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.It is complex.”It wasn’t complex, Roman knew—it was very straightforward.His uncle had been having an affair with his mother and tonight he guessed Isaak wanted to break the news to him that Ivor was in fact their father.“I don’t want to speak with anyone tonight,” Roman said.“I’m going to the casino and then I’m going to get laid.”It had been far, far too long.The press would fall over themselves laughing if they knew that bad boy Roman Zaretsky hadn’t had sex in months.Not since.Roman shook his head, he so wasn’t going there in his head again.He well remembered the night back at the hotel after the wedding when he had left Milly his swipe card and as for her hanging up on him in Russia.He couldn’t even pay her for sex.Only that wasn’t right, Roman knew.It was the fact that he had paid her that had upset Milly so much.God, he wanted to go and see her, but he didn’t trust himself in this current mood.“We’re coming over tonight,’” Isaak was insistent.“Or we can come over now, but we are having this conversation.”Roman hung up on his brother and paced around the penthouse.He rang the estate agent and told him to get on with it.He wanted it sold now.Roman prowled the luxurious space like a caged tiger.Going from room too room, opening the wardrobe that still had Ava’s things and ripping them from the shelves.Then, he went into the bathroom, and all her perfumes and toiletries were still there and with one hand-swipe he cleared the shelves.Roman had never cried since he was a baby, but he was fighting not to now.Not in anger but in despair, because Milly had been right when she said she didn’t believe him—he was grieving Ava! Yes, he was furious with her, but that a twenty six year old woman had died, was gone, just removed from the planet, hurt like hell.Over and over, that night he went.Should he have handled it better? But how?Could he have stopped her walking off into the night?Maybe he should have hidden her car keys?The cord was pulled and there was a chain saw going in his head as he opened the spare bedroom and saw the little silver musical box that he had bought in Dubai for the baby.Roman closed the door to what would have been the nursery and took out his phone that was ringing and saw that it was Isaak.He would rather ignore it but he knew he had to face Isaak and discuss the truth that had been unearthed.He would do it with Milly there, Roman decided, it was the only way he knew how.She soothed him she calmed him and he trusted himself enough that there would be no handing over his room swipe card.Making love was far removed from the sex that Roman wanted tonight.“Isaak,” Roman said to his brother when he answered the call.“Meet me in the Club room at Ravello’s after six.I’m checking in there, I’ll sign you both in as guests.”“I don’t want to discuss our family business in a public,” Isaak said but Roman refused to be swayed.“Be there, or it will never be discussed again.”Chapter Ten“Milly!”Clifford was at his smarmy, disgusting best and Milly’s heart sank when she saw that he was back and he told her that a trial had commenced.“It looks as if it will be a long one,” Clifford smiled.“Though I don’t mind, if it means that I get to see you in the evenings.”“I’m going to be working in the mornings from now on,” Milly sweetly smiled and watched as Clifford’s face fell a little.Yes, there would be that consolation to doing the breakfast shift for the next eight weeks, she wouldn’t have to fight off an increasingly drunk Clifford each night.“He makes my skin crawl,” Milly said to Simon in the kitchenette.“He can’t keep his eyes off my breasts.”“Well, they are looking pretty spectacular,” Simon smiled as he headed back out there.“New bra?”Milly said nothing.Soon she would have to tell work that she was pregnant.The only part of that that fazed her was that it meant Simon would know that Roman was the father.Oh, she liked Simon a lot, but she didn’t want him knowing, when not even Roman did.“Milly.” Simon came through the door again.“I’m just giving you the head up that Roman is here and, let me tell you, he’s not at his sunniest.”“When is he ever sunny?” Milly attempted to sound casual, but she knew that her face had gone pale.“Is he staying here again?”“Apparently he checked in a couple of hours ago.He told me that he’s got two guests coming to meet him here tonight.”If Roman was staying here, then she would have to leave her job, Milly knew that.Soon her pregnancy would be showing, but more than that she simply couldn’t take the mind games with Roman—the want and the refusal of want at the same time.“Can you serve him for me?” Milly asked, but Simon shook his head.“I just asked if I could get him a drink and he said that you know what he likes.” Simon gave her a tight smile.“I wouldn’t take him apple juice if I were you though.”“I won’t.”Milly took his vodka from the freezer and poured a measure into a cold glass.Roman got a generous serving, not because of who he was, more that her hands were shaking, but she took a deep breath and headed out to him.“Here you are, Roman.”He nodded and took his drink.“I have two guests joining me.”“Simon told me
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