Sweet Revenge: The Martinez Marriage Revenge / The Italian Billionaire's Ruthless Revenge / The Kouros Marriage Revenge. JACQUELINE BAIRD

evident before it was quickly masked should have brought a sense of satisfaction.

      Except instinct warned Shannay that Estella would merely choose her moment for the next verbal strike.

      ‘Possibly I decided he wasn’t the best marriage material?’ She waited a few seconds, then honed in sweetly, ‘Isn’t that why you left him?’

       Bitch.

      If she asserted Marcello hunted her down, she’d leave herself open for Estella to drag Nicki into the verbal equation, and she refused to allow that.

      ‘No.’

      The supercilious arched eyebrow did it.

      Forget politeness. ‘Go find your husband, Estella.’ The silent implication “and leave mine alone” was clearly evident.

      The mocking smile conceded nothing as the socialite turned with a slow, deliberately sensual movement and began weaving her way through the gathered patrons.

      ‘Your support was gratifying,’ Shannay noted quietly, unsure whether she was pleased or relieved, and bore his appraisal.

      ‘You were doing so well on your own.’

      ‘She’s a—’

      ‘Femme fatale,’ Marcello drawled. ‘Who thrives on playing games with the vulnerable.’

      Her chin tilted and her eyes lanced his own. ‘The term vulnerable no longer applies to me.’

      Marcello cast her a musing glance as he caught hold of her hand and brushed a soothing thumb over the veins at her wrist, where the quickened beat of her pulse belied her contrived air of calm.

      The intervening years had provided a level of maturity and independence he could only admire.

      With every passing day his desire for revenge lessened, and it irked him, for he wanted to make her pay for denying him the experience of her pregnancy, the birth, and his daughter’s infancy.

      There was still a degree of anger beneath the surface vying with an overpowering physical need he fought hard to control.