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She blew out a long breath, her aristocratic nose flaring with her struggle for control “Fine What do I have to do to prove that I’ll see this through, that you won’t have a hysterical feo back to Jackson?”

“You have to co,” he said

It was the last thing she expected hi she wanted to do in the world

Coht, she was still a Rocco, Christian and Zayed, seeing the disbelief and pity that would fill their faces when they saw her, she didn’t have the heart for it

“There’s nothing you will gain by dragging ”

“That’s for ant implacability in his tone

“Stefan, listen tohappened Even as nauseous as it makes me to do it For the next week, I’ll continue to keep my mouth shut like I did over the last few years and let hi of it made her skin crawl “I’ll wait until you return fro That’s innuic But I’ll be here, waiting Then you’ll know that I’m serious”

“No”

“Why the hell do you care if I go to Christian’s wedding or not?”

“If you want to start a new life, bella, why not start it with co back to your old friends?”

“I can’t, Stefan I don’t have the”

“What?”

He reached out to her and pulled her hand into his Io “Neither of us is going to benefit by lying to each other or by treading carefully, Clio If this pretense has any chance to work, it has to be anything but between us Capisce, bella?”

“Yes, but I don’t see the point in carrying the pretense forward to our friends, too Will you lie to Rocco, Christian and Zayed, Stefan? Will you be able to?”

“If ant the world to buy into our shock engagement, yes Leave them to me Youyou will not breathe a word to another soul what’s happening between us

“With Rocco alreadythe same, the whole world’s eyes are already on the Coluet the inforward to a happily-ever-after with the woman I adore”

“I won’t be able to pull it off Deception and lying have never come easy to me”