Arianna Contos' POV
I was biting my lower lips when Tomas parked the car in front of the courtyard before the butler was opening the door and we were out of the car as I was taking a deep breath. I don't think that I will be coming to this mansion again but I was.
"Don't look so nervous, coz. It will be fine. Mama will not be mad at you," Tomas reassured me but I doubted it. If one thing I know about Aunt Sylvia, she will never let a grudge go easily.
"Ms. Arianna Contos, daughter of Phillip Contos, granddaughter of Giorgio Contos, the 14th Duchess of Attica. Where have you been that you only came back when I know that you have gone missing for 4 years?!" Aunt Sylvia's voice was screaming from the front door as I was closing my eyes. Tomas was holding his laughter.
"Thank you for the warning that you never gave me," I hissed at him as he shrugged. Then I sighed before I was opening my eyes and my aunt was coming at me with her face fumed with anger.
And that anger was me.
I smiled at her before she was stopping in front of me as she was checking up and down. I was breathing hard before I was greeting her.
"Good to see you, aunty. You look great in the last 4 years," I said before my aunt was pulling me into her arms that I was being squeezed to death. I am going to kill Tomas after this.
"Oh, you got me worried sick. Where have you been all these years? Are you doing fine? Are you eating well? Considering that you are not skin and bones, I guess not," she said as she was hugging me like a bear. I stopped breathing before I was trying to release myself from the death grip.
"Mother, I think Ari has enough of that. Let her breathe please," Tomas said after a few minutes that I was being suffocated by my aunt. I was thankful that she released me before she was cradling my face.
"Oh, you poor baby. What will your father yell at me if I was not doing a good job of taking good care of you," my aunt said as I was rolling my eyes. My father was her brother and she swore that she will take care of me like her own.
"Seriously aunty, chill out. I am fine and I am well. I got caught up in the job that I have in France," I said as I was looking at my aunt and Tomas was arching his eyebrow at me.
"A job?"
"Why I never knew about this?"
I rolled my eyes before I was smiling at them. I took aunt Sylvia's hands and squeezed them.
"It was nothing. I wanted to be in the City of Love for a while and get some experience by being a museum curator as I was looking after the old paintings. Seriously, it was nothing to be proud of," I said as I was looking at my aunt. She nodded.
"Well, it's all in the past. You're here now, back in your home country. So I guess we can forget that chapter of our life," she said as she was parring my hand. But I can't, not when I know that man was around. When Fate was being cruel to us.
God, why I have to meet him again?!
I smiled before aunt Sylvia was ushering me into the mansion that the Levakis has been living here for centuries. The Levakis used to be the royalty of Greece and they still have that influence in this modern world but it was more like a title that no one cares about.
Unless you're from the Old World. Then, my cousin and his family will be respected. I guess I just don't want to be in the spotlight then.
"Come, I have made some food for you to eat. You need to put on some weight," aunt Sylvia said as I was looking at myself.
"What's wrong with my body?"
"Oh nothing but you can put some muscle into it," she said before I was rolling my eyes. Tomas snickered at me before I was glaring at him as we were entering the house. I guessed I will be here for a while.
After we have caught up on everything for the last 4 years that my aunt wanted to know, I have told her that I will be staying at The Hypnos Camp. Aunt Sylvia was not having it but I did convince her that it would be awkward for me to stay at the mansion.
Until I got used to Greece again.
"I promise I will tell you immediately after I got the job. I know that it will be hard but I hope that you will not be mad at me, aunty," I said as I was hugging my father's sister before she was sniffing.
"Okay, I know. I understand. You don't want to be pressured of getting married and being under the scope of the socialite of Greek society. I will try my best to conceal your homecoming as much as I could," aunt Sylvia said as I was nodding at her.
"Thank you, aunty. You're the best!" I said as she laughed at my statement.
"I know darling, I know," she said as I was sliding into the passenger seat as Tomas will be driving me to the hotel.
"Bye, see you later,"
"Come visit me often. I am lonely and Tomas was no fun to talk to,"
"Hey! Mama!" Tomas said before I was smiling and we were off from the mansion. I leaned against the chair as I sighed in relief.
"Feeling better?"
"Very much. I don't think that aunt Sylvia will let the past be in the past. She was not mad at all," I said before Tomas was smirking at me.
"Believe me, I don't think mama will get mad that long. She was just happy that you are here again," he said as I was nodding at my cousin.
"Well, thank you anyway," I said as Tomas laughed.
"For what?"
"For taking care of her. I know I was being a bad niece but the thrill of the adventure…I cannot resist it. But I have enough of it,"
"For now?" Tomas asked me as I smirked at him.
"Yes, for now. But who knows? I might be finding something that will keep me in Greece forever later on," I said as Tomas was smirking at me.
"Amen to that sister," he said before he was speeding in the highway to the hotel that I have booked for a month in advanced since I will be doing my side job here and I have to find a way to make sure that The Citrine of Greece went to whom it belonged.
My family.
Tomas parked the car outside the hotel as the valet was coming to check in the car but Tomas refused as it will be a moment as I got out and Tomas was pulling my luggage out of the trunk.
"So, this is it for the next 4 weeks," Tomas said as he was smiling sadly at me.
"Yeah, it's not much but it will help with the grief," I said as I was looking at the hotel that my father built from scratch. It still standing tall with five-stars amenities but that was because of my cousin Tomas maintenance that he got from his businesses. I think I have to find another way to get this hotel moving.
"So, I see you when I see you?" Tomas asked me as I was punching his chest playfully.
"You bet. But I will be mostly at the museum of Athens. You might come if you have the time. I will give you a private tour of the place," I said as Tomas was laughing before he was staring at something. I turned to look who was it but there was no one.
I turned to look at my cousin before he blinked a few times and handed me the luggage.
"Have a good night," Tomas said as I was rolling my eyes.
"It's hardly 4 PM,"
"I know but I know that you will be hitting the town tonight," he said as he smirked at me. I blushed.
"I am not!"
"Whatever you say, Ari," Tomas said before we kissed cheeks and he was speeding off from the hotel. I was waving my hand at him before I went inside the hotel and checked myself in. My room was 414 and I was happy to know that there will be no one will be disturbing me while I was doing my side job.
Maybe I should ask Lyana to join me but she was not picking up her phone. What the hell was she even doing?! She never ignored me like this!
I sighed as the receptionist Alexandra gave me the keys and card as I thanked her. I went to the elevator and I was going to my room. The elevator dinged and I went to stand in front of my room before I unlocked it.
I went inside and it was a nice room that will give me peace as I will be doing my work. I cracked my neck before I was smiling around the room.
"Let's get to work shall we?" I said as I was closing the door and set the room up for my base of operation in Greece.