laughed, but I could barely find a breath. Her voice...God, her voice. She was talking with the same passion that used to make my heart race when we were teenagers.

"Our products use only organic ingredients," she continued. "We work with local farmers to get the freshest fruits, vegetables, and grains. We make everything with love and care."

I tried to keep my face calm during her presentation as she showed pictures of her products and engaged with the audience. But inside, my heart was anything but steady.

My mind slipped back to high school—to us. We were so young and crazy in love. Back then, anything felt possible. We thought about our dreams of changing the world for the better and made promises that would last forever.

Zoe had stayed true to her promises. But I hated that I couldn't say I'd stayed true to mine.

When she was done, everyone clapped. I glanced over at John Somersby, grinning from ear to ear.

She was breathtaking. Not just beautiful—but powerful. Smart and confident.

"Thank you, Zoe," John said. "That was excellent. Now, let's move on to the next presentation."

John passed out some papers to me as Zoe sat. "These are the expo floor plans. Please take one and pass them along."

I took one and reached to pass the rest to Zoe at the same time she extended for them. Our fingers touched. Just for a split second. But it was like touching a live wire. A spark of electricity shot through me. I pulled my hand back quickly, almost dropping the papers.

Zoe looked just as surprised as I did. Our eyes met, her eyes widening. Then she quickly put on her detached, straight-faced look. But I could feel she felt it, too.

We both acted like nothing had happened. The meeting went on and other participants presented their companies. I tried to focus, but my mind kept wandering back to that moment our hands touched.

I wondered what would have happened if I'd chosen differently eight years ago.

As the meeting wrapped up, people started leaving. Zoe gathered her things slowly, as if trying to avoid walking out with me.

I rose from the table, and John came toward me, nodding for me to follow him out.

"We need everything to run perfectly," John said. "This expo is important for all of us."

"Don't worry," I replied. "I'll handle it."

"I'm counting on your shipping expertise for this expo," John said. "With your company handling all the transportation logistics, I know we're in excellent hands."

I thought about what Zoe had said last night about asking John to make an exception to avoid having her products shipped with my family. Now was as good a time as any to curb that plan before it could ever take root.

If Zoe wanted to play games with me, I'd win.

"What about the distribution deals you're working on closing?" I asked, lowering my voice. "I'm not sure if everyone is keen on shipping their products with my shipping company. I'd hope you wouldn't consider a competitor if it comes to that."

"Deliveries are crucial. I trust only you to handle my products, no one else," John said firmly, and I fought back the urge to grin widely. "If they can't trust you as their shipping partner, then I can't give them a distribution deal."

"I appreciate the loyalty, John," I said, patting him on the back.

As I opened the door to the conference hall, I spotted Zoe behind us, frozen in place, clearly having overheard my conversation.

She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

If she were to secure the distribution deal with John's company Fresh-Food, there was no doubt now that I would be in charge of shipping her products around the world.

We wouldn't just see each other this week. We'd be working together. For years, maybe.

I smirked at her, raising my chin as if to say checkmate.

How was she going to handle that?