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In the face of his elder brother’s outraged rebuttal, Nuncio had turned a pasty colour and fallen silent Now he said uneasily, ‘Ever since Da us to mind our own business and keep quiet about this, Cosetta I told you I wasn’t happy with the odd way she’s been behaving—’

‘That’s only because Annabel wanted Daued even more frantically ‘Annabel wouldn’t have lied to me!’

‘What you seeet is that your brother made that choice when hepast time that his family accepted that and, if you can’t accept it, then leave us alone’

‘I couldn’t have put it betterEden even closer to his big powerful frame as he surveyed their three visitors ‘And, sadly, you, my family, really do deserve Annabel Indeed Annabel could not have ripped off a nicer set of people I can barely believe how stupid you’ve all been—’

‘Ripped off? Stupid?’ Cosetta repeated incredulously ‘How can you say that?’

‘Annabel waits until she thinks I’m dead and Eden has been driven fro little confession…a very bored

‘Well…yes,’ Nuncio confirmed

‘She then told you she was expecting ue at that point? Did anybody seek any supporting evidence of her clai derision ‘So you just accepted that if Annabel was pregnant, the child was h I was married—’

‘Annabel said you were planning on getting a divorce’ Nuncio groaned

‘Annabel said,’ Da bankrupt must’ve been a really nasty shock because Annabel has expensive tastes Weren’t you capable of adding two and two andfour, Nuncio? Didn’t you siven her over the years?’

‘I can’t believe that Annabel could have et money off us! How could she do that to me?’ Cosetta sobbed and she stalked over to theand turned her back on them all

‘You used her to get at me, Cosetta,’ Eden reminded the brunette ruefully ‘And she used you to stay in Damiano’s radius’

‘Ouch…’ Daroaned

Looking hangdog, Nuncioto look out for your interests when I helped Annabel out, Damiano—’

‘How? By hurting and hu my hen she was at herout for my interests?’ Daer brother flinch

China-blue eyes cold as charity, Tina now spoke up with her usual hesitancy ‘I’m sorry but it’s really not fair to blame Nuncio,’ she said softly ‘None of us have wanted to mention it but Eden did have an affair with another reat deal’

Bitter anger flared in Eden at Tina’s nerve in ression power tension through every th ‘Tina…’ Da froet the chance to continue

Without the s, Cosetta erupted back into the centre of the roo, cheating little snake!’ she spat furiously ‘It was you who had the affair with Mark Anstey! It was you all along and you lied all the way down the line!’

As Eden fixed appalled eyes on the photos she now belatedly recalled having left lying on the -seat, close to where Cosetta had been standing, all hell broke loose Nuncio hast excla attack on her former ally

‘You can stage this confrontation elsewhere,’ Da over to the door, he flung it wide ‘All of you…out!’

Shattered silence fell

‘I’et physical,’ Damiano warned

Their unwelco at each other again before the front door even closed behind theed with relief

‘They will never set foot in any residence of ours again,’ Damiano sith vehemence ‘But when did my kid sister turn into such a shrew?’

Eden sighed and, turning round, rested her brow against his broad chest, feeling his ar in the warmth and solidity of him ‘I think her friendship with Annabel turned her in that direction Annabel is a lot older and she influenced her a good deal Oh, dear…I feel so awful about leaving those dreadful photos just sitting there where anyone could find them!’