Chapter 1: Ten Years Later

Elena Leventis was now 20. She returned to Athens, Greece one month ago. She got an apartment by the sea close to her job at an elite restaurant. After her parents death, she studied hard, taking online courses in management. When she came back to Athens, she opened her own restaurant. Elena was now a grown young lady. Her blonde hair was cropped short and had reddish orange highlights. She wore a black Alexander Wang fitted cut-out skirt, a flirty silk green Leaves Of Grass portia top, and green Carvela Astroid Suede high heel platform shoes. She quickly hopped into her red BMW M3 convertible and zoomed away. Today was the grand opening of her restaurant, Elena's.

It was around dinner time. A black Cadillac drove up to the entrance of Elena's. An elderly man and pale looking woman came out of the car, heading toward the door.
"We made a reservation." the man said.
"What is your name?" asked the greeter.
"Mikhael Contos."
"This way please." The greeter escorted them to the second floor to a in the far corner. All the guests were seated on the first floor so the couple had some privacy. Five minutes later, a silver Toyota SUV pulled up to the door and a late middle aged couple stepped out.
"We are here to meet Mikhael Contos." the man said.
"What is your name?" the greeter asked.
"Gavriil Murga."
"This way please." the greeter said leading them to the second floor.
"Gavriil." Mikhael said. "Thank you for coming."
"It is my pleasure Mikhael. Hello Louiza."
"Hello doctor. Olympia." she replied.
The two couples sat down.
"How are you feeling lately?" Gavriil asked Louiza.
"I'm ok thank you."
"You can't stress yourself out too much. Stress can cause the cancer to spread farther."
"Yes thank you."
"I wonder where the children are." Olympia wondered out loud.
"Yanni, called me and said they'll be here in about five minutes." Mikhael said.

Several minutes later, a black BMW 328i screeched to a stop at the entrance. Yanni Contos, grew up to be a handsome 20 year old. His hair was shaggy and brown with blonde highlights here and there. He wore jeans, and a black dress shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. He got out of the passenger seat and opened the door for a girl.
"Hurry up Sofia, our parents are waiting." he complained at the girls pace. The 20 year old girl had long black messy hair with bleach blonde highlights. Her features were big. She wore a red and black colorblock tube dress and red Michael Antonio BELEN gladiator heels. Sophia wasn't the brightest girl. Her parents were rich, mostly because of her father's money. Her father, Gavriil Murga, is a cancer specialist treating Yanni's mother, Louiza. Her mother, Olympia, is an elementary school teacher. The Murga's moved to Athens from Rome, Italy during Sophia's freshman year in high school where she met Yanni. They were friends and would always stay that way. She loved a boy from Italy, but her parents were now arranging a marriage for her with Yanni.

As the couple came through the door, Elena walked down the stairs from her office.
"Julian, will you please lock up for me, I'm leaving now." she asked the greeter.
"Sure thing Elena, I'll see you tomorrow?" it was a question. Elena didn't need to come to work everyday. She just came in from time to time to check up on things.
"I'll stop by but not for long." she smiled and turned to leave. She stopped in her tracks dropping her purse as she almost ran into Sophia.
"Oh, I'm extremely sorry." Elena apologized.
"It's alright, no harm done." Sophia smiled turning toward Julian.
"Our parents, Gavriil and Olympia Murga have arrived already, please take us to them."
"Right this way miss." Julian said turning to show the way. Sophia followed while Yanni helped Elena gather up her things that dropped from her purse.
"Thank you so much, you shouldn't." Elena protested.
"It's alright, it was Sophie's fault, she always sneaks up on people without realizing it." Yanni explained. They stood up.
"Thanks again." Elena smiled and headed out the door in a rush. The little confrontation is making her late.
"No problem." Yanni muttered under his breath watching her.

"Elena!" a girl screeched at the top of her lungs, causing the people in the airport to look around. The girl was 20. A friend of Elena's from high school. Her hair was short and red spiking at the sides. Her features were smiled but defined. She wore a black ruched tube romper with a white t-shirt and white tights underneath and black flats. She pulled a large blue over sized suitcase behind her.
"Kelly Murphy, you are the loudest girl on earth." Elena said pulling the girl into a hug.
"Oh I've missed you." Kelly said.
"I've missed you too. Though it's only been a month."
"Ella, you rushed off right after your birthday and we didn't even get to say a proper goodbye."
"Sorry. Well now you will stay with me and we will definitely hang out" Elena promised her friend. They loaded the suitcase in the trunk of Elena's car and headed off.

"Oh my God, your apartment is so cool" Kelly emphasized the "so cool" part.
"Thanks. I like it its comfortable. " Elena responded indifferently as they walked in through the door. "Come I'll show you your room."
The bedroom wasn't big. In fact the apartment itself wasn't big. It was a reasonable size for a person living alone. The room was light blue and white.
"It's so cute, thanks Elena." Kelly squealed. She was always one for exaggerating emotions.
"I decorated it when I moved it, so it's nothing. How long are you staying for?"
"Are you driving me out already?" Kelly pouted causing Elena to chuckle.
"No, I just want to know how to plan everything out."
"Three months." Kelly answered cheerfully plopping down on the full sized bed.
"Are you hungry?"
"No, I ate on the plane. I was surprised that airplane food was actually good." Elena shook her head.
"Do you want to sleep or go swim in the pool?"
"The pool," she jumped up like a little kid and opened her suitcase throwing clothes all over the room.
"Make sure you put all that away neatly in the closet. I'll go change." Elena warned Kelly. Kelly was a messy girl and Elena was just the opposite.

Elena's room was on the other side across the living room. It was bigger than Kelly's, but still small. It was elegant and neat with a white canopy bed. A large glass french door was on the far wall going out onto the balcony with the view of the sea. Elena opened the bottom drawer of her dresser and pulled out a a light blue OP Monokini swimsuit. As she was tyeing the back, Kelly burst in the door wearing a black one piece Victoria's Secret swimsuit.
"Elena, can you help me tie it?" She finished tying her own and turned to her. As she was tying the back of the suit, Elena glanced at the tattoo on Kelly's lower back. It was a picture of two snakes coming together in a heart. She and Kelly got their tattoos together on her 18th birthday. Elena got a tattoo of a butterfly on her lower back.

Yanni drove Sophia to her house. The wedding date was set for next year in April. April. Yanni thought to himself ignoring Sophie's chattering. It's Ella's 21st birthday in April of next year. Last year, Yanni's father, retired and they found out his mother had cancer. They moved closer to the hospital because they didn't want to leave her there. Sophie's father permitted her to stay at home as long as the house was close to their house. And it was. They bout a house only four streets down.
"So I was thinking of doing an engagement party two months before the wedding inviting our high school class." Sophie's voice cut in.
"Whatever." Yanni mumbled.
"Look, I know you're as excited as I am, but we at least need to seem like it to our parents." Sophie complained.
"Maybe everything will somehow work out and we won't have to get married."
"Maybe." We stopped in front of her house and I said goodnight.

Yanni's house was a stone house on the sea coast. He parked his car and went to his room. He plopped down on the bed and closed his eyes. Oh Ella. How are you doing? I'm so sorry I can't keep my promise yet.