olores complained. 'In fact I don't understand why you have to g

liday when you keep hammering away at me to do that movie Charlie wants me to do. If

u get yourself a

w York. I would have done that. After that project fell through I kept Charlie on because I thought maybe some other party might pick up the opti

know it's

cript. And the s

gs can be rewritten. Charlie say

s not as though you can't still contact me on my mobile,' she added, immediately making a mental note to turn the infernal thing off t

of course. They didn't seem to exist from Sydney. She would have to endure a couple of stops. One in Singapore and then again in Rome. It was going

s villa, then she'd go anyway and check into a hotel on Lake Como

er to book a flight. Sergio had obviously matured into a decent man, like his father. Nothin

r mother said, having not moved an inch from where she was standing at th

omment, just k

Andrei in Europe somewhere? It is summer over there, isn't it? If tr

I didn't actually leave Andrei, Mum. We never lived together. I broke up with him be

s over. I read on the internet that he's just opened the most luxurious hotel in the world in Istanbul. Just think what kind of life you c

e, Mum. Andrei's not

uld have married you then. A proud man like that w

lfish with absolutely no conscience. He'd fallen in lust with her when he'd seen her on stage one night in New York, pursuing her quite r

ss. Her fault, of course. It was always her fault;

None of them could believe that she was actually quite shy in the bedroom. That was why she'd bee

wn tired of her refusing to do all the erotic and exotic things he craved. But he would put up with her being somewhat boring in bed, he'd added, because he loved having a woman of her exquisite beauty on his arm in public. He'd even offered to buy

at, she would have said that she'd been a fool

y a married Swedish chap she'd met on the snowfields of Switzerland. She'd refused to tell her disgusted parents the father's name, refused to have an abortion, then refused to live under their roof by their rules. Bella had admired that. If it were true, that was. She'd come to believe in recent times that maybe a lot of what Dolo

his father to head the Australian branch of the family's import business, Dolores had seen the

to provide everything for his new stepdaughter that Dolores had wanted. Not only the best private

as they said

Impossible not to, she supposed. She was her mother. On top of that, sh

nt you to leave this room ASAP. If you don't, I will pick you up bodily and carry you out.' Which she could. All those years of dancing had made Bella very strong. She

get nasty. I don't need telling twice when I'm not wanted. Just don't come cra

ging less than ten seconds after Do

and excitement. Already she was looking forward to seeing him

n waiting for you to call. As luck would have it, I've been

s quick,

. But there's still two stopovers. One in Singapore and

line worried her for a moment. 'Yo

said. 'I'm very much

y wanted her to come. She didn't like to

r so. I know we ran into each other a few years back but we didn't actually talk much. I presume you've been successf

sses when your life is lived in the spotlight. But let's not waste time exchanging personal details over the phone. I'd much rather do that when I see you in the flesh. Now I suggest you text me

the name of Isabel Cameron. I wasn't

were just Isabel w

you not to. She said it was an awful nickname. She eve

nd told me that if I had to shorten

ch shorter. But I did like it, especially after

ars.'

plural of bellum, m

cognising me, then don't. Once I put on a wig and glasses, no one ever rec

he said

uddenly worried that she was imposing. 'I mean

said. 'I always did

e you mad, dragging you away from your s

ice. 'But you were also very talented. Watching you sing and dance was no hardship. Playing you

cry!' she

me we played. After that, I

always thought I'd w

nd square, Bella,' he said

ng about old times. Happier times. Once again, Bella regretted not having kept in contact with Sergio after the divorce. Still, no use crying over spilt milk. They were in contact now and she aimed not

Oh, and, Bel

nyone where you're going, o

o,' she finished up on an