The Mediterranean Billionaire's Blackmail Bargain by Abby Green

you…’
    â€˜I did?’
    Alicia smiled sadly. This wasn’t Melanie’s fault. ‘You probably don’t remember.’
    Melanie groaned and glanced at the young man beside her shyly. ‘I had been on my way to see Mr D’Aquanni.’ She glanced at him then with a little trepidation. ‘But it was only to ask him to bring back Paolo…’
    â€˜Paolo…’ Alicia repeated dumbly.
    Dante spoke then, and Alicia flinched slightly at the harshness of his tone. ‘Paolo D’Aquanni—the man your sister was having an affair with at the office. My brother. ’
    His words seemed to come from far away. Alicia looked across at Paolo. ‘So you’re…’
    Melanie squeezed her hand. ‘Yes, Lissy, he’s the one, the father of my baby.’
    Distaste flavoured Dante’s mouth. His eyes raked over Melanie, taking in her undoubtedly weakened state. He had to admit that she couldn’t have faked the crash. She looked to be taller than Alicia; they shared the same colouring, but her eyes were blue, not a deep, dark chocolate brown. He ruthlessly drove down his awareness of the small woman beside the bed.
    This touching scene left him cold. These two women held such echoes of the past for him that he wanted to stop this charade at once. And yet his brother was looking at Melanie with such naked love and already, sickeningly, Dante knew the damage had been done. These women were wily operators, reacting to the changing circumstances, the arrival of Paolo, with sheer bold bravado. He was quite certain that the baby was no more Paolo’s than his…and Paolo was naive and silly enough to believe it.
    History was being repeated…
    Dante bit out curtly, ‘Paolo, I’d like to talk to you for a moment privately.’
    The young man coloured and swallowed, but he followed his older brother out. Alicia felt a little sorry for him but sagged back with relief when they had left. The shock still reverberated through her body, numbing her to her churning stomach and brain.
    Alicia knew instinctively from that short moment between the brothers that Dante was the supreme boss and she, in spectacular style, had no doubt blasted any sympathy Dante might have had for Paolo and this situation…What a mess. And it was entirely her fault. She focused on her sister. She couldn’t worry Melanie.
    Quashing the looming worries—the thought of what Dante might do and feelings of intense guilt—Alicia got up to give her sister a quick hug and kiss. She was OK, that was the main thing.
    â€˜Oh, Mel…’ tears threatened ‘…I thought I’d lost you.’
    Melanie’s eyes filled too. ‘Don’t, Lissy. I’m not going anywhere. Especially not now that Paolo is here.’ Her cheeks did flood with colour then and, as glad as Alicia was to see it, she knew she had to be careful not to let her get overexcited. ‘Oh, Lissy, we’re going to get married! He’s asked me to marry him. And we’re going to move into town so I can be near Dr Hardy—’
    Alicia looked at Melanie seriously, knowing that they were still not certain of anything. ‘Melanie…’
    Melanie shook her head emphatically. ‘ He’s the one—the one I couldn’t mention. When Mr D’Aquanni found out about us seeing each other he went beserk. He sent Paolo to the office in Tokyo. But we kept in touch. Then, a couple of months after he left, I found out I was pregnant. I’d been so upset about him being sent away that I hadn’t even noticed my periods stopping.’ She looked at Alicia sheepishly. ‘I had been planning on going out there too. I didn’t care if I’d have to leave the company, just so we could be together but then…’ she looked at her belly fondly for a second…‘I couldn’t go. I want to have my baby here. I was going to beg Mr D’Aquanni to let