Castellano's Mistress of Revenge by Melanie Milburne

Author:Melanie Milburne
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2010-10-04T23:32:56.906000+00:00

The following morning Ava left the villa, taking her time over browsing in the shops, stopping for a coffee and a pastry before making her way to a beauty spa, where she treated herself to a wash and blow-dry of her hair as well as a manicure and pedicure. She was on her way out of the spa when she ran into the wife of Douglas’s business manager, a woman in her early thirties who dressed—and on far too many occasions acted—as if she were half that age.

‘Ava!’ Chantelle Watterson cooed as she air-kissed Ava’s cheeks. ‘You look absolutely marvellous. And no wonder, eh?’

‘Er—well, I just had my hair and nails done, so—’

Chantelle threw back her bottle-blonde head and laughed. ‘Droll, darling, very droll. I’m talking about your new lover. He is gorgeous and much younger than Dougie too, you lucky thing. I read about it in the paper. I am so envious, I just can’t tell you. Hugh is starting to show his age, not just in appearance, if you know what I mean. Not that I mind really—I keep myself occupied.’ She gave a meaningful wink.

Ava ground her teeth behind her forced smile. ‘Hugh always looks wonderful for his age.’

‘If it wasn’t for his money I wouldn’t stay with him, you know,’ Chantelle said in a conspiratorial tone as she slipped a too thin, too tanned arm through one of Ava’s. ‘But then, beggars can’t be losers, right?’ She cackled at her own joke before continuing, ‘I think it’s time we had a drink to celebrate your new life.’

‘Actually, I have to get going,’ Ava said, trying to extract herself from Chantelle’s python-like hold. ‘Marc will be expecting me.’

Chantelle’s green eyes glinted. ‘Liar,’ she said. ‘He’s in London right now with Hugh. It’s something to do with the takeover of Dougie’s company. Hugh was quite worried about it. But I suppose Marc doesn’t talk to you about business, eh?’

Ava pressed her lips together. ‘There’s hardly been time to talk about anything,’ she said.

‘Yes, well, Hugh told me Marc Castellano moves quickly when he wants something,’ Chantelle said. ‘But a word of advice, darling—men like Marc like things their way and their way only. If I were you I wouldn’t make a fuss if he plays around behind your back or indeed right under your nose. I know for a fact Hugh’s had a few flings, but what’s the point in rocking the boat when it’s sailing in the direction you want it to go?’

Ava couldn’t wait to get away from the woman’s gold-digging cynicism. She felt tainted by just being in her presence. ‘Look, Chantelle, I really have to go,’ she said, this time managing to get her arm out of the older woman’s grip. ‘Things are not what you think with Marc and me. We were together in the past. We are trying to make a go of it this time. I wouldn’t want you or anyone to get the wrong impression or anything. You know how the Press has always had it in for me.

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