A Night of Living Dangerously(57)

St. Raphaël stared at him coldly, then set his briefcase on the desk. Opening it, he pulled out a file and held it to Alessandro.

“What’s this?” he asked, not touching it.

“The Mexico City deal,” St. Raphaël said scornfully. “If you still want it.”

Alessandro opened the file. Skimming through it, he realized it was a contract to exchange Joyería for the St. Raphaël vineyard. He looked for a catch. He couldn’t find one.

“I will step away from the Tokyo deal as well.”

Alessandro looked up in bewilderment. “I don’t understand.”

“Lilley’s idea.”

“But why would she arrange this, when she’s the one who betrayed me?”

“Lilley didn’t betray you,” St. Raphaël bit out. “Someone else gave me that information. She said she wanted payback for the way you replaced her with some cheap file-room girl.” He paused. “I had no idea she was talking about Lilley.”#p#分页标题#e#

“Olivia?” Alessandro said in a strangled voice. “Olivia Bianchi?”

St. Raphaël’s eyes settled on his. “The two of you deserve each other.”

Was it possible he was telling the truth? Had Olivia betrayed him? Alessandro suddenly remembered all the times he’d done business on the phone in the back of the limo, with Olivia sitting bored beside him. She’d certainly known about his rivalry with St. Raphaël.

She’d had motive, means and opportunity.

The Frenchman leaned forward, his knuckles white against the desk. “But you must promise, in writing, that you will keep the design studio in Mexico City. I gave Rodriguez my word that none of his people would lose their jobs. And, unlike you, I do not wish to be a liar.”

Alessandro’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t lie. I might have implied—”

“You lied. Worse than Lilley ever did. All she was trying to do was get a job. You were trying to enrich your own pockets at the expense of someone else’s honor. You lied to Rodriguez. Just as you lied to Lilley when you didn’t mention until after you were wed that you wouldn’t allow her to work.”

Alessandro’s cheeks grew hot. Then his chin lifted coldly. “Lilley slept with another man, then tried to pass off her unborn child as mine.”

With a snort, St. Raphaël stared at him, then shook his head. “If you believe that, you’re even more stupid than I thought.” He pulled out one last paper. “Here. Give that to your lawyers.”

I slept with a different man, just like you said. Alessandro remembered Lilley’s wide, stricken eyes as she stood in her pink ballgown amid the holly and ivy. He remembered the strange way her voice had trembled. And I loved him.

Alessandro’s heart gave a sickening lurch.

What if Alessandro was the man she’d loved—before he’d turned on her so brutally, in public, with his ex-mistress egging him on, practically chortling with glee?

He’d vowed to honor and protect his wife. Why hadn’t he cared for her enough to speak with her privately? To ask, to listen, to give her the chance to explain? Instead, he’d turned on her like a rabid dog. He’d attacked her, his beautiful wife who had never done anything but love him with all of her gentle, loyal heart.

“Where is she?” he whispered.

“She left France a few hours ago.” The other man’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “She wanted to visit her father, then scout out locations for her jewelry line.”

“She’s doing it?” Alessandro said faintly. “Really doing it?”

St. Raphaël glared at him. “My wife says Lilley’s jewelry is a sure thing. And she should know.” He drummed his fingers on the desk. “You know, I should thank you. For doing the right thing by my cousin.”

Alessandro’s lips lifted humorlessly. “You mean marrying her?”

“Divorcing her,” he replied coldly. “Lilley is the kindest person I know. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. She and her baby deserve better than you.” He closed his briefcase with a snap. “But business is business. I have wanted these vineyards back for some time. Have your lawyers review the documents. There is no need for us to meet again. Adieu.”

Without another word, Théo St. Raphaël left. Numbly, Alessandro stared down at the file, and at the divorce papers still spread across his desk beneath. Picking up a page, he tried to read it, but the words seemed to move and jump across the pages. It was as if he were suddenly seeing the world from Lilley’s point of view.#p#分页标题#e#