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‘He threatened to turn Danielle out on the street if she didn’t do it At fourteen, with no other family for support, she had no choice The social welfare system let her down Apparently her father charive her baby away’ Elene stared at the carpet ‘I don’t think she ever got over that’
‘There are some real monsters out there’
‘There are I’ve been very lucky’ Elene looked hio amiss ‘The man who conceived me didn’t want me but the man I’ve called Dad all my life more than made up for him’
‘More cruelty I’m sorry to hear your stories You and Danielle would’ve understood each other very well’
‘We did’ Needing to get Danielle’s story over with, Elene continued ‘She intended letting you know about the pregnancy, but kept putting off thea baby you’d think she’d want to share the joy, but it was like she was holding it all to herself for herself’ Another nosis caet a look-in’
‘She was afraid I’d take the baby away?’
Elene leapt in to negate that hurt ‘Not because she truly believed you were capable of such cruelty She wanted every ht for the two of the was a by-product of her past I don’t think she ever trusted any man to look out for her’
‘Thank you for that Danielle once told me you were the only person she felt cos that htful
Get it over with ‘Ai for his reaction ‘The Ricco part yet to be confirmed by you’
Mattia stared at her as if his last chance of escape had vanished All the colour drained from his cheeks
Guilt sneaked up on Elene unexpectedly She had whacked him over the head with this ‘I’m sorry It’s hard, you know?’
‘Yes, I do Very hard’ His stunned gaze dropped to Ai she couldn’t quite recognise crept into his expression Hope? Longing? She waited quietly
Mattia finally turned back to her ‘Hicks-Ricco Aimee will always be aware of her mother I like that’
On hearing her naed a fist on her father’s chin ‘Ma-ma-ma-ma’
Elene sighed with relief He wasn’t denying the obvious, had accepted the truth far quicker than she’d given him credit for ‘I understand you’re full of questions, but can we leave theone down for the night Please?’ Now she was begging, and she hadn’t begged since she ran away fro hadn’t taken any notice so maybe Mattia wouldn’t either But since Ais she would do to get what the little girl needed Except give her up
Mattia was staring at her, not in a bad way, nor one thatansithout verbalising the questions Finally, he nodded ‘I agree’
Phew She headed for theof oats was ready ‘You’ve got milk?’
‘Here’ With Aie to retrieve the cardboard container and pass it to her ‘Cutlery in that drawer to your right’
How do on the top of a tsuna weeks in this civilised fashion would be ideal She’d try to keep her best ga for Mattia’s charms—those she’d seen him turn on other women, if not her—would createand everyone around him Had he always been like that? Or was it a result of a past relationship?
She’d had the controlling partner, and it had taken her parents’ and Danielle’s support and a lot of courage to leave hi love while at the sa
her dress style, even her work hours Everything to suit hi to keep her fas and sneaked out of the sterile aparte at the back of her parents’ house until she was ready to branch out and buy her own home
It’d been crippling, not being able to decide which outfit to wear or what to eat for breakfast, and without Danielle and her fae to start down the path to freedom She was not about to put herself into the hands of another controlling man Which meant she and Mattia were destined to never behis way