LITMIR.BIZ

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      He was nervous to tell her about the necklace—of course he was—but with this ring...

      He got back to his apartment and put the photo of the necklace and the ring in his safe and then lay back on the bed and tried to plan his speech for tomorrow. Matteo didn’t get very far. He could never quite get past the bit where he told Abby that he’d stood in her father’s study and come up with a plan to sponsor her, without imagining his face being slapped.

      Deciding that he’d just have to wing it at dinner tomorrow, he dozed off.

      Matteo woke to his phone buzzing and the sight of a skyline that was backed by a dusky pink sky.

      ‘Abby?’ he said, sitting up. ‘What time is it there?’

      ‘Eight,’ Abby said and Matteo frowned because it looked as if it was evening and LA was a few hours behind them but then she explained. ‘Matteo, I’m already in New York.’

      ‘How come?’

      ‘Hunter arrived this morning and—do you know what?—I just didn’t want to be around him. It’s Pedro’s night and I don’t want anything to get in the way of that and so I decided to head for home.’

      ‘Good.’

      ‘I need a favour,’ Abby continued. ‘Well, I don’t need one but it would mean a lot if you could do this for me.’

      ‘Name it.’

      ‘I’m on my way to my father’s...’ Abby took a breath. ‘I know I said that I wasn’t going to go but I’ve changed my mind. It’s not such a big deal. I’m just going to put my head in for a couple of hours. It would be great if I could say that you were coming too.’

      ‘Abby.’ Matteo was already off the bed. ‘I’ll come with you. I’ll just get changed and then I’ll pick you up.’

      And ’fess up!

      He was already undoing his belt as he spoke but speed wasn’t going to save Matteo.

      ‘No, there’s no need for that,’ Abby said. ‘He wants me there by eight and I’m already running late. Look, I get it if you don’t want to come but it would help a lot if you could. I’ll text you the address...’ She looked out of the window of the car and saw that she’d arrived. ‘I’m here now. Wish me luck.’

      It really had been a last-minute decision.

      Abby had arrived home and opened up her case and had seen the gorgeous silver dress that she had worn on the night they had won in Dubai.

      Why not? Abby had thought.

      She had pinned up her hair to show off the necklace to full effect and had just decided to play the game for one night.

      No, she had long ago realised her family would never be close but surely an occasional function or get-together was doable.

      Now the car that her father had sent for her pulled up at the house that had never really been a happy home and the door was opened for her.

      It had been years since Abby had last been here.

      Emails and the occasional phone call had been all she could manage since that terrible time, sitting in her father’s study and being told Hunter wouldn’t be called to answer for his actions.

      She was ready to put it all behind her and, nine years on, Abby felt a lot more together and capable than the last time she had walked up the stairs to the entrance of her family home.

      ‘Abby!’ Cries went up from everywhere as she entered.

      ‘Congratulations’ were offered from all directions, as well as, ‘Wow, look at you!’

      ‘Abby!’ Her sister, Annabel, came over and gave Abby a kiss on the cheek but it felt like a sting. ‘You changed your mind about coming?’

      ‘I did.’

      ‘The prodigal daughter returns triumphant!’

      Abby could have given a bitchy retort. She guessed Annabel thought she was only here to gloat because her team had won but, no, it had nothing to do with that.

      ‘Just try and behave tonight,’ Annabel said. ‘This is important for Daddy.’

      Annabel’s husband came over and gave Abby a very guarded smile. ‘Abby.’

      Aside from that frosty greeting the night went well. Her father was too busy chatting people up to pay Abby much attention, which suited her fine.

      Abby’s phone buzzed and she saw that it was Matteo texting her.

      I’m on my way.

      She fired a text back.

      No rush.

      And then Matteo sent another.

      Abby, we need to talk.

      Abby frowned at the second text and then wondered if Matteo was doing one of his I don’t do relationships things, and was maybe annoyed that she’d asked him to come. She decided she would explain when he arrived that this really wasn’t a meet-the-father moment.

      She was soon distracted when one of her father’s friends called her over and asked about the race in Dubai.

      ‘It was amazing,’ Abby said for perhaps the fiftieth time that night but she was more than happy to talk about it. Realising that Matteo would be here soon she went upstairs and took a moment to refresh her make-up and check her hair and then stepped back and looked in the full-length mirror.

      Yes, the necklace and dress worked but it was the woman wearing them who felt so different tonight.

      She remembered coming down in the elevator and the smile on Matteo’s face when he saw her and the wonderful times they had shared and she simply couldn’t wait to see him again.

      Abby went to head back down to the party. Oh, she would never be one who loved these types of events but she was glad that tonight she had made the effort. She felt confident...

      Happy.

      For the first time she could remember she felt happy, confident and beautiful in her own skin and then she looked over and saw the man who had made all three possible walk into the Ellison home.

      He was wearing a smart suit and his black hair flopped forwards and he brushed it back with his hand as he stood for a moment looking around, Abby guessed, for her.

      ‘Matteo!’ Her father saw him and Abby frowned at how pleased her father seemed to be that he was here.

      Of course they would know each other from similar functions but it was a very friendly handshake that he gave Matteo. Her father even patted him on his shoulder and, as Abby walked down the stairs, she watched as her father and Matteo disappeared into his office.

      Matteo had very much been hoping to speak with Abby before her father but, without that chance, he followed Ellison in, determined to have his say.

      ‘Congratulations,’ Ellison said.

      ‘It was an amazing win,’ Matteo agreed and then he looked to the photos Ellison had walked him through on the day they met and anger grew in his stomach. There was the photo of Hunter with Abby and this bastard knew what he had done to his daughter and yet still had that photo on the wall.

      ‘I’m not talking about the win,’ Ellison said. ‘I was referring to your achievement in getting Abby here. I have to hand it you—I thought she might come tonight, albeit reluctantly, but she’s been the belle of the ball. The necklace is yours... You’ve certainly earned it.’

      Abby stood at the ajar door and somehow stayed standing as the floor seemed to disappear from beneath her.

      What achievement?

      It didn’t make sense.

      Yet it was starting to.

      Her father had wanted her here

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