to go to the press and tell them about our “love-child”. I had to put a stop to it.’
Vittorio’s expression was livid. ‘So you told her to get rid ofthe child and get out of your life? How did you convince her to do it, Rocco? Or shall I make another calculated guess?’
Rocco wiped his brow again, his throat moving up and down as his eyes flicked in Ally’s direction once again. ‘I…’ He paused. ‘I told her if she did not have the abortion then she would find herself in danger of getting hurt. I did not for a moment mean to follow through on the threat, but I was getting desperate.’
Ally’s head was still spinning. She could barely keep all her thoughts in some sort of order. They were like laser lights, randomly flashing off inside her head, making her feel sick to her stomach.
From the little she could string together, her sister had been coerced into having a termination. Ally knew her twin would have done anything to keep the man she loved—especially if she had been off her mood-stabilising medication. She wouldn’t have stopped to think of the consequences, or at least not until it was far too late to turn back the clock. And once she had realised there was no future in her relationship with Rocco, the enormity of what she had been forced to do had probably caused her mental breakdown. It all made sickening sense. Her sister had hinted at the terrible guilt that plagued her, but Ally hadn’t liked to delve too deeply until Alex was well enough to have a heart-to-heart with her face to face.
‘You have been a complete fool, Rocco,’ Vittorio said. ‘For the last ten minutes you have not even noticed you have been vilifying the wrong person.’
Rocco frowned in confusion. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Look at her,’ Vittorio commanded. ‘Look at her closely.’
Ally felt herself shrink into the French chair she was sitting on as both men turned their brown gazes on her stricken face.
‘I do not know what you are talking about,’ Rocco said, yet again wiping the beads of perspiration from his brow with his pocket handkerchief. ‘I can assure you that is Alexandra Sharpe. You only have to look at her passport to confirm it.’
‘That is exactly what I did do,’ Vittorio said, in a voice that sent a lightning bolt of shock through Ally.
He knew!
She sat up straighter in the chair, her eyes like saucers.
When had he found out?
Her heart clenched as she thought of the intimacy they had shared such a short time ago.
Why hadn’t he said anything?
She sat there, stunned. Perhaps not as stunned as Rocco, but certainly close. And she felt angry too. Furiously angry. Obviously Vittorio had been playing with her. For how long she didn’t know, but just an hour ago he had slept with her, knowing she wasn’t the person she had said she was.
Wasn’t that taking things way too far?
‘She…’ Rocco swallowed convulsively as he stared at Ally, bug-eyed. ‘She has a double ?’
‘A twin sister,’ Vittorio informed him. ‘Alex is currently recovering in a Swiss clinic from a suicide attempt no doubt brought on by your disgusting demands on her. As it happens, Justina’s husband Sandro works with the doctor who treated her. Due to patient confidentiality there will be no leak to the press, so you can go home to Chiara before I feel tempted to do what I should have done a year ago and tell her what a two-faced creep you really are.’
Their conversation had slipped back into Italian; Ally couldn’t understand much of it even if she had wanted to. She felt an overwhelming need to get out of the palazzo and as far away from Vittorio Vassallo as she could. All she needed was her passport and she would be gone.
Ironically, it was Rocco who gave her the opportunity, by suddenly launching at Vittorio in a tirade of angry abuse. Thankfully neither of them noticed her slipping silently from the room.
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘H OW are you feeling?’ Ally asked her sister, delighted in
Vittorio’s expression was livid. ‘So you told her to get rid ofthe child and get out of your life? How did you convince her to do it, Rocco? Or shall I make another calculated guess?’
Rocco wiped his brow again, his throat moving up and down as his eyes flicked in Ally’s direction once again. ‘I…’ He paused. ‘I told her if she did not have the abortion then she would find herself in danger of getting hurt. I did not for a moment mean to follow through on the threat, but I was getting desperate.’
Ally’s head was still spinning. She could barely keep all her thoughts in some sort of order. They were like laser lights, randomly flashing off inside her head, making her feel sick to her stomach.
From the little she could string together, her sister had been coerced into having a termination. Ally knew her twin would have done anything to keep the man she loved—especially if she had been off her mood-stabilising medication. She wouldn’t have stopped to think of the consequences, or at least not until it was far too late to turn back the clock. And once she had realised there was no future in her relationship with Rocco, the enormity of what she had been forced to do had probably caused her mental breakdown. It all made sickening sense. Her sister had hinted at the terrible guilt that plagued her, but Ally hadn’t liked to delve too deeply until Alex was well enough to have a heart-to-heart with her face to face.
‘You have been a complete fool, Rocco,’ Vittorio said. ‘For the last ten minutes you have not even noticed you have been vilifying the wrong person.’
Rocco frowned in confusion. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Look at her,’ Vittorio commanded. ‘Look at her closely.’
Ally felt herself shrink into the French chair she was sitting on as both men turned their brown gazes on her stricken face.
‘I do not know what you are talking about,’ Rocco said, yet again wiping the beads of perspiration from his brow with his pocket handkerchief. ‘I can assure you that is Alexandra Sharpe. You only have to look at her passport to confirm it.’
‘That is exactly what I did do,’ Vittorio said, in a voice that sent a lightning bolt of shock through Ally.
He knew!
She sat up straighter in the chair, her eyes like saucers.
When had he found out?
Her heart clenched as she thought of the intimacy they had shared such a short time ago.
Why hadn’t he said anything?
She sat there, stunned. Perhaps not as stunned as Rocco, but certainly close. And she felt angry too. Furiously angry. Obviously Vittorio had been playing with her. For how long she didn’t know, but just an hour ago he had slept with her, knowing she wasn’t the person she had said she was.
Wasn’t that taking things way too far?
‘She…’ Rocco swallowed convulsively as he stared at Ally, bug-eyed. ‘She has a double ?’
‘A twin sister,’ Vittorio informed him. ‘Alex is currently recovering in a Swiss clinic from a suicide attempt no doubt brought on by your disgusting demands on her. As it happens, Justina’s husband Sandro works with the doctor who treated her. Due to patient confidentiality there will be no leak to the press, so you can go home to Chiara before I feel tempted to do what I should have done a year ago and tell her what a two-faced creep you really are.’
Their conversation had slipped back into Italian; Ally couldn’t understand much of it even if she had wanted to. She felt an overwhelming need to get out of the palazzo and as far away from Vittorio Vassallo as she could. All she needed was her passport and she would be gone.
Ironically, it was Rocco who gave her the opportunity, by suddenly launching at Vittorio in a tirade of angry abuse. Thankfully neither of them noticed her slipping silently from the room.
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘H OW are you feeling?’ Ally asked her sister, delighted in
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