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The phrase cut her deep, reminding her of how she’d felt as her mother had begun to change, to focus on Steven to the point where Emily had become near invisible. That familiar guilt and hurt began to rise in her chest as she felt shut-out again. Until he reached for her, taking the hand she’d left on the seat between them, his fingers cool but tight, and she knew how much that had cost him because it was priceless to her. That touch, it anchored her. She couldn’t be invisible if he were holding her.
She cast a glance at him, the muscle at his jaw flexing rapidly, tension wound so tight through his body that it must have taken considerable effort not to crush her hand.
‘Javier—’
‘We’re here,’ he interrupted as the car turned into the open gates and a driveway that circled around a stone fountain before sweeping in front of a huge Tuscan-style estate. The designer in her quickly categorised the impressive building that must have contained at least twelve bedrooms. The front door was flanked by two tall cypress trees, the pink hue of the painted exterior plaster set off by the black-framed windows glowing as every single light in the house appeared to be switched on. She had never been here before. They few times that they had met with Renata, it had always been ‘out’, as if Renata hadn’t wanted Emily in her home. Which, all considered, was probably correct.
Javier took the steps up to the front door in quick, angry strides and pounded on the door as Emily followed more slowly, which was why she could see Gabi when she opened the door.
She looked terrible. Her eyes were red and swollen from who knew how many hours of crying, but it was the hurt and fear in them that caught Emily the most. Her beautiful long brown hair hung in messy strands and, hunched in on herself, she looked small and so, so vulnerable.
‘Where is she?’ Javier growled.
Gabi put up her hand to try and stop him, but Javier pushed past her and stormed into the house, leaving Emily to gather Gabi into her arms just as she started to cry again.
‘Oh, my love,’ Emily said, pulling her into an embrace and sweeping the hair from her face. ‘What on earth happened?’ But Gabi only shook her head.
The moment that raised voices reached them in the grand hallway, Gabi ran off towards them, leaving Emily no choice but to follow. Hurrying to keep up, Emily found the living area where Renata, Javier and a man she didn’t know stood facing each other.
Renata jerked her head up and with a look of such venom it nearly stopped Emily in her tracks said, ‘Get her out of here. I never want to look at her ever again.’
For a moment Emily thought Renata was talking about her, but quickly realised from Gabi’s reaction that her ire was directed at her daughter. Gabi turned and fled straight back into Emily’s arms.
‘That’s rich,’ the stranger in the room said, in heavily accented English. ‘You send her after me like some Mata Hari and now you want to get rid of her?’
‘Why would I want her?’ Renata demanded. ‘She’s no better than a whore.’
Emily couldn’t prevent the gasp of shock that escaped at Renata’s bitter tirade—the way Gabi had flinched in her arms, it was as if she’d been struck. Whatever was going on here, Gabi didn’t need to see or hear it. With a glance at Javier, who nodded his understanding, she drew Gabi back into the hallway, down the steps and into the car, refusing to let go of the young woman in her arms.
‘It’s not true,’ Emily said, reassuring her with words of comfort. ‘Your mother is wrong.’
‘But she’s not,’ Gabi whispered through pale lips, and her tears became silent, which was so much worse.
Javier shook with a rage that felt endless.
‘This is not how I heard you do business, Casas,’ said the stranger. ‘This? This is unacceptable. Appalling,’ the man said, shaking his head in disgust.
‘Who are you?’ Javier demanded.
The man—as tall as himself—glanced at Renata and back to him again. ‘You don’t know?’
‘I wouldn’t have asked if I did,’ Javier growled, just about done with this entire mess.
‘Lady, you are crazy,’ he said, turning his attention to Renata. ‘My lawyers are going to go through everything with a fine toothcomb and when they’re done...?’ He let the threat hang in the air and Renata seemed to drain of all colour. ‘She was trying to sell me shares in your company.’
‘You mean Casas Textiles?’
‘No. I meanyourcompany. She’s been using your name to secure business deals for months. As it stands? I already own fifty percent of Casas Textiles.’
The ringing in his ears was a warning of how close he was to losing it. The man—apparently appeased by the shock that must have shown on his face—shook his head in disgust. He took a small white card from his pocket and handed it to Javier.
‘I’ll be in touch. Looks like you’ve got some talking to do.’ And with that he left.
Without looking at the card, he shoved it into his pocket and turned on Renata.
She was trying to look defiant. In her mind, Javier reasoned, she probably hadn’t done anything wrong. After all, she’d always behaved as if whatever was his was hers. He shook his head. She really was mad.
‘Don’t look at me like that. I am your mother.’
