‘A small price?’ Elizabeth gaped at her. ‘What do you know about this guy?’
Nina couldn’t help a tiny smile. ‘I know he adores Georgia and she adores him.’
‘And what about you?’ Elizabeth gave her another probing look. ‘What does he feel about you? Does he adore you too?’
‘No.’ Nina lowered her gaze.
There was a short silence and Nina looked up to see her friend’s contemplative gaze trained on her.
‘I think I’m starting to get the picture,’ Elizabeth said. ‘You’re in love with him, aren’t you?’
‘How could I possibly be in love with him?’ Nina’s eyes darted away once more. ‘I hardly know him.’
‘You must feel something for him because, knowing you as I do, you would never agree to marry someone if you didn’t respect and admire them at the very least.’
Nina thought about it for a moment. Yes, she did respect Marc. In fact, if circumstances were different, he was exactly the sort of man she could come to love. He had qualities she couldn’t help admiring. He was fiercely loyal and protective and his sense of family was strong.
‘Come on, Nina,’ Elizabeth continued. ‘I can see it in your eyes. You’re halfway there already.’
‘You’re imagining things.’
‘Maybe I am, but I’d watch it if I were you,’ Elizabeth cautioned. ‘You’re not the hard-nosed bitch your sister is. You are going to get yourself seriously hurt if you don’t take care.’
‘I know what I’m doing,’ Nina said. ‘Anyway, I don’t have a choice. I love Georgia and would do anything to protect her.’
‘Sounds like you and that future husband of yours have rather a lot in common, don’t you think?’ Elizabeth mused as she opened the staffroom door. ‘You both want the same thing and are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to get it.’
Nina didn’t answer. She was starting to think it might have been a mistake to tell Elizabeth the truth about her situation. Her friend was seeing things Nina herself had pointedly refused to examine too closely.
She turned to the phone on the wall and quickly called the childcare centre to check on her niece, relieved to hear that Georgia had finally fallen asleep. She hung up the phone and made her way out to the front desk, glad she had something to do other than think about Marc Marcello and how she really felt about him.
Nina had not long returned home with Georgia later that day when the phone rang.
‘Nina?’ Her sister’s voice sounded in her ear. ‘Is that you?’
‘Who else would it be?’ Nina said tersely.
Nadia laughed. ‘Well, for a minute there I thought you sounded just like me.’
Nina ground her teeth. ‘That is so not funny. You do realise that all because of your stupid actions I will be marrying Andre’s brother in a matter of days, don’t you?’
‘Lucky you,’ Nadia said. ‘I’m sure you’ll be more than adequately compensated. A billionaire to call your own.’
‘His money means nothing to me,’ she bit out.
‘Good,’ Nadia said. ‘Then you won’t mind sending it to me.’
‘What?’ Nina stiffened.
‘Come on, Nina. You’ll be loaded. We talked about this the other day, remember? I expect you to share your good fortune with me. Besides, we’re sisters, twin sisters.’
Nina drew in a breath. ‘I am not taking his money.’
‘Don’t be stupid; he’s giving it to you in exchange for marriage. You have to take it.’
‘I have no intention of doing so.’
‘Listen.’ Nadia’s voice hardened. ‘If you don’t take it I’ll tell him who you really are.’
Nina swallowed, her hand on the receiver growing white-knuckled. ‘You can’t do that. He’ll take Georgia off me.’
‘Do you think I care?’ Nadia said.
‘How can you be so callous?’ Nina cried. ‘You’re her mother, for God’s sake!’
‘If you don’t take the money and give it to me I will tell him how you’ve deceived him. Somehow I don’t think he’ll take all that kindly to the news.’
Nina could well believe it, but this wasn’t about her at all. It was about Georgia. She loved her niece and couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing her again.
She considered going to Marc and telling him the truth before Nadia got the chance but knew in the end it would be pointless. He would simply remove Georgia from her custody, would no doubt be relieved that he didn’t have to bind himself to her after all. He would have no regard for her feelings as the child’s aunt even if she was to plead with him to allow her a place in Georgia’s life.
‘I haven’t got any money yet,’ Nina said. ‘The marriage doesn’t take place for another few days. Marc told me I won’t get the allowance until the ink dries on the marriage certificate.’
‘Well, when it does I want you to send me it. All of it. I’ll give you my bank details.’
Nina put the phone down a few minutes later, the numbers on the piece of paper in her hand making her feel sick to her stomach.
Her sister had just sold her child.
CHAPTER SEVEN
NINA had not long settled Georgia for the night when the doorbell rang. She didn’t have to check through the peephole; she knew it was Marc by the way her skin had started to tingle all over.
She opened the door and stepped aside to allow him to come in, her tone reproving as she said, ‘You should have called to say you were going to visit. Georgia’s just gone down. I don’t want to unsettle her.’
‘I am not here to see Georgia right now,’ Marc said, closing the door behind him.
Nina tucked a strand of wayward hair behind one ear and did her best to hold his unwavering gaze. ‘W-what did you want to see me about?’
‘Where were you today?’ he asked.
‘Um … why do you ask?’
‘I called you for hours but you didn’t answer.’
‘I am allowed to go out, aren’t I?’ She gave him a hardened look. ‘Or is my being a prisoner part of your stipulations?’
‘No, but I would prefer it if you would keep me informed of where you and Georgia will be in case I need to contact you. Do you have a mobile phone?’
‘Yes, but I don’t have it on a lot as it wakes Georgia,’ she said half truthfully.
‘I have something else I would like to discuss with you,’ he added and, reaching into his coat pocket, took out the magazine Elizabeth had shown her that morning.
She took it from him with unsteady fingers and placed it on the coffee table without opening it to the damning page.
‘I take it you have already seen it?’ he said.
‘Yes.’ ‘And?’
She met his diamond-hard gaze. ‘That was more than a week ago. Besides, you know how these magazines like to blow things out of proportion.’
‘Did you sleep with those men?’
Nina’s