Reading Online Novel

Never Gamble with a Caffarelli(19)



Angelique felt a little piqued that he didn’t instantly believe in her. She hadn’t realised until now how much she wanted him to have faith in her ability. To believe that she wasn’t just another pretty face without any substance behind it. ‘I wouldn’t dream of putting your precious money at risk.’ Her words were sharp, clipped with resentment.

He gave her a levelling look. ‘I might love a gamble, Angelique, but at the end of the day I’m a businessman. I can’t allow emotions to get in the way of a good business decision.’

She sent him a chilly glare. ‘You didn’t worry too much about your emotions when you tricked my father out of Tarrantloch. That wasn’t a business decision. It was a personal vendetta and I’ll never forgive you for it.’

‘I admit I wanted to pay him back for what he did to my grandfather. We almost lost everything because of what he did.’ His look was darkly scathing. ‘But it wasn’t just about that. I bet he didn’t tell you the details of his underhand behaviour over the Ibiza account I was about to close? He would have put a completely different spin on it for his precious little girl.’

His precious little girl.

Angelique had to choke back a laugh. If only Remy knew how much her father despised her. He never showed it in public. He couldn’t afford to tarnish his reputation as a devoted father. He put on a good show when the need arose but as soon as the doors were closed Henri would revert back to his autocratic, boorish, hyper-critical ways. She had always known her father had wanted a son as his firstborn but her mother had failed to deliver one.

Angelique was a living, daily reminder of that failure.

‘I know my father isn’t a plaster saint but neither is your grandfather,’ she tossed back.

‘I never said he was. I know how difficult he can be.’

She folded her arms across her chest. ‘I don’t want your money, Remy. I want you to give me back what is mine. That’s all I want from you.’

‘Not going to happen, ma chérie.’ He gave her an intractable look. ‘And, just for the record, I haven’t finished with your father. Tarrantloch is nothing compared to what he did to me in all but defaming me online. I’m not stopping until I get the justice I want.’

Angelique curled her lip. ‘Is that why you jumped at the fiancée charade that led to this ridiculous marriage? You saw a perfect opportunity for revenge. For rough justice. Forcing my hand in a marriage neither of us wants in order to score points. That’s so...pathetic I want to throw up. ‘

His brows jammed together. ‘Do you really think I’d go that far? Come on, Angelique, you’re not thinking straight. I don’t want to be married to anyone, let alone you. If by any remote chance I choose to settle down with someone it won’t be with someone like you.’

She gave him a huffy scowl. ‘Like me? What does that mean? What’s wrong with me?’

He let out a breath as he pushed a hand through his hair. ‘Nothing’s wrong with you... It’s just, I don’t see you as wife material.’

‘Because?’

‘Because you’re not the “marriage and babies” type.’

Angelique raised her brows. ‘You want...babies?’

He reared back from her as if she’d asked him if he wanted a deadly disease. ‘No! God, no. I’m just saying...’

She gave him another scowl. ‘I’m not sure what you’re saying. Maybe you could elaborate a bit. Fill in the blanks for me.’

He looked about as flustered as she’d ever seen him. It was a rare sight. He was normally so in control—joking around. Having a laugh at everyone else’s expense. Now he seemed to be back-pedalling as if he had stepped on a land mine and wasn’t quite sure how to step off it without an explosion. ‘It’s not that I don’t think you’d be a great mother.’

‘But you think I’d be rubbish at being a wife.’

‘I think you’d find it hard to compromise.’

Angelique blurted out a laugh. ‘And you don’t? Oh, for God’s sake, Remy. You really are unbelievable. You’re the least compromising person I’ve ever met. If I’d make a rotten wife, then you’d make an even worse husband.’

‘Then thank God we’ll be able to stop being a husband and wife as soon as we get back to England.’

‘You really think it will be that simple?’ Angelique asked. ‘What if someone hears about this? A journalist or someone with contacts in the media? Did you see how many people were at our wedding? What if someone took a photo? What if everyone took a photo?’