Chapter 21


    ‘Why?’


    ‘Better to let him get it out of his system now than at the wedding.’


    ‘He’s noting to the wedding. I’ve told him he’s not wee.’


    Even though the movement hurt, he couldn’t stop the smile forming. ‘You don’t mean that.’


    ‘Don’t I?’


    ‘No, you don’t.’ He knew how close the Mondelli siblings were.


    ‘I told you, I don’t like being told what to do. I’ve had it up to here with my brother thinking he can run


    my life.’ She slumped onto the single sofa and rubbed her eyes, smudging her make-up. ‘Did you know


    I always refused to do any work for the House of Mondelli?’


    ‘I was aware of that—Ro always said he thought it was a shame, as your fashion shoots are some


    of the best in the business.’


    ‘He said that?’ A look of pleasure shed over her, quickly reced by another grimace. ‘A few months


    ago he asked me to do all the photography for the newunch he was working on. For the first time, I


    said yes. I thought our rtionship had reached the stage where he regarded me as his equal, as


    Alessandra Mondelli, not just as his little sister. I wanted to be employed for the quality of my work, not


    out of nepotism. I should have known better. He still thinks he knows best and can ride roughshod over


    my feelings.’


    She made a noise that sounded like a choking growl and slumped on the sofa, bending her head


    forward, her long hair falling like a sheet before her until she tossed her head back and sighed. ‘I love


    my brother but he has to ept I’m not a child any more. I’m an adult. I make my own decisions. He


    doesn’t have to like them but he has to at least respect them and if he can’t do that then he can keep


    away.’


    ‘Our news was a shock to him. He’lle round.’


    ‘I don’t care if he does.’ She blinked rapidly and swallowed. ‘So much for averting a scandal; how long


    do you think it’ll be before the press learns he hit you?’


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    ‘There’s no need for the press to know anything.’


    She arched a perfectly plucked dark brow. ‘We were seen by at least a dozen people leaving the


    House of Mondelli, you with an ice pack stuck to your nose. Have you looked in the mirror?’ She didn’t


    give him the chance to reply. ‘You’ve already got two ck eyes forming. How are you going to exin


    that away?’


    ‘I wear exceedingly dark sunsses. No one will see my eyes.’


    ‘That’s not even funny.’


    Seeing she was working herself into a state, he leaned forward and spoke forcefully. ‘There will be no


    scandal. We will cut the press off at its head.’


    ‘How?’


    ‘By announcing our marriage. We will send out a press release today.’


    She pulled a face. ‘If we announce it now, the press will go into a frenzy.’


    ‘They will,’ he agreed. During their many phone conversations over the past ten days they’d discussed


    how to handle the press and had agreed to dy notifying them until a week before the wedding, at


    which point Alessandra would join him in Athens. All the guests they nned to invite could be relied


    on for their discretion. ‘But it will be a controlled frenzy and give them something to write about that


    should, hopefully, supersede any rumour that maye about your brother hitting me. You will have to


    travel to Athens with me...’


    ‘Absolutely not.’


    ‘You’ve already agreed to join me there.’


    ‘But not for another week.’


    ‘It will be safer for you. Here, you’re too exposed. The paparazzi can doorstep you.’


    ‘I don’t care.’ Eyes zing, she folded her arms across her chest. ‘I can’t go anywhere. I have work


    commitments. Lots of them. It’s been hard enough trying to rearrange my schedule for the wedding and


    honeymoon but at least I’ve been able to give the editors and fashion houses I frence for some


    notice. For me toe to Athens today means letting them all down at thest minute.’