Page 164 of Modern Romance May 2026 Books 5-8
He looked up from his laptop—old and whirring so loudly she could hear it at the doorway—and nodded. “Sit, Ari.”
She did as she was told, taking the seat across from his worn desk, folding her hands in her lap. “I hope all is well with the fight.”
“Yes. You seem ready.”
“I am,” she said firmly, because she was. She worked hard. Every day she worked hard to be ready.
“Good. That isn’t what I called you in to discuss.” He turned his ancient laptop to face her. On the screen was a picture. Ari leaned forward to study it.
Grainy and poor quality but still faces could be made out. Her face—eyes closed, chin tipped up as she leaned back into Zervou, who had his arm around her abdomen. Intimately.
So intimately, she’d somehow thought it a good idea to go home with him. Have sex with him.
She should probably have regrets, but even after histhis is not realproclamation, she had none. The night had been…amazing. Truly. As an athlete, she thought she knew everything her body could do. She’d learned new things last night.
And now was not the time to consider them. She shifted, cleared her throat. “Is there a problem?”
“No,” Lefteris replied. “Problem is not the word. Opportunity, I think, is a better one.”
Confused, Ari said nothing.
“There was talk, of course, since he has now been here twice. And word is he dropped you off this morning. But I still did not believe it. Until this. You…and Zervou Kritikos.”
Ari tried not to fidget in her seat. She didn’t know why they’d be discussing this, and she could hardly tell Lefteris it was fake… Well, sort of fake. So all she could do was confirm. “Yes.”
“I do not wish to dig into your private business, Ari. But it has to be said. If you could talk to him about sponsoring you, we could go to the fight in Minsk. If you put a bug in his ear, we could host fights in his new stadium. Do you understand what a boon it would be for our gym ifZervou Kritikoswas behind us?”
Ari knew he was right, but it twisted a lot of discomfort in her chest. She couldn’t blame Lefteris for such a thought, but to bring it to her… To suggest…
“Are you suggesting I prostitute myself for the gym, Lefteris?”
The older man sighed. “I have been nothing but good to you, Ari.”
Which did not answer her direct question, did it? Still, he wasn’t wrong. Not everyone had been kind to her here. Not everyone had been supportive. But ever since seeing her first bout, really seeing her potential, Lefteris had been both. A manager in many senses of the word. She would not be where she was without his help.
Now he wanted her to beg for money. From Zervou. Mr. This Isn’t Real.
As if she could ever believe something so glorious was hers to have and hold. He didn’t know her at all, did he? And didn’t need to. That was the point he was making, after all. They could have fun on the side of their mission, but it didn’t change that they would part cleanly. As strangers.
And there was nothing sad about that.
But Lefteris wanted her to use her nonexistent romantic influence on Zervou and…
Real didn’t matter. Not in this instance. She would not beg for money. She’d worked too hard and come too far to owe anyone.
Even Zervou.
Everything he offered had to be his own idea, or she would not take it. It was a line she had to draw for herself to keep this whole bizarre situation from getting out of control. From turning into something it would be hard to lose.
Asking and getting could be an addiction like any other, and Ari knew when to not allow herself luxuries that might become too enticing.
Do you?
She pushed that traitorous thought away. Yes, she was enjoying something now, but she understood it was temporary, and it was only because they were simply reaching for the same goal—the end of her father. If Zervou was mixed up in her profession, that could lead to messy and complex situations after Erjon was taking care of.
No, she wouldn’t risk that.
But how did she explain that to her manager, who thought she really was in a relationship with Zervou?
