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“You think Xavier would want to be with me after learning about me and Demetrius?” Olympia asked nervously and she nodded reassuringly.
“I don’t think Stefano employs stupid people beyond his brother. Xavier would be foolish not to want you. One dinner, no pressure, just a simple meal to see if you like more than just the other’s appearance?”
“Alright, I would love to,” Olympia stated as she slid a dress from the rack, “but only if you try this on.”
“Oh, it’s gorgeous,” Hailey said staring at the lace and row of buttons that ran down the back of it. Once she’d slipped into it, she knew it was the perfect starting place for them. Alberto agreed to raise the neckline just a bit but the lace that went over her shoulders should soothe any and all of Stefano’s worries. It would show off part of her back but no more than any other dress he’d chosen for her would. Suddenly she felt very much like a bride and she planned to have it continue long into their future.
Chapter 9
“W
e have a problem,” Hailey said quietly as they sat outside on the balcony of his apartment, keeping an eye on Xavier and Olympia talking in the living room.
“What? I think they’ve hit it off quite well,” Stefano stated letting his fingers linger on the skin of her bare arm beneath her wrap.
“It’s not about Xavier and Olympia, who by the way knows I was also once quite foolish when it came to Demetrius.”
“You told her? Why?”
“So, she would understand that it’s no indication of being stupid to fall for someone so charming and only allows you to see the good side of them. She would never begin to think of finding something with Xavier or anyone else with her tattered self-respect and self-esteem unless she had a clear example in front of her. She said at first she was worried you would try to make her marry you rather than Demetrius.”
“Olympia would never fair well as my wife, nor did I plan to have one before you,” he said honestly, and she gave him a sardonic look.
“She and Xavier look wonderful together though and I have a feeling that we will soon need to get her unengaged to Demetrius.”
“I will keep an eye on the situation and have her father come in for a required meeting with me. Once he sees how happy she is with Xavier, knows that he has my backing, then he will allow the engagement to end as long as Demetrius does not argue. Mother will want what is best for Olympia. She’s already expressed concerns about their relationship to me so it will not be too difficult to undo what I have done.”
“For Olympia at least, we are another story are we not?” she questioned, and he felt his body tense. He was not about to let her slip away from him.
“What problem have you discovered if it does not relate to Olympia?” he asked keeping his voice even while he continued to stroke her arm.
“Olympia told me that she overheard Kyra and Demetrius scheming ways to hurt us, you and me. Your brother wants you to suffer and thinks the best way to make that happen is by getting me into bed.”
“I know,” he said surprising her.
“You know that Demetrius is going to attempt to sleep with me before the wedding, reveal it there to hurt you and Elena?”
“Why would he try to hurt Mother?” Stefano asked, his turn to be surprised.
“He claims she loves you more than he or Kyra,” she answered turning her gaze from him slightly.
“That’s not true Hailey, Mother loves each of us the same.”
“Is it Stefano?” she questioned softly as he lifted her chin, so their gazes met again. “You are the son from her greatest love, her piece of your father still. You remember how she was with your father, don’t you? Is that how she and Nikolas are?”
“No, their marriage was decided upon because of business acumen at the time. They respect each other but I don’t believe she’s ever loved him,” Stefano admitted wondering if that were how his life with Hailey would be, if she would love their children the way his mother loved him, or if it would be more of the push-pull relationship that she had with his siblings.
“Which in their eyes means that she couldn’t possibly love them as much as you Stefano, I’m not trying to make excuses for them, far from it,” she stated turning further towards him, brushing the hair from his temple when it fell close to his eye. “I just can see how they might get that idea. Elena sees your father in you and the love she felt for him comes out, which makes them jealous.”
“And explains why she’s allowed Nikolas to spoil them as he did until he lost his business. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before but even so, it’s no reason for them to behave as they do. It certainly does not give my brother permission to treat you as an expendable body. I promise my brother will not begin to harm you Hailey. I will be sending him out on business for the next few weeks, allowing you and our mothers to get the wedding plans arranged and also giving Olympia and Xavier time to allow things to grow between them. I will not allow anyone, man or woman, to use you against me.”
“Good, I do not relish the need to sleep with an eye open every night,” she stated lowering her head to rest on his chest.
“You are quite safe at home Hailey, whether that is your apartment or your parents’ house. It will also include this weekend while we are at Sunset Estate. You will love it there.”
“Hopefully not too much or it might be difficult to leave when we annul our marriage,” she said feeling his arms tighten around her putting a smile onto her lips.
“Do not risk everything by speaking about that within earshot of anyone lurking, in fact do not speak of it again. For the foreseeable future you are to be and will be my wife, in our families’ eyes that will be for life,” Stefano said taming down his anger hearing her speak of annulling their marriage before they were even married.
