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CHAPTER 12
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2024-10-29 19:42:56After finding out that little truth, she was tempted to dance around the beach and sing. In one fell swoop, in the space of one revealing kiss, almost three years of believing that she had made an outsize fool of herself in Monterrey had been wiped out.
Diego was more into tattoos than he was ever likely to admit. The silence stretched like an endless cave where light never shone. Feeling indecently smug and ashamed of herself, Jacqueline veiled her sparkling eyes and reflected dizzily that she had never imagined a kiss could be that explosive.
“We were talking about you coming to stay in Monterrey,” Diego reminded her drily.
He sounded so cool and calm that her floating mood deflated as if he had stuck a pin in her. Alright, maybe he was only a teensy-weensy bit attracted to her. It took
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She watched him smile, get into his limo, and disappear. Her heart was kinda jumping all over in her chest. She knew it was the sort of throwaway smile he might have given anybody. She was well conscious also of a deep-seated need to see him smile and know it was just for her. That evening, and only ten minutes late, Jacqueline traveled up in the elevator to Diego’s private suite. She had Azura cradled in her arms.“Now remember, sweet girl… Lots of smiles. You’ve got to fight against the most fearless businessman ever and you have to sell yourself,” she instructed the baby gazing up at her with trusting brown eyes. “As you could see, Diego’s sensitive to screams, so you have to do your absolute best to stop him from wanting to take you from me. You need to scare this idea of fatherhood away from his mind. If you cry a
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“What do you think? Is it too much?”“A very… plain choice for a future duchess,” Sandra finally selected with obvious difficulty. “I was expecting diamonds and pearls… A dress fit for a princess...” It was Jacqueline’s wedding day and, as she fully expected that it would be the only wedding day she ever had, she was keen to make the most of the occasion. Refusing to let the older woman’s lack of enthusiasm get her down, Jacqueline twirled once again just for the fun of seeing her dress flounce around her slim legs enhanced by crystal diamond satin white pumps.“Well, sometimes less is more… I did spend a lot of Diego’s money on the pumps, though. I hope he won’t get too mad.”“Oh, sweetie…” Sandra said and frowned. She was overwh
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He set her back from him in the pounding silence. Sandra was staring wide-eyed. Red hot with embarrassment, Jacqueline stared into space, her mind blanked out by shock at her own malicious behavior. Impassive to that kind of awkwardness, Diego introduced her very briefly to the lawyer, who, having acted as their second witness, was already making his departure. The official photographer, whose services had been arranged, awaited them on the church porch. At Diego’s request, he produced his driving license as proof of his identity.“I’m sorry but the presence of the journalists outside means that a photographic session will not be possible,” Diego imparted gravely. “That will not, of course, make any difference to your remuneration.” Emerging from her fog of self-lo
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At the airport, since he was still on the phone, Jacqueline parted from Diego to take care of Azura’s needs. She was engaged in changing Azura into a fresh outfit when she heard her name. Someone was asking for her and she had to go to a certain desk. Instant panic assailed Jacqueline. As she frantically finished dressing her niece, she was convinced that something utterly ghastly had happened to Diego. Or, perhaps she had been called to the desk to receive a message from him. Could he have abandoned them at the airport because he just couldn’t face taking the two of them back to Mexico with him? A helpless prey to her own fear, Jacqueline raced up with the stroller and identified herself with breathless urgency. But even as she did so, she was frowning in surprise at the stockily built young ma
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Diego brought out a defiant streak in Jacqueline that had remained dormant and unknown even to her until she had met him. She wondered why it was that he had only to address her in a certain tone or raise an aristocratic eyebrow to excite her even temper to screaming pitch. Provoked beyond bearing, he swept up the magazine and slung it aside.“Look at me while I’m talking to you,” he said harshly.“So, now you’re going to add bullying to all your other sins,” Jacqueline commented in a tone that bothered him even more. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised…”“What other sins? What the hell are you talking about?” Diego raked at her incredulously.“Take my word for it and let’s not get into this right now. You won’t like it… Your Excellency,&rdq
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By the time Diego entered the compartment, Jacqueline was fast asleep. Curled up in a ball, toffee-brown waves tumbling over a delicate cheekbone, she looked very young, incredibly pretty, and alarmingly vulnerable. He looked at her for a while. She was now his wife. HIS WIFE. It was a disturbing moment of truth for Diego. She was now Jacqueline Maxwell Martinez del Río, the Duquesa de Altamira (Spanish for ‘Duchess of Altamira’). She had a lot of grounds for complaint, Diego acknowledged that. His handsome mouth hardened on that admission of self-blame. He wasn’t accustomed to finding himself in the wrong. But he had criticized her behavior as his wife without once accepting her right to be treated as though she was his wife.
