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With as ently lifted Misha out fro down her shirt

“He’s asleep,” she said softly She carefully laid him down on the soft mattress of the crib Nikos came to stand beside her, and for a moment they watched their child sleep The baby’s ar dark eyelashes fluttered against his plump, rosy cheeks as his breath rose and fell She whispered, “Isn’t he beautiful?”

“Yes”

She bit her lip at his abrupt tone, feeling guilty again about what she’d done No matter how she hated him, how could she have separated a child from his father?

She took a deep breath “I…I owe you an apology, Nikos I should never have taken Misha away from you”

“No” His voice was low

She licked her lips Might as well get it all over with “And I’ you for my father’s death,” she said in a rush “You invested in his coe of you He’s the one who chose to drink himself to death I just wish you’d toldto save hiuess we’ve both s in our oay, haven’t we?”

He drew back, his eyes cold “My onlyto take care of you”

She was trying to be penitent, but his words caused resenth her anew She backed away fro her voice soft so as not to wake their sleeping child “Oh, I see,” she said furiously “So was it for nancy?”

He followed her across the roo his jaw in exasperation He shook his head “What are you talking about? I never cheated on you Although at this point I wish I had Are you trying to ainst me in court? That’s a ne, even for you”

She could hardly believe he’d try to deny it “What about Lindsey?”

“What about her?”

“You ht as well ad” Anna stared blindly at the five-foot-high stuffed giraffe sitting on the powder-blue sofa in the corner “Lindsey often canancy, supposedly to ask questions about her job But I think the real reason was to torment me with details of your affair”

For a moment there was silence in the shaded cool of the nursery

“Lindsey told you that ere lovers?” His voice was matter-of-fact, emotionless

“She told ” Her throat started to hurt as the pain went through her heart again, ripping the wound anew “How often you made love How she believed you’d ask her to marry you”

“It’s a lie”

“Of course that part was a lie She was obviously delusional You’ll never propose to anyone” She gave a bitter laugh “I almost feel sorry for her You use women when it suits you But you’ll abandon her like you abandoned me”

He becaerously still “You think I—abandoned you?”

“I wasn’t so sexy anynancy you wouldn’t touch ether You replaced er, slimmer model”

He looked down at her with narrowed eyes as his nostrils flared “And that’s really what you really think of ether you think I would reject and abandon the wo my child”

She pushed away all the wonderful hts under the stars Days spent together in bed

Wordlessly, she nodded

“Da the final trimester can induce early labor—”

“I had a healthy pregnancy!” Anna cried “But you kept ht you were just worried about our child But you kepteous young mistress Make up some cockamamie story about early labor if you want, but the truth is you just didn’t want me anymore!”