The Art of Love and Treachery

Chapter 5: The Art of Love and Treachery

            Cassandra slammed the door of the taxi as the driver threw her small suitcase into the trunk. She was headed towards the private airport where the Christokis family kept a Lear jet in the US; they’d be flying to Greece with a short fuel stop on the way. When Frank’s secretary had told her the plans, Cassandra had shaken her head – what a waste. Just because you had money didn’t mean you had to go throwing it around needlessly, like on your own personal Lear jet. But then Cassandra had never been very interested in the luxurious lifestyle of the superrich. She could go along with it for business purposes, but she found it exhausting. She wasn’t an art dealer for the money; in fact, Cassandra was known in the art world as an artist’s dealer: art dealers often run into conflict with the artists they represent, but Cassandra was really only interested in the art and the artists. Most art dealers didn’t work like that because it wasn’t a good business plan, but Cassandra had grown her own grateful clientele list with her unorthodox ways.

            When the taxi pulled up at the small airport, Cassandra paid and tipped the driver well. She tugged her suitcase into the building and gave her name to the woman standing by to help. “Cassandra O’Shea – or Cassandra Christokis. Not sure which name was given. I’m with the Christokis party.” She handed over her passport for the

            “Yes, Mrs. Christokis.” Ah, so Nikos wasn’t concealing her relation to him and his family. Interesting. “If you’d care to sit down, I’ll bring your passport back to you when I’m done. Jerome will provide you with refreshments.

            Cassandra felt tempted to raise a skeptical eyebrow but suppressed the urge. A man came to take her suitcase in hand and get her drink order. Cassandra relinquished her belongings and asked for sparkling water before sitting down in the armchairs provided. She was the first to arrive from her party, but Nikos soon came bursting through the airport doors, followed by his lawyer.

            They went through a similar routine as Cassandra had, but Nikos garnered a warm smile and a “welcome back, Mr. Christokis” from the staff. Without really acknowledging her presence, Nikos sank into a nearby armchair. Frank nodded his head and greeted Cassandra respectfully before he took his phone out of his pocket and checked his messages.

            “Miss Morningside will arrive shortly,” Frank informed his boss as he sat down.

            “Whitney is coming? You’re bringing your mistress with us?” Cassandra demanded, outraged, as she sat up straighter in her seat.

            Nikos hardly glanced at his wife. “Well, I can’t be sure that you’ll fill that particular role for me, and I have needs.”

            Cassandra bit back a sneer and instead coolly said, “You can’t go for a long weekend without sex? That shows an uncommon lack of discipline from one who carries the Christokis name. What would daddy say?”

            Nikos scowled. “You’ll be civil to my father when you see him.” The two had never gotten along, even in the good times.

            “Only if Elias is civil to me. I’m not the usual sycophant of your father’s that everyone else, including you, plays at being.”

            “Cassandra,” he growled warningly.

            She flicked a hand dismissively. “Forget it, Nik. If your father starts an argument with me, I won’t be the one backing down.”

            Nikos didn’t answer that, diverting his gaze to a corner of the room instead. Cassandra had never backed down from any argument, ever. He admired that quality in her even though it infuriated him. “Why are you so insulted anyway? Were you hoping to sleep with me?” he finally asked, almost casual enough to disguise its intended malice. Nikos Christokis was known for being vicious when dealing with his enemies and he had long ago placed his wife in that category.