‘I think I’ve got some explaining to do. I’ve ordered you your favourite drink.’ He bent forward to kiss her cheek but immediately Ella took a step back.

‘Don’t be mad, Ells. I can explain everything. Oh, and you look stunning, by the way – beautiful as ever.’

Ella used to love it when he called her Ells, but now it grated on her.

‘Well that’s good, because I’m all ears, and tequila was never my favourite drink, it was yours. I hate tequila.’ She pushed the glass away from her. ‘I hate it almost as much as I hate you. You’ve stolen a lot of money from me, Alex… if that really is your name?’ Ella wasn’t holding back.

Alex seemed to brush over it like it wasn’t of any importance.

‘Don’t be daft, all your money is safe. My brother’s business is on the up, thanks to you, Ells.’

Ella raised an eyebrow.

Was this really happening? Ella felt like she was stuck in the middle of some weird dream and any second she would wake up, but somehow, she didn’t think she was going to be that lucky. She recognised his smell, the tiny scar above his eyebrow and the tattoo on his wrist. It was definitely him and this was real. She was in complete shock.

‘We need to talk; you can’t even begin to understand how sorry I am.’

‘Sorry? I thought you were lying dead somewhere, hit by a car, a train. I had no clue what the hell had happened to you.’ Ella could feel the anger rising inside and she wanted to lash out, and shake him, hit him with all of her might, and Ella had never been violent in her all of her life. The only reason she didn’t was because she was trying to remain calm until the police arrived and could arrest him. Maybe then there might be a chance of getting some of her inheritance back, at least.

Even though her heart felt like it was going to pound through her chest at any given second, Ella had her wits about her. She was wiser now and she wasn’t going to fall for his charms or that deep, intense look he gave her that used to turn her legs to jelly. She just prayed the police would hurry up.

Even though Ella hated tequila she was tempted to swig the whole glass back. ‘So, what happened to you?’ Ella couldn’t wait to hear whatever story he’d concocted. ‘You went to work and that was that.’