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Everyone who worked in the hacienda was waiting to pay their respects to the Duke and the new Duchess. Diego carried her through the introductions with the sure confidence that seemed to accompany everything he did and Jacqueline really appreciated his support. Afterward, he closed his hand over hers and walked her up the carved stone staircase.“You must be incredibly hungry,” he murmured.“Yes… I should’ve eaten when I got the chance.” Jacqueline sighed, her attention locking to the ancient stone walls and the architectural details surrounding them. It was absolutely gorgeous, and she was fascinated by it. His handsome mouth quirked at her fatalistic outlook.“I upset you&
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Jacqueline nodded and gave him an awkward smile. Then she leaped up to examine the contents of the trolley and exclaimed in delight at the sight of the barbecued ribs, pizza, and French fries. All her favorites! He didn’t joke about it. Diego did call Sandra… There was a multitude of other options, but for now, this was what she wanted. “You have a take-away on your property?” “After what I put you through in the last hours, I wanted you to enjoy something you like. Mrs. Fanning told me that nothing and no one can stand between you, pizza and French fries.” “I eat loads of more healthy things too, but Sandra wouldn’t have had a clue about that. To be honest, she and Steve eat stuff like this most of the time.” As she spoke, Jacqueline was scooping up cushions and threw and piling them on the carpet in
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“You want to talk? Okay… I’ll say it all for you,” Jacqueline told him jerkily.“Why didn’t I think of that? I really should take you into the office with me…”“Stop making jokes about this!” All of a sudden, she was finding it impossible to maintain her act of indifference.“You know we only got married because you believed Azura was your niece.”“No, I don’t know that,” Diego responded infuriatingly. Jacqueline fixed strained eyes on him, her heart-shaped face tight with tension and very pale.“Stop… This is not the time to make fun. You thought you had to be a father to Azura and you felt sorry for me because of what Sandra told you about me…” Die
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Waiting for the jet to take off, she kept thinking about this whole situation. Jacqueline felt so ashamed of her sister’s behavior. Alyssa’s will had got them into a disastrous marriage and unfortunately, Azura would suffer the most from the fallout. Jacqueline couldn’t accept that Diego could still genuinely care about Azura now that he knew she wasn’t his real niece. ‘He can’t love a baby that isn’t a part of his illustrious family…’ After a night spent half on a bathroom floor and half in her bed, tossing and turning, Jacqueline decided to sleep a little, just to be mentally prepared for what was coming her way. This was also a way to stop gazing at Diego’s stunning but tired face. She had slept for most of the flight. Diego wa
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For hours and hours, she sat on the cold mosaic tiled floor and hugged her knees, and stared into space. Her heart was broken beyond repair. It was all over. Her crazy romantic hopes, her living for today and not worrying about tomorrow, their marriage. All over. Suddenly, Diego was willing to believe that she was a lying cheat, a greedy, money-grabbing gold-digger. She knew he wasn’t and never going to be in love with her, but she had had no idea just how fragile their understanding was. And now their relationship already seemed as imaginary and flimsy as a child’s soap bubble and she felt terrified as if she were waking up in a living nightmare. In the shortest instant possible, Diego had taken her love and her pride and even her faith in him and destroyed the whole lot. As if it meant nothing… As if she w
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Nervously, Jacqueline played with the glittering diamond pendant in the shape of a flower at her throat. He had given it to her while they were abroad. Even if she said no, Diego had also bought her a pair of exquisite diamond stud earrings. Knowing Diego, she had no doubt that she would receive something even more expensive and precious to mark her birthday. Diego had bought her and Azura a host of other little gifts as well. He was very generous. Ought she just to have bought him something? No, she decided, when a guy could buy himself anything, a woman had to go that extra mile to make an impression. When the door opened, Jacqueline swallowed hard. “Diego? Close your eyes before you come in! Please…” she asked him.&n
