His hand touched hers as he took in her morning tray and she grasped it for a few seconds, squeezing it and smiling up at him.

‘I’m ready,’ she said.

Terry nodded and left the room, closing the door. Vivienne heard voices, and footsteps on the stairs. The door burst open and Fabian waltzed in. He was handsome, but then every mother says that about her son. He was also tall, like his father. He had a generous full head of auburn hair, and deep dark eyes, framed with shiny chestnut brows. His skin was tanned – of course; it was the Argentine summer – and his face was fresh, though the dark circles underneath his eyes gave away a night of restless sleep, despite the luxury of his cabin. He rushed to her and sat on the edge of her bed, thrusting himself onto her and throwing his arms around her neck. She cradled him, though he was twenty-four years old, and it never ceased to amaze her how much she remembered the first time she held him, like she did every time they were reunited. That feeling, she supposed, would never go away. She felt his body relax but she knew that he was crying.

‘Darling, I’m sorry,’ was all she said.

She’d tried to keep the reality of his father’s darkest nature from him, but children see everything and Fabian had never really warmed to his father. Equally, Bart had never fully embraced his son, seeing him as a weakling. It broke her heart, but that was years ago. Bart’s struggles with his masculinity were something it took her a long time to work out. Vivienne knew that all men of power struggle with male offspring; it was something that was part of being a ruthless bastard. They all expected them to come out just as determined and gifted as them, and it never happened. But they were from different worlds. Bart had crawled up from nothing, whereas Fabian was born with it all. How could they possibly have anything in common? Bart’s success was as a direct result of his shitty upbringing, whereas her son was gentle and kind and sweet, and had no desire to make money. He also lacked the capability. He didn’t understand the intricate world of business and so Bart was constantly disappointed in him and happy to ship him off to corners of the world, away from attention, where he couldn’t do him any damage by losing deals and shaving millions off share prices. Fabian simply wasn’t possessed with a business mind. Which was why she was Bart’s sole heir.

But now, with her son in her arms, she realised that a father can do his worst, he can be absent, abusive – violent, even – but he will still be loved by his child.

It was so pitiful.