Page 42 of In Love and Revenge

I rush forward and hold the main door open for him.

He tries to smile, before it’s stolen by a cough.

‘Ask your boyfriend,’ he wheezes.

He shuffles off down the path, dragging his luggage to a waiting taxi.

My boyfriend?

Realisation stabs me in the gut, followed by a surge of white-hot anger.

‘Believe me, I will,’ I seethe, hitching my handbag up on my shoulder and marching towards the Tube station.

‘Good morning, AJ,’ I greet.

‘Aurora?’ He jumps up from his seat. ‘Welcome to your first day.’

‘Thank you,’ I say, mustering as much enthusiasm as I can, considering I spent Freddie’s walk, and then the entire journey here, picturing pushing Rafael Fairfax’s head against his desk and stapling him to it by his ear.

‘Take a seat. Gabriel’s going to—’

‘I actually wanted to thank Rafael for suggesting me for the position before I get started. His office is that one, right?’ I point atthe closed door leading to what Dove told me is the largest corner office in the building.

‘Yes, but—’

‘I promise not to disturb him for long,’ I say, flashing AJ a smile.

I stride to the door and knock before he can stop me. The glass is opaque, so I can’t see inside, but I know the bastard is in there. Dove told me he’s at work by 7.30 a.m. every day. A total workaholic.

‘Come in,’ a deep baritone voice calls.

I open the door and step inside, closing it behind me. Then I take a deep breath, ready to unleash. ‘What do you—’

Bronze eyes spark beneath thick brows as he cuts me off with a raised palm. I stare back, clamping my mouth shut as another voice – a sharper one – stabs out from the speaker on the desk phone.

‘I’m glad things are okay. Not as well as they would be if we had the Wyndham account, of course, but—’

‘Everything’s fine, Dad. You don’t need to worry,’ Rafael says, his eyes fixed on mine as he gestures for me to take a seat in the chair opposite him at his desk.

Mr Fairfax senior grumbles something on the other end of the call about how he doesn’t believe him, then asks, ‘How are things with Harold’s daughter?’

A muscle in Rafael’s cheek clenches as he watches me slide into the seat, before he flicks his gaze away, cracking his knuckles.

‘Fine,’ he clips.

‘Are you bringing her home to meet your mother soon?’

‘Seraphina’s busy. She’s away at a conference,’ Rafael says.

‘When she gets back then. We’d like to meet her. Harold can’t stop talking about her and the things she’s been doing with her advertising company.’

Rafael grunts. ‘I have to go. My new social media consultant just arrived.’

‘All right, son. I’ll be in to visit the office as soon as your mother and I land.’

Rafael hangs up without answering him.

‘Seraphina’s definitely not married, before you start,’ he says, leaning back in his chair.