Giovanni watched as they walked into the bathroom, smiling as Sabrina held down a full conversation with the little girl discussing princesses and fairies like a pro.The water to the tub began to run as he kicked off his shoes, getting comfortable in his new surroundings. Once they arrived back at the flat in Versailles, he gathered together their belongings and moved in with Sabrina while the flat below her was being remodeled. Anna was still with Aryana, helping with her three children while Daniel was out of town, which gave Sabrina a chance to get to know the child who would soon be her daughter.He smiled as Olivia began giggling. The sound of water splashing out of the tub and Sabrina’s laughter echoed through the rooms. He had bathed his daughter often enough to know exactly what she was doing, and how difficult it was to hold her still long enough to wash her little body. He chuckled as he started to review the papers, thinking about the mess that would need to be cleaned up
Giovanni had sent a messenger to Rosetta asking to meet her at a sidewalk café near Sabrina’s new office, then helped Sabrina move her designs over. The construction and décor were complete, allowing her to set up the store with her mannequins. He watched as she instructed Marie and Babette on where to put everything, then arranged her new designs on a rack ready to be taken to Chang’s studio for photographing. He was proud of all she had accomplished in her career but couldn’t get Rosetta off his mind. He was certain it was the same woman, but what kind of game she was playing was beyond him. So many questions had to be answered before he would tell his father. Was she playing a money game, collecting on one child while she basically sold Olivia? Had she known him when they first met, or was it just a coincidence that they were in Africa at the same time? Was that why she married him? In hopes of getting her hands on the Vigano fortune.“Monsieur Vigano,” a male voice said from the
Giovanni sat at a table under the canvas covering of the patio, waiting as patiently as possible for his guest to arrive. He watched the faces of every woman who passed on the street beside him, ignoring the flirtatious smiles he received from those who caught his eye.He could not remember a time when he was more nervous. He was certain this Rosetta was the same as the one who gave birth to Olivia. Was it possible she plotted to take his money at a point in his life when he was incapacitated and unable to think clearly? Yes, she was a very beautiful woman with dark hair and hazel eyes, a body to stun most men into submission, but once you got past the exterior shell, she had nothing to offer another living creature. She was mean-spirited, bitter and demanding. She had no compassion, no love, and no conscience. Her acts were based solely on her own desires.Checking his watch for the third time in five minutes, he looked up as a very attractive blonde-haired woman walked onto the pati
“Her water broke two weeks early when she was having sex with a man she met at the club. He took her to hospital and called me. When I got there, she was in a full rage, screaming at the nurses for pain medication, cursing the baby and Silvano. When she saw me, she began yelling even louder. She blamed me for everything that was happening to her. She said she hated me, and she hated the baby.”Giovanni lifted his drink to his lips to fight the anger burning inside him. It was the same story as when Olivia was born, and he could see it as clear as if it had just happened. “I always heard women did strange things in labor,” Fontanna continued, “but she was hateful. Even the man who brought her in left out of fear. She was like a demon, like nothing I had ever seen before. When our son was born, she refused to look at him, refused to acknowledge him, and did not want to hold him. I did not understand it. This was what we wanted, what we spent three years trying for. We went home with th
Sabrina paced her office silently. Marie and Babette were busy working in the next room, assembling the stacks of fabric and the mannequins that displayed the many designs she had spent weeks working on. The delivery truck would be there any time to pick up the dresses, and they had to be checked for any loose seams or minor alterations before being taken to the studio where they would be photographed for the upcoming event’s brochures.Her nerves had been on edge all day. Between the show next week, and Giovanni’s meeting with his former lover, she was certain she would go mad by the end of the day. She wanted the best for Silvano’s son, but she was afraid of what Giovanni would do when he confronted the woman who abandoned him and Olivia.“Hey, got a minute?” Marie asked stepping in the door. “The truck is here. Did you want to supervise the move?”“Yes, I do, thank you.” “May I ask you a question? I mean, you haven’t really said a lot since coming back from your brother’s party. I
“How do you feel about all of this?” Sabrina asked later that evening as she and Giovanni sat in her office discussing the outcome of his meeting.“I was pretty put out at first, until I saw a picture of her son. He looks like Olivia. I don’t need a paternity test to tell me who his father is.”“So, you’re going to give her what she wants?”“I already have, or at least a portion of it,” he said with a smile. “She’s really poor, sweetheart. The only reason she sent that letter was because she’s broke. She spent all her money on legal fees. I took her back to the hotel she’s staying at, mainly to see if she was telling the truth. When I saw the condition, she had my nephew living in, I made her pack their belongings. She’s currently staying at the Mandarin Oriental, in Paris, and I gave her enough money to get the boy some new clothes and some toys. She has enough to feed them for a few days, as well. By then I’ll have the paternity results and I’ll arrange permanent living accommodatio
Sabrina heard the ghastly sound and frowned as Giovanni staggered toward her. His eyes rounded as he reached out for her arm, then crumpled on the floor beside her. She stared at him with disbelief then back to Andre who began to laugh, a small black pistol held tightly in his hand. “I think it’s time to see how immortal love truly is,” he told her, raising the gun level with her forehead. “Clark, where are you?” Creighton asked over the receiver of his cellphone.“We’re about to land now, what’s up?” the man asked.“Security reports a problem with the system at Sabrina’s shop. The power went off and the backup didn’t engage like it was supposed to.”“I’ll check it out as soon as we land. It shouldn’t take me more than half an hour and I’ll call you back.”“I’m sure it’s just a faulty battery, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I think I’ll call Irena. She and Peter are still in France and they can drive by and check on things.”“Sounds good,” Clark said. “I’ll call as soon as I fin
The room was filling with smoke, and he knew he didn’t have time to take advantage of any more of her sweet body. With a reluctant growl, he moved his head backwards, his teeth scraping hard against her breast as he slowly allowed it to fall from his mouth.“What I wouldn’t do for a few minutes more,” he whispered, then smiled at her face, chuckling as tears fell to her cheeks.Andre leaned in once more, this time pressing his mouth to hers in a hard, painful motion. He ground his lips against hers so hard, he could taste the blood caused from the tender flesh scraping across her teeth. Once again, he moved away from her, this time releasing his grip on her and standing up. He glanced behind him at the material, laughing at the flames that leapt up to the shelves, catching the newly painted wood on fire.“So much for foreplay,” he told her, adjusting the zipper of his pants across his hardened arousal. He watched as she turned her head into her shoulder, wiping his kiss from her blood