To ensure that her sister's medical expenses are paid, Celeste Degrassy must agree to marry the man her father chooses. There is one REALLY big problem. He has selected the unscrupulous Anton Pirelli, the man she loved before finding out that he was cheating on and using her. Now in a bid to escape her fate, she finds herself drawn into a conspiracy of lies, family ties and betrayal, Anton right in the middle of everything.
Excerpt
Reaching his apartment, she let herself in, taking one of the seats which afforded her a view of the city below. Normally, this would have calmed her, but not today. Her tortured soul found no solace that day. For over an hour she sat, waiting. She had allowed somebody she did not know, somebody who could have their own agenda to make her doubt the man who had been there for her when she needed him most. She owed Anton a huge apology, knowing that he would clear everything up, her belief in him that strong.
She ignored the ringing phone letting the answering machine pick up. It was no doubt a business call and best for him to deal with.
"Anton. I don't know how you do it, but I looked into other events of the night of Luisa Degrassy's accident. I think you might be on to something. There are some promising links to the Degrassy girl's hit-and-run", the man on the other end laughing, "Got to hand it to you buddy. This could be even more lucrative than you thought. Phone me."
Coldness sloshed into Celeste, her eyes darting to the phone, they closing with disbelief along with the hurt crashing down over her, so much so she found it hard to breathe. Well at least now she knew. Anton had never been interested in her, he was interested in her sister's accident. Groaning, her head fell into her hands as she whimpered. He knew something about Luisa's accident, and he planned on making money from it. She was so stupid. It had never been about her, just about keeping himself close to Luisa, her mouth curving into a bitter sneer. And she had almost fallen for it, almost given him full access to her. Well not any more.
Standing, she moved to the bedroom. Grabbing the holdall she had left there, she moved around the apartment, filling it with everything that belonged to her. When packed, she sat and wrote a note, wiping away another tear which slid down her cheek as she pulled the bag over her shoulder. She had loved this man and he had used her and now she hated him, the intensity of that hatred burning like a fire in her belly, and it would be a cold day in hell before she would have anything more to do with Anton Pirelli.
Anton entered his home, frowning seeing the lights off and no sign of Celeste. He had expected her to be home at least an hour ago, his mouth quirking. It seemed strange to think of a woman being entitled to call his space 'home', yet he did. Strangely happy with this - for once in his life everything seeming to be coming together. The fact she had agreed to move in with him the following week, even though her sister was a part of the package, made his smile widen.
Sighing, he hung his jacket on the hook in the closet by the door, pausing. Where were her jackets? Or her shoes? He often laughed at her with the number of accessories she seemed to come with, yet now the cupboard was once more bare. Closing the door, he stepped further into the room, flooding the area with light, his eyes scanning around for the little tell-tale signs that she was slowly moving in.
He felt his stomach clench not seeing the little sparkly cushion she insisted on bringing, or the throw she added to the couch for them to snuggle under when watching a movie. Striding into the bedroom, he pulled open the drawer he had given her, his eyes closing finding it empty. Panic filled him. She was gone. How could that be? What happened? Groaning, he pulled his phone out. Her sister. Something must have happened to her sister. But why had she not called him?
Excerpt
Reaching his apartment, she let herself in, taking one of the seats which afforded her a view of the city below. Normally, this would have calmed her, but not today. Her tortured soul found no solace that day. For over an hour she sat, waiting. She had allowed somebody she did not know, somebody who could have their own agenda to make her doubt the man who had been there for her when she needed him most. She owed Anton a huge apology, knowing that he would clear everything up, her belief in him that strong.
She ignored the ringing phone letting the answering machine pick up. It was no doubt a business call and best for him to deal with.
"Anton. I don't know how you do it, but I looked into other events of the night of Luisa Degrassy's accident. I think you might be on to something. There are some promising links to the Degrassy girl's hit-and-run", the man on the other end laughing, "Got to hand it to you buddy. This could be even more lucrative than you thought. Phone me."
Coldness sloshed into Celeste, her eyes darting to the phone, they closing with disbelief along with the hurt crashing down over her, so much so she found it hard to breathe. Well at least now she knew. Anton had never been interested in her, he was interested in her sister's accident. Groaning, her head fell into her hands as she whimpered. He knew something about Luisa's accident, and he planned on making money from it. She was so stupid. It had never been about her, just about keeping himself close to Luisa, her mouth curving into a bitter sneer. And she had almost fallen for it, almost given him full access to her. Well not any more.
Standing, she moved to the bedroom. Grabbing the holdall she had left there, she moved around the apartment, filling it with everything that belonged to her. When packed, she sat and wrote a note, wiping away another tear which slid down her cheek as she pulled the bag over her shoulder. She had loved this man and he had used her and now she hated him, the intensity of that hatred burning like a fire in her belly, and it would be a cold day in hell before she would have anything more to do with Anton Pirelli.
Anton entered his home, frowning seeing the lights off and no sign of Celeste. He had expected her to be home at least an hour ago, his mouth quirking. It seemed strange to think of a woman being entitled to call his space 'home', yet he did. Strangely happy with this - for once in his life everything seeming to be coming together. The fact she had agreed to move in with him the following week, even though her sister was a part of the package, made his smile widen.
Sighing, he hung his jacket on the hook in the closet by the door, pausing. Where were her jackets? Or her shoes? He often laughed at her with the number of accessories she seemed to come with, yet now the cupboard was once more bare. Closing the door, he stepped further into the room, flooding the area with light, his eyes scanning around for the little tell-tale signs that she was slowly moving in.
He felt his stomach clench not seeing the little sparkly cushion she insisted on bringing, or the throw she added to the couch for them to snuggle under when watching a movie. Striding into the bedroom, he pulled open the drawer he had given her, his eyes closing finding it empty. Panic filled him. She was gone. How could that be? What happened? Groaning, he pulled his phone out. Her sister. Something must have happened to her sister. But why had she not called him?
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