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‘Sounds good I’ll eat and drink whatever you put in front of me, Maria Your food is second to none And your coffee’ He kissed the tips of his fingers before flourishing theesture ‘I would come all this way just for some of your coffee’

Maria gave Bella a droll look that said, See? Some people like real coffee

Bella sighed, and Maria hurried off, Bella wondering exactly how she was going to explain her presence here at Sergio’s villa In the end, she decided the truth was a good start, telling hi his father’s funeral last year where Sergio had given her his phone nu him

‘I never saw you at his father’s funeral,’ Jere perplexed

‘I was in disguise Wore a dark wig and glasses’

‘I see,’ he said, nodding ‘I gather, then, since you’re here, that you ran into some kind of trouble’

‘Yes A couple of weeks ago I was suffering from a case of severe burnout at the tiio’s offer as well as the wonderful holidays I spent here when our parents wereand asked to rent his villa for a holiday’

‘And this was a couple of weeks ago?’ Jereh forehead

‘Yes, why?’

‘No particular reason Just wondering why Sergio didn’t tell me about it He’s usually not so secretive But surely he’s notyou pay rent to stay here’

‘No, no Of course not He said that he couldn’t rent the villa to me as he would be here souest I was rateful, believe me Admittedly, he didHe orried the et a hold of where I was and the paparazzi would be hovering over the villa in helicopters to take photos of us together You knohat they’re like’

‘Not personally I don’t have your kind of public profile But Sergio still could have toldconsidering look ‘So how’s the holiday going so far?’

‘Oherit’s been very nice Veryrelaxing’ What else could she say? If Sergio had wanted Jere here he would have told him