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Suki gasped, her eyes widening on the supermodel. ‘You were the one who changed the rooms?’
For a split second, Svetlana’s easy charm dropped. ‘He’s taken you there, I see.’
‘Why are you here?’ Suki demanded, the roiling in her stomach predicting unimaginable worst cases.
The Russian beauty moved forward again, her steps faltering when she caught sight of Suki’s engagement ring.
‘Ah, looks like he’s given you one of these.’ She held out her right hand, displaying a diamond twice as big as Suki’s. ‘Did he wine and dine you, then surprise you with a visit from his diamond merchant?’
Suki barely managed to stop herself from gasping again as a hot spike of pain lanced her heart. ‘It’s none of your business.’
Svetlana shrugged, continuing forward to circle Suki where she stood. From behind her, Suki felt her lean forward. ‘He promised me the world too after I got pregnant,’ she whispered in Suki’s ear.
She felt the blood drain from her head as she spun on her heels to face Svetlana. ‘What?’
The icy blonde gave a sad smile. ‘Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be. And unfortunately, all the silliness started after that.’
‘Silliness?’
‘Ramon wanted me to quit modelling. Stay at home and try for another baby. I love him but, boy, he’s a typical man when it comes to such things. He got his boxers in a twist when I asked for a little more time.’
‘Is that why you cheated on him?’
Svetlana’s eyes widened ever so slightly, but she recovered quickly. A little too quickly. ‘All of that is behind us now. He’s forgiven me and now he’s got a mini him on the way, there’s no reason why we can’t be together.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Yes, excuse you. He’s probably spun you a story about how everything will work out with you and him and the baby. But what he hasn’t mentioned is that he still loves me. If you think you’re going to walk down the aisle with him any time soon, you’re delusional. He’s keeping you sweet long enough to get his hands on his kid.’
‘Why on earth should I believe you?’
‘Because I’m the one he can’t get out of his head. I’m the one he still paints and sculpts when he’s in that studio of his. He’s as obsessed with me as I am with him. Has been since the first time we met. If you don’t believe me, take a peek under all those black cloths in his studio when you go back. If you go back.’
‘So you came here to what...warn me off?’
‘Ramon is waiting for me downstairs so I’ll be quick. I came to give you a heads up before you started spinning fairy tales that will never come true. You can either break things off with him or content yourself with being the other woman in his life. He’ll always belong to me.’ She smiled and started heading out of the living room. At the last moment, she executed a perfect pirouette. ‘Oh, and don’t bother asking him. He’ll only deny it. Actually, on second thought, ask him. The quicker we get things out in the open, the quicker we can all settle into our places.’
Suki didn’t know where she dredged up the strength to ask one last question, when everything inside her was ripped to shreds. ‘Are you seriously saying you don’t mind sharing him with another woman?’
She smiled a megawatt smile. ‘Woman to woman? I don’t because I know he’ll always come back to me. When I call he comes running, and vice versa. But I hope for your sake you choose the path that causes you least embarrassment and pain.’
With a wriggle of her perfectly manicured fingers, she sailed back out in a cloud of expensive perfume.
Not a care in the world about the life she’d just shattered.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SHE WASN’T A CHILD. Or a melodramatic actress in a daytime soap opera, choosing sullen silence or dragging things out for effect.
Even before Svetlana had walked out, Suki knew she would ask Ramon. The need to stop the torture ravaging her insides aside, her assumption that he’d lied to her about his relationship with Svetlana was what had delayed her telling him about her first pregnancy. Condemning him again without concrete evidence would not only demean her, it would erode any possibility of trust between them.
Yes, they had to start from a place of trust so, of course, she would ask him if anything Svetlana had said was true—
‘Miss Langston?’
She composed herself and turned to find the butler a few feet away. ‘Yes?’
‘Señor Acosta called. He’s been delayed. He says I’m to escort you down to the gallery and he’ll find you there as soon as he’s free.’
