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CHAPTER 31
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2024-10-29 19:42:56The next morning, Ava was overwhelmed by the press on her way to the ferry with Chris. Her son was already in tears, not quite understanding what was going on. Federico had spent some time with him earlier, but he had left before Ava could see him one last time.
The nanny had said he had been called away to something urgent at the palace, but Ava had wondered if the old woman had been told to say that so Federico could avoid saying goodbye.
“But I don’t want to leave Daddy,” Chris wailed as she tugged him along the gangplank to board the passenger ferry.
“Sweetie, it’s just not possible to stay here,” Ava told her son, fighting back tears of her own at some of the vicious insults still being thrown at her from the wharf.
Ava kept her head down as she showed
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Ava was just congratulating herself on getting through two hours of successfully shielding herself behind the Bartovia palace’s pillars and pot plants, dodging both the press and Prince Regent Federico Alberto Enrico di Altavilla e Portanova when she suddenly came face to face with the man she was trying to avoid. The shock of seeing him so close almost threw her back. She tried not to faint in front of the most powerful man in the country. Ava swallowed thickly, her heart coming to a clunking stop in her chest as her eyes went to his inscrutable dark brown almost black ones so far above hers. What to say after all those years? How to address him? What to say? Awful things happened, hurtful words had been said… Ava stood there, anxious like she never was before. Maybe he was expecting her to ta
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Federico could swear those words hit Ava right in her stomach. She kinda gasped for air. Ava looked extremely nervous, agitated almost, her bottom lip being savaged by her small white teeth, and her body looked tense and ill at ease. A little stab of guilt pierced him. His threat, his last words to her have perhaps been a little heavy-handed and ruthless, but he had to be absolutely sure she would keep quiet about their previous relationship. He would make it worth her while, although any dealings he had with her now would have to be conducted under the strictest secrecy. The journalists were like sniffer dogs when it came to the Bartovia royal family and it would be risky even being seen talking to her. But it would be well and truly worth it if
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The cobbled streets were lit with the occasional lamp post but even so, Ava felt the menacing shadows of the night creeping towards her with every step she took. She shone the narrow beam of the torch Teresa had given her around, but so far, she had found nothing but the occasional cigarette butt or gum wrapper. It made her think of her father, how he as the town mayor, had orchestrated a campaign to clean up the ancient streets of Bartovia, even though his own home had contained the filthiest of all secrets. Ava gave a little shudder and forced the memories back and continued on her mission, her head down, her steps carefully measured as she went as close to the palace as she dared. She was no more than three blocks away when she suddenly came u
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This time it was Ava’s mouth that went tight. So, this was his game now? Not a chance! Not one chance in hell!“I don’t intend being back here or sleeping with you, Federico,” she said with a deliberately haughty look. “Please, give me back my bracelet. I need to get home this instant.” His eyes burned into hers.“Not so fast… You are forgetting yourself, Ava Marie,” Federico said. “This isn’t the way to speak to the future King of this country. I will dismiss you when I see fit, not the other way around. Did I make myself clear?”“And if I still choose to leave this room, what are you going to do about it, Your Serene Highness?” she asked, throwing him another mocking glare. “Lock me up in the palace tower and throw away the key? I’m sure I’ll get used to it rather
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Christian’s little hand suddenly clutched at the front of Ava’s uniform, his eyes huge in his stricken face.“You’ll be back again, right, mummy?” Ava squatted down to his level and looked deep into his troubled gaze.“Of course, I will, sweet boy.” His expression was still white with worry.“You’re not g-going to p-prison like before, are you?” She suppressed a frown as she hugged him close. She had always tried to be as honest with him as possible without distressing him with details too difficult for him to understand, but she had never gone into the sordid details of why she had to go to prison. But it
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Ava felt as if her eyes were going to pop out of her head and land on the carpeted floor at his feet. She looked at him in complete horror, her mouth opening and closing like a stranded fish, her heart going so hard and fast it felt as if it were going to come through the wall of her chest.“I-I’m not sure that can be arranged,” she stammered. He gave her a frowning look.“I can’t see why not. After all, I’m now the royal patron of the orphanage. It’s only fair that I give my support in ways other than financial.”“Y-yes, but showing a preference for one child over another isn’t… fair,” Ava said, relieved she could think of something reasonably plausible on the spot. “The child who sent you this drawing is one of many who long to be noticed. You would be doing more harm
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‘Just breathe…’ she said to herself avoiding looking in Federico’s direction. ‘You can’t cry in front of him… or anyone else, for that matter. You can show any kind of weakness, or they’ll eat you alive.’ Ava composed herself with an effort and resumed her seat at the table as if nothing had happened. She picked up her glass of water and drank several mouthfuls, conscious of Federico looking at her with a frown beetling his eyebrows. She set her glass back down.“You said you had something to discuss with me over lunch about the orphanage,’ Ava reminded him coolly. She pointedly looked at her watch, making it clear she was on a strict timeline, and, more to the point, he wasn’t important enough to her to adjus
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She dropped her gaze from his and closed her eyes. Awful memories from that night came down on her like a flock of eagles, ready to tear her apart. Ava didn’t want to keep remember those moments, but she also knew they would hunt her for life. She opened her eyes, ready to go once again over everything.“What happened is… Uh… We started to argue,” she answered in a flat emotionless tone. “I hardly remember what we argued about now… it all seems so muddled and foggy in my head. As usual, he was shouting at me, and I was shouting back at him. And then…” Again, Ava closed her eyes tight, mentally skipping over that distressing scene until she felt she had control again. She reopened her eyes and carried on as if discussing the weekend weather.“Suddenly he was lying at the foot of the staircase
