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He chuckled “Perhaps because I like to hear your voice?”

Herboth Dimitri and Alexandra she was there

Dimitri turned to Cecelia “I understand your concern and will do everything in ue your daughter She is in too fragile a state right now”

“How dare you?” her mother demanded

“Can I order anything for you?” Died question

Apparently realizing when she was faced with a will stronger than her own, Cecelia subsided She took a seat in one of the arht settle my nerves”

“Then I shall order you some without delay”

He went to the phone to do so, but kept his body toward the herto upset Alexandra His concern felt nice and Alexandra had to adlad she wasn’t alone to face herthe order, Dimitri returned to sit next to Alexandra on the sly then turned the full force of his charm on her mother

“Mrs Dupree, allow me to introduce myself I am Dimitri Petronides” His smile would havehis hand “It is an honor to meet the mother of the woman I intend to marry”

Alexandra sucked in air so fast she choked on it while her mother’s “just sucked on a lele heartbeat Cecelia patted her perfectly coiffed ash-blond hair and smiled at Dimitri

“Please, youto alleviate the scandal I’ht of it Alexandra’s been so impetuous these past six years and I declare the last three months have been the worst”

Alexandra gritted her teeth at her reed to marry him”

Cecilia dismissed Alexandra’s words with a wave of her hand “Of course you will, dear Now let’s startplans It will have to be a quiet affair if there’s any hope of avoiding more scandal”

Alexandra hadn’t told herthe details of their breakup But she doubted it would have made any difference in the older woman’s current outlook In Cecelia Dupree’s e Therefore, to preserve appearances, Alexandra had to be married

“This isn’t the Middle Ages, Mother You cannot give e to a man without my permission” She turned her head to meet Dimitri’s eyes “And you can’t take it”

“Alexandra, is that reporter correct? Is this man the father of your child?”

Alexandra’s vocal chords froze An affirmative ansould be her downfall with her mother

“Yes,” Dimitri said when Alexandra refused to

“Then there can be no question that you will marry him”

“On the contrary” Alexandra didn’t like the feeling of pressure e from both herthis baby alone If that upsets you, I’m sorry”

She was proud of her little speech until her mother’s eyes filled with tears “Wasn’t six years spent worried soh a cross to bear? Now everyone knows” She sniffed and Alexandra felt a tug on her own eh she suspected the tears were a tool as well used as her ht Think of the baby,” was Cecelia last emotive appeal

“You say lifestyle like hest bidder” Alexandra washer career choice rather than her current predicament

Her ? To even imply…” Clearly words failed her and two tears spilled over to trail down her powdered cheeks

Alexandra felt the familiar sense of failure well up in her “I’m sorry, Mother I shouldn’t have said it”