Page 218 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

‘The island you can’t stand?’ she said sceptically.

‘I can’t let Cristina destroy that as well.’

‘As well as what?’

He couldn’t stand Elodie’s direct gaze, but he couldn’t seem to break the hold she had over him. The bitterness had been building inside him for years and as he stared at her the poison spilled suddenly, stupidly easy. ‘As well as destroying my mother’s life when she told her that Jose Ramon is my father’s other son.’

Elodie gaped.‘What?’

‘My father had an affair with my mother’s sister.’ He folded his arms tightly across his chest. ‘Jose Ramon is their child.’

‘But your aunt Cristina is quite young—’

‘Iknow,’ he groaned. Younger even than Elodie had been when she’d entered that unhappy marriage. ‘She was eighteen when she had Jose Ramon. She never said who the father was. Never married.’ Ramon’s guts twisted. ‘Iknowshe was a victim. I know she’d felt overshadowed by her older sister. My mother was high-achieving and beautiful and I can only think resentment damaged Cristina, because she exposed the truth just after his funeral.’

He shrivelled inwardly, remembering the horror of those moments. His mother had been frantic. Disbelieving. Near hysterical she’d turned to him—begged him to tell her it wasn’t true—because his father wouldneverhave cheated on her. But Ramon had been too shocked to be able to respond. And he couldn’t reassure her, hecouldn’tconfirm his father’s fidelity because he’d known about theothers. But not that one.He’dbeen so sickened by Cristina’s revelation he’d been stunned to silence. And no matter what he said from then on, no matter how many times he tried, his mother never believed that he hadn’t known it all, all along. She’d never forgiven him for saying nothing. She’d left for the island later that day and never returned. Ramon had lost both parents that day.

‘I never understood why Cristina waited untilthento say anything,’ he said huskily. ‘It wasn’t to punish my father—he was dead. It could only have been to hurt my mother. Cristina wanted revenge and took it in the cruellest moment.’

Ramon couldn’t forgive her for that, even when he knew how complicated the entire mess was. That ultimately it was all his father’s fault.

‘And now you’re paying her back for that by not letting Jose Ramon have this island.’

‘Does he really even want it?’ Ramon flung back defensively. ‘Or does Cristina just want to destroy the last thing that was precious to my mother?’ He stared at Elodie, not wanting to see judgement in her eyes. ‘Do you blame me for wanting to stop her? You wanted revenge on your family.’

She shook her head. ‘I wanted to save my sister.’

He drew breath. Yes. That had fascinated him. Elodie’s ready willingness to sacrifice herself to help her sister was so different to his family dynamic. But surely there’d been more to her choice to marry him. ‘Not only that. You knew turning up with me on your arm, that your father would be furious to be thwarted at the missed opportunity to form a valuable connection with me.’

‘Is that your ego talking again?’

‘Be honest. You liked it.’

‘I liked it,’ she agreed. ‘But not because it was revenge.’

‘No?’

She looked at him intently. ‘What I liked was that for the first time I didn’t have to face themalone.’

Ramon tensed his arms to stop himself softening. But that was how he’d felt too. ‘You don’t count Ashleigh?’ he asked gruffly.

‘I had to protect her. I don’t have to protect you, you’re strong enough to fight alongside me. You’re stronger than all of them.’

He shook his head. He didn’t want to accept that she was more noble than he. ‘But you didn’t want me to bail him out financially. You wanted him to see you thriving in a world of wealth while he lost his precious deal. Is that not revenge, Elodie?’

‘You make me sound horrible.’

‘You’re human. He hurt you. Isn’t it natural to want to strike back?’

‘Maybe I was wrong not to let you help him. Maybe if he doesn’t have to struggle, he won’t hurt anyone else.’

‘Unless he’s greedy,’ Ramon said heavily. ‘Unless he has a bottomless appetite for accumulating things and not caring about anyone in his way. That wasmyfather. Thatismy aunt. And if your father’s like either of them then you have a problem because it’ll never be enough. He’ll never stop.’

‘You don’t think he’ll ever change?’

‘Does anyone? People remain fundamentally the same. Their flaws can’t be miraculously fixed.’

‘People can grow. Learn from their mistakes. Get better.’ She straightened proudly, her gaze falling just short of his. ‘I’m not the person I was when I married Callum.’

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