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The next morning, Ava was overwhelmed by the press on her way to the ferry with Chris. Her son was already in tears, not quite understanding what was going on. Federico had spent some time with him earlier, but he had left before Ava could see him one last time. The nanny had said he had been called away to something urgent at the palace, but Ava had wondered if the old woman had been told to say that so Federico could avoid saying goodbye.“But I don’t want to leave Daddy,” Chris wailed as she tugged him along the gangplank to board the passenger ferry.“Sweetie, it’s just not possible to stay here,” Ava told her son, fighting back tears of her own at some of the vicious insults still being thrown at her from the wharf. Ava kept her head down as she showed
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His dark eyes meshed with hers.“Have you ever had an item of clothing in your wardrobe you don’t wear anymore but still don’t feel quite ready to discard it?” She gave him an ironic look.“I’m sure you aren’t the one in your household to sort through your socks and underwear drawer. You have numerous servants who do that for you.” His smile was a little crooked.“Yes… Perhaps you’re right. There aren’t many things I do for myself these days.”“Including choosing a wife?” Ava wished she hadn’t let it slip out since she was sure she sounded as jealous as she felt. Federico held her gaze for an interminable moment.“As future King,
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“Daddy says I can have a real paint set and brushes and a… a… weasel all to myself!” Christian announced proudly as he came running towards Ava one morning, four days later.“It’s called an easel, baby,” Ava corrected him as she bent down to kiss his forehead. “A weasel is a small furry animal.”“Oh…” Christian went on excitedly. “I’ve got a new tip truck and a kite Daddy and I are going to use on the beach and Daddy promised me I can have a camera all of my own when I am six.” Ava forced a smile in spite of her inner turmoil. How could she tell Chris this little holiday was soon to end? She had no doubt Federico would continue contact with his son. He had made that very clear every night they had spent together. In such a short time, Federico had establis
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She looked at him as if she was going to say no, but then Ava gave him a smile tinged with sadness.“I guess we should make the most of the time we have left… So… Yes, Federico… Yes…” Federico didn’t want to think about how each day was slipping through his fingers like fine grains of sand. All he could hope for was a few more days to keep Chris and Ava close while he sorted through his options. Everything had happened so quickly and he was still coming to terms with it all. Not just his son’s existence but how his feelings for Ava were rising up to the surface after years of being shoved down. He led her upstairs to his bedroom, closing the door softly behind them. She took a few steps in and set down
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“I will get justice for you, Ava,” he said, pulling her closer. “I promise I will leave no stone unturned until I do.”“It’s okay, Federico… You've tried and it didn’t work… For me it’s enough you believe in my innocence…”“Ava…” She was standing too close to him to be able to ignore the pulse of his body. The thin layer of her clothes that shielded her form, couldn’t possibly disguise her own response to his nearness. She ran her tongue over the dryness of her lips. Her breathing going out of time, her heart tripping as his head slowly came down… The press of his lips against hers was gentle at first, but as soon as he stroked his tongue across the seam of her lips, everything changed. Passion flared like a combustible fuel exposed to a ligh
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Ava spent the next few days watching Federico and Christian together, spending quality time like father and son should. It was so moving to see them together… Their dark heads bent close together over a puzzle or a book or a painting they had done, their smiles so similar. Christian was starting to blossom, his confidence growing as each day passed. He clearly adored his father and Federico made no effort to hide his very deep love for his son. She tried not to let it concern her but Federico hadn’t asked her to sleep with him again. She didn’t know if be happy about it or extremely sad… Was he trying to distance himself from her? It was so hard to tell. When Christian was around, Federico was happy and smiling and chatted with her as an
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The words tumbled out and once they had started, Ava couldn’t seem to stop.“He broke my arm when I was four years old. On the way to the hospital, he told me if I said a word to anyone about how it had happened, he would do much worse. He told me to tell everyone I was jumping in bed and fell on the ground. I was so frightened… It wasn’t the first time he had hit me, far from it. He was always hitting me, in my stomach, or my back… Because he didn’t want people to see the bruises… But after that, he toned it down a bit. It wouldn’t do to have anyone pointing their finger at him, now, would it? He was a high-profile man who made a great show of how much he loved his difficult, rebel daughter.” Federico kept on stroking her cold, lifeless hands.“Oh, Ava,” was all he could manage to say.
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Federico’s cellphone started to ring and he took it out from his pocket and glanced at the display. “I’m afraid I’ll have to take this call,” he said. “Can you find your way to my study? I’ll meet you there in ten minutes.” Ava gave a nod and slipped out of the room while Federico took the call, keeping his voice low as he spoke to Francesco. She heard him saying something about searches of the Royal Star diamond and that there was nothing leaked to the press about Christian. In the papers, there were some photographs of the party and a short piece about Christian’s role as royal patron, but thankfully nothing else, so far. Ava took the scrapbooks she had made and after a few wrong turns made her way to his study. She stood outside for a moment, holding the books against her chest, trying t
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The next morning, Ava was helping Christian with his breakfast, when Federico came in. She looked up, knowing her cheeks were glowing from all the intimacy they had shared during the night before she had slipped back to her own room in the early hours of the morning while he had been sleeping. He met her gaze for a pulsing moment before turning to the little boy.“Good morning, Christian,” Federico said, taking the chair beside him. “Did you sleep well, little man?” Smiling shyly when Federico called him that, Christian put his spoon down politely.“Yes. I could hear the sea. Mummy said I might be able to go to the beach and build a sandcastle.”“I believe that your Mummy is absolutely right. I too think that would be a very good idea. But first…Can we have a little talk? I would like to talk to you
