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CHAPTER ONE

“THEN, AFTER THE children finish their sing-along, Babbo Natale will arrive to distribute presents We were lucky enough this year to get each child soirl who asked for a dragon and one thousand chocolate cookies The internet is a wonderful thing” Rosa La?” she asked the man in front of her

Arive her a narrow-eyed look “Of course I did Babbo Natale Dragons Cookies Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know,a path in the carpet for the past thirty ed panther wasthe hand-woven Oushak with long, heavy-footed strides that took advantage of his extra-tall frame Between that and the scowl plastered on his face, she half expected hi I could have announced a coup and you wouldn’t have heard me”

“I’h his dark curls “I’”

Clearly Setting her paperwork aside, Rosa helped herself to a fresh cup of coffee On good days, being the prince’s personal assistant was a three-cup job When he was distracted, the number increased to four or five

“Don’t tell me you’re upset about your sister,” she said Only that ement to an American businessman named Max Brohom she had met in New York City The details of the courtship were sketchy According to Armando, the princess had taken off for America without a hy A few days after her return, Max Brown forced his way into the castle de to see her The pair had been inseparable ever since

“No,” he said It was h than reply “If Arianna is happy, then I am happy for her”

Happy was too o with delirious or ecstatic The princess had lit up like Corinthia City on San Paolo Day when Max burst through the door

Rosa suppressed a sigh of her own Wild, passionate declarations of love and sudden engagements It was all quite romantic She couldn’t re to her, unless you counted her ex-husband and his many declarations of disinterest

Fredo had been very good at telling her she wasn’t worth his time

She returned to the question at hand “If it is not your sister, then what is it?” she asked over the ri, because I know you” One didn’t spend seven years of life attached to so a person’s tics

An olive-skinned hand reached over her shoulder and took the cup before her lips had a chance to make contact “Hey!”