The Italian Single Dad. Jennie Adams
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status. She had assumed it on the evidence in front of her. Now doubt formed and Bella experienced that hated feeling of losing control. If Maria really had no money, just a pile of debts…
‘I can’t fail.’ The words were a stark statement, because she simply couldn’t. Failure had ceased to be an option when their parents unforgivably abandoned her, Chrissy and Sophia while her sisters were still in high school. Every struggle since then had underscored that abandonment, and underscored Bella’s condemnation of the man before her because he had mirrored her parents’ actions.
Bella had striven to succeed, and she had done it. For her sisters, and to assure herself they would all be OK, and now she had to do it to assure herself she was OK. ‘As I build a client base, more gowns will sell until eventually Maria ends up making a strong profit from her investment.’
But none of that would work if Maria went bankrupt in the meantime.
As the weight of concern pressed down on her, Bella wanted nothing more than to assure herself she could indeed go forward, successfully, as she intended. ‘I’ll ring Maria. Find out where things really stand.’
Maria could allay Bella’s fears, Bella could send Luchino away. All would be well again, except for Luchino’s determination to be part of Maria’s life, which would bring him into contact with Bella’s life.
‘I can’t allow you to phone my aunt. I don’t want her to know that I bought—that I investigated her.’ He paused and cleared his throat, then said in a grudging tone, ‘I want a chance to get to know her without business matters getting in the way.’
Again that reference to a hunger for family. It confused Bella, and all of a sudden she wanted the comfort of her family, of hearing her sisters’ voices. Her hand reached for her bag beneath the counter, for the cellphone within. She could get either of them with a single press of a button. Then she stopped herself.
Later she could talk to Chrissy and Soph. Right now, if she tried to talk to either of them, she would say too much. Give too much away.
They knew about that ill-fated trip to Milan, but Bella had downplayed its impact on her, left out several vital bits, had not revealed the near-devastation of that whirlwind week when she offered her heart and Luchino seemed about to take it before she discovered the truth about him. She’d been nineteen and so gullible.
‘Prevarication is a waste of time, Arabella. The agreement is stacked in your favour. Maria is in financial danger because you pushed for the purchase of your gowns. Whether you knew her financial situation or not, your demands were unacceptable and I intend to see that you make up for your actions. These are the facts. Now, I’ll give you two choices to repair the damage.’
The planes of his face sharpened as he stared at her. ‘The first choice is you pay back every cent she gave to you, and you walk away.’
He had to be kidding. Bella almost laughed, but the expression on his face stopped her. Utter determination. ‘This isn’t just about money, Luchino. Maria has agreed to help me launch my label, my name. If I took out a loan to buy the gowns back, I wouldn’t be able to afford to re-establish myself elsewhere.’
Bella’s feeling of panic deepened. ‘I don’t have the money any more. I invested it in fabrics and notions for new gowns.’
‘Then I guess that leaves choice number two.’ He took a step towards her and she backed just slightly until she could sense the presence of the service counter behind her.
‘Oh? And what is that?’ Bella tried not to think about his closeness, tried not to feel threatened and confused by him.
Luchino fired his answer at her. ‘It’s quite simple, Arabella. You see to it that every gown my aunt bought from you sells quickly and for a good price.’
‘Sure. I’ll just make that happen.’ She would look up a fairy godmother in the yellow pages and get her to wave her magic wand. ‘Speed isn’t the key ingredient in my work plan. Maria knew that. It’s why we agreed on five years.’
What if he’s right? What if Maria goes bankrupt?
‘Five years is no longer an option. You must go out and attract buyers, attend the best functions, rub shoulders with the most élite of the fashion set, anything it takes to get their interest and sell every last one of those gowns, and sell them fast.’
What did the man want? I’m just a girl from the suburbs, Luchino. I don’t have those kinds of friends. She lifted her chin to a proud angle. ‘Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t have entrée to that crowd.’
‘At my side, those doors will open to you.’ His grim smile made apprehension claw at her insides. ‘You will walk through them, and when you do I will be there. I will stick to you until Maria’s financial losses are recouped, one way or another.’
‘No.’ Close contact with Luchino? Do as he said, dance to his tune? No, no, no! The man must be mad, anyway. Mad about all of it. ‘I don’t even know if you’re telling the truth.’
The locked-up hurt and anger buried in her soul suddenly welled up. ‘After all, hiding the truth is what you do, isn’t it, Luchino? You pretended you had no wife. Tell me, did it hurt to lose her? Or were you simply glad to be rid of her so you could pursue your affairs conscience-free?’
CHAPTER TWO
‘I’M SURPRISED you know about my divorce.’ Luc made the observation as his gaze roved Arabella’s face. He couldn’t seem to take his gaze from her, and the unwelcome resurgence of the old attraction infuriated him.
Bella was as bad as Natalie, out to get what she could by any means available. Bella had proved it in Milan and he almost fell for her act there. She was doing the same thing to Maria now.
Luc would not be taken in a second time. He had no patience for faithless women and their untrustworthy ways.
So why the sudden flare of interest in Arabella after all this time? He had more important things to focus on.
Luc released his hold on Arabella’s arm and instead fingered the photo of his daughter that he carried against his heart. Familiar guilt rose up, followed by fierce determination. He would make things right for his daughter somehow. He had to.
‘I went to Italy for another modelling shoot five years ago.’ She looked as though she wished he would go back to Italy this instant and stay there, too. ‘Someone talked about you. I didn’t go looking for the information, trust me.’
‘Unfortunately, Bella mia, I no longer trust anyone, and certainly not you.’ In truth the ability to trust had been stripped irrevocably from Luc, stolen away by unexpected betrayal not once, but thrice.
Bella. His brother. His ex-wife. They had all played their part.
Tendrils of ash-blonde hair caressed Bella’s neck where they had escaped the knot of hair there. Eyes the colour of rich coffee shone as she seemed to gather herself.
Her anger arced, like light refracted from the planes of a sharp-cut diamond. He shouldn’t care, shouldn’t picture her with his own Montichelli jewellery designs gracing the long, slender neck. It was the appeal of her physical looks, nothing more. His mouth tightened.
Was it worth it, Arabella? What did the show manager give you in exchange for the use of your body? Money? Help to climb the ladder to greater modelling success?
Perhaps Bella simply felt no remorse. After all, his ex-wife had felt none. In the face of Luc’s agonised questions, his brother had shown none.
No more. No thoughts of the past to interfere with the present. No bitterness in this new life.
Australia was a deliberate choice. For…his daughter. For Grace. For a fresh start where betrayal could be if not forgotten, at least pushed back into its harsh, dark corner. And Luc had chosen Melbourne because he wanted to get to know the elusive aunt the family had spoken of always in whispers.
‘My