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Unavoidably How many times had she heard that before? ‘Of course Was that all?’

An exhalation of ire came down the line ‘No, that is not all Explain yourself,’ ca command

‘I take it you mean: why have I commandeered your plane?’

‘Sì This was not the plan’

‘I know, but ed too Unavoidably,’ she replied with a lightness she didn’t feel

‘In ay have your plans changed?’ he bit out

‘If you’d bothered to pick up the phone in the last teeks, I would’ve told you’

‘We have spoken in the last teeks—’

‘No, Cesare, you called twice, both ti your return’ Her voice threatened to break as memories flooded her mind—her endless phone calls to Cesare’s assistant tofor thesure the chef at the luxury rented villa in Bali prepared his favourite foods She’d planned everything to the last detailall in an effort to save her e Only to have it backfire spectacularly ‘Anyway, I’ up with another excuse Goodbye, Cesare’

‘Ava—’

She pressed the end button, cutting off the groarning She’d barely exhaled when the phone rang again Carefully, she set it down on the table, unanswered

The stunned look on the stewardess’s facepulse ‘Don’t worry, his bark is worse than his bite’

The wo to her station at the front of the plane

With not quite steady hands, Ava poured a glass of water fro and took a tiny sip Yes, Cesare ruled his world with unquestionable doh? when told to juued and infuriated Cesare