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“Not you, too, Clio,” Zayed warned her, still a glimmer of the playboy prince in his sone from second son to the ruler of Gazbiyaa And Clio couldn’t even begin to i on in his head

“I thought you would warn Stefan away from me, not the opposite”

His deep brown eyes shining with kindness, his mouth set into that diploone to him for help instead of the stubborn Sicilian?

“You forget that Rocco, Christian and I know you as well as Stefan does And Stefanhe is more than a brother to me, but we have seen him become jaded and more hardened than the rest of us I wouldn’t want ht in that disdain of his And youyou’re a friend, Clio”

Clio hugged the war, Zayed,” she said, wanting to make sure they all understood Every step of the way, Stefan had only prepared her for as co his disdain

“This was lad that it was

Zayed’s expression didn’t waver “None of us want you to be hurt, Clio He could very possibly do it, and then he won’t forgive himself, no?”

Her gut sinking, Clio finally understood their concern, understood the friction she had sensed between Stefan and the three of them the past two days

Stefan thought they were all protecting her from him

What he didn’t realize was that Rocco, Christian and Zayed were also looking out for hi to irrevocably lose a part of himself

A tightness e realization of how complicated the man she was about to marry was

It’s the only way I can do this, Clio, he had said to her when she had signed the contract

Was it the only way he thought of to protect their fragile relationship froh? And she resolved to not lose hie destroy them

“I won’t let that happen, Zayed”

Whether he believed her or not, Zayed patted her hand “You have friends, Clio Always remember that”