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CHAPTER 6
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ava 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 first brush-like stroke of his mouth on hers was cautious, even a little hesitant, a bit like a goose feather. It was so soft Ava wondered if she had imagined it. The second was firmer, with a hint of growing urgency, but the third tasted of desire hot and strong, rocking Ava straight to the core. She opened her mouth to the searching glide of his tongue, her insides turning to jelly when that deliciously erotic contact was made. The kiss became more urgent, more passionate, more out of control and Ava was swept away with it. It felt so wonderful to be held in his arms again, to have his hands at her waist, holding her trembling body against the heat and strength of his. Federico was hard and getting harder as every second passed, the hollow ache in her body echoing the pounding of his blood against her
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Federico came across to where Ava was standing, and, taking her chin between his thumb and index finger, lifted her face to meet his gaze.“So, at this time, there is no man in your life,” he mused. “What other lies have you told me, hmm?” Ava felt her heart kicking erratically behind her chest wall. Her mouth dried up, her throat locked tight and her breathing came to a shuddering halt.“Just that one…” she replied, mentally calculating how many lies she had told him within the space of less than twenty-four hours.“I wonder what other little secrets you are keeping from me… from everybody,” Federico continued, still holding her gaze with the piercing scrutiny of his. “Like where you live, for instance.” She swal
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‘You arrogant prick!’ Ava thought and clenched her hands by her sides, her fingertips digging into her palms almost painfully.“You can do or say whatever you want, but I’m not going to be another name on your list of whores,” she hissed with a last stand of pride. “I’m not going to. Okay, you’re the future King… whatever… Take your best shot at me! Because I’d rather be locked up again for life than suffer this fate.” He had the gall to laugh.“Oh, you’re so feisty! And these harsh words… Ava Marie, do you have any idea how foolish you are being right now?”“It can’t be any more foolish than agreeing to lie on my back for you to paw me whenever you like,” she shot back.“Do you think I want it to be this way?” Federico asked as a flicker of anger lit his gaz
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“Your Serene Highness, I have that information you requested,” Francesco said a couple of days later, as he brought in Federico’s coffee. Federico lowered the newspaper he had been reading and gave his aide his full attention.“Tell me everything.”‘Miss Antonini is living at a small flat in Marconi Lane with a former drug addict, a woman by the name of Teresa. Apparently, they met in prison but the other woman was released two years ago. She works at one of the local hotels as a housemaid.” His eyebrows came together.“Is there a man?” he asked.“There is no man. However, there is a small child, a boy around five years or so.” Federico straightened in his chair, a cold hand of unease disturbing the hairs on
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“Chris? You mean the little boy who drew me the picture?” Ava blinked at him, her brain whirling and spinning out of control.“Um… He’s… Teresa’s little boy,” she finally managed to croak out. Federico gave her a quizzical look.“I thought the boy’s name was Nicola,” he said. “Or at least that’s what Francesco said it was, but then he could have got it wrong.”“N-no, that is right…” She hastily mortared another lie into her wall of deceit.“Teresa’s son is called Nicola but… but he prefers his second name…”“Like my sister prefers Tori instead of Victoria,” Federico added.&nbs
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He was still frowning at her.“Whatever you were thinking about must have been extremely distressing for you,” Federico told her. “Was it something to do with your time in prison?” Ava sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. She was as close to crumbling as she had ever been, but some tiny rod of pride kept her spine upright.“You seem to be rather fascinated with my prison life,” she speculated. “Is that because you harbor some sort of fantasy about an ex-criminal? Sex with someone from the slammer… It has a sort of ring to it, don’t you think?” Federico felt his desire for her rise in his body with the force of an earthquake. It rumbled through him, it shook him, and above everything else… it challenged him. He would have her. It didn&rsquo
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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
