His conscience was clear. He’d done all he could.
He’d enjoy his life again. He just needed to get on with it again.
‘We haven’t seen you here in a while, Alejandro.’ The maître d’ smiled at him. ‘Your guests are already at your usual table.’
‘Thank you.’
He’d return to his easy, shallow social whirl.
But it wasn’t easy. They welcomed him with bright smiles and barely veiled curiosity that he ignored. He listened to the dinner party chatter. It now seemed inane. Where was the passion? Where was the love for something—anything—other than a party? He glanced around the table, unable to raise a smile. The women were intelligent and beautiful, the men equally talented and all were competitive and driven.
‘Are you ready to order, sir?’ The waiter interrupted his thoughts.
Alejandro put the menu card down. ‘Actually, I’ve changed my mind. I’m sorry everyone—’ he cast a smile around the table ‘—I won’t be dining with you tonight after all.’
He decided to bury himself in work instead. That at least he was passionate about. That at least was productive.
He worked such long hours he lost track of when it was day and when it was night. That was the good thing about having offices in different countries—one was always open. There were always emails to send and markets to watch. Nightmares to avoid. Loneliness to deny.
Who are you going to leave your billions to?
He thought about a tiny baby with hair the colour of a bonfire. Once he’d let that thought whisper in, the rest tumbled behind it in a flood. The memories he’d been blocking for days. The way she’d challenged him. The way she’d laughed with him. The way she’d looked at him. The way she’d held him.
I love you, Alejandro.
She’d felt so good. But then she’d looked so sad. And she was right—he was such a coward. She deserved so much better than him.
So become the man she needs you to be.
He fought against that little voice—the nagging thread of hope. Of possibility. The dream. He was doing the right thing already. She’d get over it. She was better off without him and the risk he bore.
It was almost midnight several days later when the email landed. He stiffened when he saw Teddy Parkes-Wilson’s name as the sender. Had something happened? Was she well? Surely Teddy would phone if it was something bad?
He clicked to open it, suddenly fearful of what her brother was emailing about. He’d pulled the investigator off her. Her life was hers; he was not spying on her. He was not becoming that creep.
But there was no message in Teddy’s email—only a link to another website. Great, he was being spammed by her brother. He clicked the link anyway.
It took him to an online auction site—specifically to a series of listings from one vendor. His eyes narrowed as he recognised the first few items. All those designer black dresses. Those shoes. Kitty had placed everything she’d bought with his money up for auction. There was a highlighted comment in the blurb on each stating that all the proceeds would be donated to a leading charity for the survivors of domestic violence.
His throat burned. Shame hollowed him out. But he couldn’t stop scrolling down. There were so many memories attached to those dresses. Even the ones she’d not had the chance to wear.
He paused when he came to the emerald dress that she’d worn that last night they’d had together in Manhattan. But it was the entry just beneath that which broke his heart.
The antique diamond choker. This time the proceeds were not listed as going to charity. Alejandro knew exactly why.
Teddy had given it to her and she was using it to gain a foothold on her future. He knew the money in the account he’d set up for her had been untouched. She’d save it for the child but not use a cent for herself. Her integrity and pride wouldn’t let her. Now she was doing what she thought she had to do, to make her way independently. She was willing to sacrifice something she loved, for the benefit of someone else. She always put others first, even when it wasn’t necessary.
Well, not this time. He wasn’t letting her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN, the auction site is down?’ Kitty glared at the wall as she tried to understand what the man on the helpline was telling her. ‘None of my items are up there any more.’
‘I know; we’re looking into it. We can phone you back once we’ve located the issue.’
She didn’t want them to phone her back; she just wanted it fixed. But she hung up with a sigh and turned back to her new creation on the dining table. She needed to keep focused, keep working, keep moving forward.
Someone banged on the front door just as she was about to begin sketching a ‘laser nozzle’ for the interstellar transporter. She wiped her hands and went to the door.
‘Alejandro.’ She stepped back almost instantly, suddenly self-conscious in her splattered tee and ancient leggings. He might have helped her address her body confidence issues, but she’d still rather not be in her painting rags.
‘May I come in?’ he asked.
He looked better than the last time she’d seen him—not as pale or angular. His eyes were brighter and vitality radiated from him. That was good, right? He was obviously doing well.
But it ripped her heart all over again.
‘Of course.’ She brushed her hair behind her ear. ‘It’s still your house.’
He didn’t respond to that as he walked in ahead of her. Nervously, she ran her hands down the sides of her legs and followed him.
‘You’re making more props?’ He turned into the kitchen and noted the clay sticking to her tee with a small grin.
‘Yes.’ She summoned a smile to match his. ‘They liked the shield and commissioned more.’
‘I’m not surprised.’
She nodded and then looked at him, her heart thudding. ‘How can I help?’
He drew his hand from his pocket. She gasped as she saw what he held—Margot’s diamonds.
‘Where did you get that?’ she asked.
‘You’re not to sell it, Kitty—it means too much to you.’
‘How did you get it?’ She’d left
it in the safe at the auction house.
‘I bought it.’ A wry grin crossed his face. ‘It and several rather stylish dresses.’
‘You didn’t. From my auction?’
He nodded.
‘You bought everything?’ That was crazy.
‘I know it’s stupid, but I couldn’t bear to think of anyone else wearing them.’
‘But you paid for them all twice.’
‘I don’t care.’
‘Oh, Alejandro.’ Tears pricked her eyes. He melted her, every time. ‘Why did you do that?’
Alejandro turned and walked away from her. There was too much he had to say and he lost track of everything when he looked at her. ‘I need to tell you about my father.’
He heard her sharp inhalation.
‘You don’t have to do that.’
‘I do. Please.’ He took a seat at the furthest end of the table from her so he wasn’t tempted to touch her. He had to get this off his chest. He had to get her to understand. ‘I don’t like to talk about it much, but there’s a lot I remember. There’d been other incidents before that day. He was possessive. Jealous. He hit her. And me.’ He dragged in another shuddering breath. Saying this aloud to her was harder than he’d thought it would be. But he’d worked on it with his new counsellor, and he was determined he’d get himself sorted. For himself and for Kitty. ‘He’d get jealous of me. He’d say she spent more time with me than with him. That she loved me more than him. Like it was a competition.’
Kitty didn’t say anything; she just came forward and sat in the chair next to his.
His father had been wrong. His father had been evil. But he had his blood in his veins.
‘When she took me and left him for good, he flipped out.’ Alejandro avoided looking at Kitty’s face as he said it. ‘He tracked us down and came after her. She stepped in front of me. She died protecting me.’ It hurt so much but he could never forget. And until now he’d never really understood what had driven her. ‘That’s what mothers do, isn’t it? They fight for their young. They’ll do anything for their children. Fathers should too.’ He lifted his head and looked at her. ‘And fathers should love their daughters every bit as much as they love their sons.’