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Diego dug his cellphone back into his pocket. He felt slightly nauseous. Was it his Abuela? Doña Jacintha had been pronounced fighting fit at a recent examination. But a couple of weeks earlier, Diego had allowed Alejandro to run a full battery of tests, including DNA, on his little niece. What the hell was happening that his friend couldn’t tell him on the phone? Maybe the tests showed something wrong with Azura? Was she ill? But why had it taken so long for Alejandro to approach him with the result? Jacqueline didn’t even know about half those tests. Having arranged to take Azura to Alejandro for a vaccination that had been overdue, Jacqueline had come down with a twenty-four-hour virus that had confined her to bed and it had been Diego who had taken the baby instead.
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Six wonderful weeks later, Jacqueline sat in the bright and colorful nursery watching Diego demonstrate in all seriousness to Azura how to crawl. Amusement was threatening to crack her up, but she managed to keep a straight face. All his life, Diego had been a high achiever, and, having read a book on child development, he had learned all the important milestones and was keen to see his beloved niece sprint ahead of her peers.“Darling, I’m afraid you’re wasting your time,” Jacqueline warned him gently. “Some babies may crawl at this age, but I don’t think our sweet girl is likely to be one of them. She’s too laid-back and contented to rush into making that much effort.”“Perhaps all she needs is encouragement, querida. Have you ever thought of that?’ Diego informed her stubbornly while
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She shot him a shocked look.“Of course, not… I’ve been behaving myself too!” Diego breathed again.“I should’ve flown back and sorted this out more than a week ago.”“There’s a right time for everything. Maybe, at that time, you weren’t ready.” He was still not sure that he was ready for the enormous complexity that had disrupted his once smooth and calm existence. He hadn’t chosen the situation, but now at least, he felt in control of it again. With a sly grin on his lips, Diego surveyed Jacqueline with unashamed masculine possessiveness. He couldn’t comprehend how he had ever dismissed her as only very pretty.&nbs
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A sense of humiliation stormed through her anger and brought hot tears to her eyes.“That’s what I mean about you, Diego… You’re impossible! You are Mexican and you’re correcting my English!”“Jackie, it was thoughtless,” he acknowledged.“No, Diego, it wasn’t. You think about everything, you always know exactly what you’re doing…”“I didn’t know exactly what I was doing when I married you. I didn’t look for the bigger picture. I must’ve been insane. I was certainly guilty of poor judgment,” Diego countered grimly. “I didn’t even foresee the complications that would come out from the consummation of our marriage. But from that night, our wedding night, preciosa, my desire for freedom disappeared.” A poundi
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Diego put a powerful arm to Jacqueline’s spine to urge her in the direction of the exit. She was almost there before it occurred to her that she could hardly leave without telling his cousin, Lilia. Although the two women hadn’t known each other long, they got on so well that Jacqueline already thought of Lilia as a close friend. “I have to tell Lilia that I’m going…” “Absolutely. You can call my cousin from the limo. I’m positive she’ll understand.” “No, that wouldn’t be right. She has been so good to me. Just give me two minutes, Diego. Please,” Jacqueline pleaded. She freed herself from his grip and hurried back to the table where Lilia was seated. “Sorry, but I have to go…” “I thought so. I saw Diego arriving,” the elegant brunette acknowledged wryly. Jacqueline gave her a relieved smile,
