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That was taking it too far. It was one thing to needle Yevgeny, but Ella didn’t want anyone thinking she’d slept with this bully.
“No!” said Ella. “This is not his child—it’s Dmitri’s child!”
Confusion misted Nadiya’s eyes. “So where is Dmitri?” Her attention swung to Yevgeny. “And why are you talking about adopting your brother’s child?”
He really hadn’t told Nadiya anything at all.
“Because my brother and his wife have decided they no longer want a baby. She’s of my blood. How can I let her go to strangers?”
There lay the key to his behavior—he was prepared to sacrifice his own freedom for the baby’s sake to prevent a person he believed belonged to his family from going to strangers.
Nadiya’s gaze moved back to Ella. “And you are the mother, right? Not your sister?”
Why did Nadiya have to put it like that? Ella rocked the baby a little more. “I’m not the planned mother—Keira is. Or was supposed to be,” she amended. “I’m only a surrogate.”
She couldn’t help feeling the stab of a traitor’s guilt.
“You only carried the baby?”
Ella wriggled uncomfortably before conceding, “The eggs are mine, too.”
“So you are the mother.” Nadiya cut to the heart of it.
Ella shifted again. The baby mewed. A quick glance revealed that the baby’s face had puckered up. Oh, no, she was about to cry again. Ella rocked harder; the puckers relaxed a little. She risked raising her head. “Biologically, yes. Legally, yes. Morally, no.”
Over the baby’s head, Nadiya gave her a long, searching look. Then she turned to Yevgeny. “You should have told me. You knew I believed you were asking me to have my baby.”
“It makes a difference?” Yevgeny’s gaze was hooded.
“Yes. My career is demanding right now, but I would take time off for my baby. My baby—and yours.”
“But not for this baby?”
Nadiya looked tormented.
“That’s not fair!” Unable to keep quiet at his hectoring, Ella rose to the younger woman’s defense. In her arms the soft body of the baby stiffened. Ella made a mental note to keep her voice level.
“You’ve already caused enough trouble. You stay out of this,” he snarled.
“But she’s right. You’re not being fair—and I’m not going to do this.” Nadiya was tugging the great glittering ring off her finger.
“Wait—”
“No, this isn’t going to work. I thought you loved me...that you were talking about us having a baby together. But you were using me!” Fury sparkled in her green eyes. She thrust the ring at him, her fingers shaking. “Take it.”
The baby carefully cradled on her lap, Ella drew back into the chair and tried to make herself invisible. Some things deserved privacy. And it was uncomfortable to watch Nadiya’s pain as moisture glimmered in her eyes. There was hurt...and anger...and something else that made Ella wince.
It startled her to realize that the model had loved the ruthless Russian. The revelation made Ella furious. Poor, hoodwinked Nadiya.
A woman would have to be incredibly shortsighted to fall in love with him. Yet Nadiya clearly had. Being beautiful and successful hadn’t saved her from being devastated by his effortless manipulation.
The tableau playing itself out in front of her brought back old hurts...humiliations...that Ella had hoped were long forgotten....
She never intended to feel like that about any man ever again.
Particularly not a man like Yevgeny Volkovoy.
Nadiya tossed back her head, and her hair rippled like black silk in the light. “No one uses me.”
Yevgeny didn’t respond. He simply stood there staring down at the woman he’d so recently announced was his fiancée.
“Pah...you’re not even prepared to deny it. I feel sorry for you, Yevgeny. You don’t recognize the importance of love. But one day you’re going to fall in love with someone—real love—and she’s going to rip your heart out, just like you’ve ripped mine out.” Wiping the tears away, the supermodel straightened to her glamorous full height. “You’re not worth crying over.”
* * *
“You did that deliberately!” Yevgeny blew out a pent-up breath as the rapid tap-tap of Nadiya’s skyscraper heels receded down the corridor.
Ella didn’t even flinch at his accusation. “What do you mean?”
Her voice was softer than he expected.
It gave him a strange feeling to see her holding the baby that he already adored. So he looked away from the infant and pinned the most irritating woman he’d ever met under his gaze. “You caused that scene you just witnessed.”
