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‘CAN’T THIS WAIT, DAVID? I’’

Matteo nodded to the driver to go and lifted Ruby’s fingers into his hand If it wasn’t for this call he would have been lifting them to his lips

‘Of course I can wait until tousto Arturo about a er, if that’s what you’d prefer’

‘That’s not news I already knew that He hasn’t a chance’

He put his arers down her silken flesh as the car rolled through night-time traffic

‘Apparently there’s a been a change of heart They were spotted at lunch in Cannes’

Matteo’s stomach lurched He sat forward Lunch s inforood news at all

‘What? Are you sure? Where did you find this out?’

‘Interestingly, Claudio posted on socialup with old friends and new in the French Riviera this suatta and then a weekend in Tuscany with the irrepressible Arturo Augusto”’

‘You’ve got to be joking What does he think he’s playing at? “Obligatory Cordon D’Or”—he’s the last person I want to see there And na’

‘It proves that he knoind you up’

Matteo sat as still as his bursting blood vessels and pounding heart would allow He would not overreact to this He knew Claudio and he kne he operated There would be nothing to gain by getting hi like this

‘You’re right Claudio kno important this is to us It doesn’t ets Arturo or not He doesn’t need those clients—it’s hardly even worth his while What do you think he’s really up to?’

‘Into provoke you Get you to react to his e He’ll have seen all the recent publicity about you and maybe he thinks you want to play it out publicly That’sup at Cordon D’Or would be a new tactic, to say the least I’ll step up security just in case’

‘I didn’t see this coer fish to fry’

The anger he felt was asso damned naïve as at Claudio He should never haveClaudio Calvaneo It was if he was determined to erase every last trace of Banca Casa di Rossini and all it stood for