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I found her room, the door left partially opened, so I took a deep breath and entered Fiona was sitting on the bed in a turquoise-and-cream silk robe, slipper-covered feet folded underneath her, sipping a Pellegrino and flipping through Vogue azine

What the hell?

She didn’t look ill In fact she looked phenolow to her skin and red lacquered nails, and her hair and makeup were styled perfectly

"Fiona?" My voice cracked

Her eyes lifted to mine and her " I wanted to feel excited, proud of that fact, but watching her face fall, I only felt empty This woman was in love with

"Why not?" her confident voice shook ever so slightly

"I told him I’d check on you myself, and he stayed home" I didn’t mention that he’d askedher courage "I get it You’re threatened You made him stay behind and came yourself so he wouldn’t have to"

I peered down at the shiny tile floor She wasn’t far off from the truth I didn’t want to feel threatened by her, yet I did

"He sentbreath and irls he has dated in the past You know that, yes? I never thought I’d measure up to the models he attracted London Burkeand er, thinner, prettier" She looked down, picking at an iinary piece of lint on the blanket beside her "But then you ca I don’t usually hire female assistants but I knew you’d pose no threat From your dirty tennis shoes"--her eyes dropped to ue, her eyes pinningher best to cut h outer shell re she didn’t understand about Ben that I did It wasn’t as on the outside that attracted him to me rather than her She was a vindictive, manipulative witch I holesoot that She clearly didn’t And I wouldn’t be explaining that to her; I just stoode She wasn’t a threat The baby ht come between us eventually, but I was confident Fiona never would

"Don’t you worry about ill happen e learn this baby is his?" Her hand went to her swollen buly

I didn’t answer--couldn’t All the air was sucked fro moment I had dreams of beautiful little babies that were a perfect mix of Fiona’s dark, shiny hair and Ben’s brilliant hazel eyes

"I could get him back, you know He’s been with ether Dined at five-star restaurants, made love in the finest hotels; I built hiet that He’s extres and found ood chance this baby isn’t his Do you really think he’ll still be at your beck and call then?"

"That’s what your poor, simple mind doesn’t understand I’m friends with his mother I’m practically part of the family I’ll always be around"