Anneke choked, and Fredericka Spears sighed. “You totally did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Naturally,” her cousin admitted without a qualm. “Otherwise, we would get nothing out from her. She’s not Willem de Konigh’s baby sister for nothing, you know.”
“I’m not saying anything abouthim,” Anneke countered stiffly, “only because there’s nothing to say.” But that was a lie, of course. It had been a month sincethe kiss, and shestilldidn’t know what to do about it.
The morning after, Marcus had invited her for breakfast in hisothersuite, which she deduced he had booked after seeing her conked out on his sofa. She had joined him nervously, but he had acted perfectly normal, and not once had he mentioned anything about the kiss. It almost made her wonder if she had imagined the entire thing.
But she knew she hadn’t.
How could she when she only had to remember it for her lips to tingle?
“Alyx’s right, though,” Fredericka remarked curiously. “You look seriously hot these days.”
“O-oh?”
“Are you guys getting back together?” Alyx asked bluntly.
“No!” But Anneke could feel her cheeks reddening as she spoke. When Fredericka and Alyx exchanged glances at her protest, which was admittedly a little too defensive, she cleared her throat and insisted in a firm, even tone, “Our divorce is still being processed.”
“Riiiiiiight.” But Alyx’s expression was dubious.
“These things take time!” Yes, shedefinitelysounded defensive. She turned to Fredericka, saying in a rush, “You know how these things are, Freddie. Tell her I’m not lying.”
“Divorce isn’t my specialty,” Fredericka hedged.
“But surely you understand how these thingsdotake time, right?” Oh, yes, she definitely soundedmoredefensive now.
“Well.” The redhead cleared her throat. “If you really insist on my opinion—-”
Anneke gave her friend a vehement nod.
“I think the two of you are simply using the divorce proceedings as an excuse to turn a blind eye on certain things.”
“Things...like what?”
Things like being together all the time,Fredericka thought,having Marcus Ravelli hang out with the de Konighs, and being caught on camera entering the Italian billionaire’s hotel room in the middle of the night.
But out loud, all she said was, “Just things.” She waited and hoped for Anneke to pick it up from there, but when the Dutch heiress only shrugged, Fredericka once again exchanged looks with her cousin.
Should they push this or not?
For some time now, both of them had been privately worried about Anneke and her seemingly growing closeness to the husband she was trying to divorce. They might know next to nothing about the marriage, but what they did know was how broken their friend had been following its abrupt and disastrous end.
Fredericka waited until Anneke finished giving her order. As soon as the waiter left, she said quietly, “You know we’re never going to judge you, right?”
The urge to confess about the kiss had the words teetering on the edge of her tongue, but in the end Anneke could only shake her head. “There’s nothing to say.”Because, she realized sickly,whatever Fredericka had to say – she already knew.
And her inability to talk about the kiss was proof of it.
Marcus Ravelli, the man she had married – and the man who had broken her heart – had kissed her, and she had let it go. He had kissed her, and she hadn’t spoken a word about it to anyone.
Because she already knew what people would say, what people would think.
Some would think she was a fool. Others would want her to try again.
But she wanted none of those.
Right?