“But that’s exactly it, isn’t it? What’s Lily got to do with anything—that’s how it’s always been for you. She’s never considered in your life, always at the bottom of the pile. But this is too much, Kim, way too much. How dare you...”

“I’m sorry,” she gasped tearfully. “Don’t you think I don’t know I’m a terrible mom? I see you two together and I just feel like a third wheel. I’m not even on the same wavelength, and half the time she doesn’t really notice if I’m there or not.”

“Because you never are!” He stood up in disgust. “And you think this gives you the right to mess up our family, and not just ours, Antonio’s, too?”

“What...what has Antonio’s family got to do with this?” Kim asked, frowning. “He and Emilia have their own problems to contend with just now.”

“And you screwing her husband while she slowly loses her mind is going to help?” Gabriel raged.

Kim’s mouth dropped open. “What?” she gasped, floored. “You think me...and Antonio... What the hell? How could you possibly think that?” She was seriously gobsmacked that he would utter such a thing. Never mind the fact that Antonio was old enough to be her father, he was also a close mutual friend of both hers and Gabriel. He and Emilia had introduced them, for goodness’ sake!

“So you’re denying it?” he said, but she noticed his voice had lost some of its bluster.

“Of course I am. Because you are completely and utterly wrong. I am not sleeping with Antonio; he is my friend and business partner and nothing more. Yes, we’ve had to spend lots of time together over the last eighteen months or so while trying to get this venture off the ground, but it’s a business partnership and was never anything else. God, the very thought makes me feel ill. Especially with poor Emilia being the way she is...”

He looked at her. “You’re serious.”

“Yes. I’m absolutely serious. I would never cheat on you, Gabe. I love you, and to be honest I can’t quite understand why you put up with me. But I’m not cheating, I swear.”

He was shaking his head. “I don’t get it. Emilia was so sure...”

“When did you talk to her? And what did she say?” Kim was baffled as to where all of this had come from.

“She called here earlier to talk to you while you were out with the others. She seemed upset, some mistake with the licenses? She said that Antonio was angry with her and it was all your fault. I tried to calm her down, and then she confided that she thought there was something going on between you two. That Antonio was going to leave her.”