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Marcello convinced me to keep him in the business. He said Simon was too powerful and I needed to keep him close, to keep an eye on him. I allowed him quarters in the castle but he didn’t come often.

He was in charge of the entertainment part of the business, as well as some night clubs in a seedier part of the Topaz Group portfolio. I would have liked to dump our shares but it was a source of not inconsiderable revenue and it kept him occupied.

I appointed Zoran, not only as my driver but a guard and strongman. He came from Eastern Europe, a survivor of many wars and battles. He was loyal to me and completely reliable.

It was Zoran who warned me that Simon was back in Hawston.

He had his own plane and had apparently flown in from Vlätnavaaarn earlier in the week.

This was bad.

I didn’t like having him around when Kaya was at the castle.

I had extra security appointed on the castle grounds and would have liked to have someone look after Kaya too. But her senses were too acute, she would have picked up on that and I knew she wouldn’t like it. I was beginning to know her better and realized she would find it patronizing.

But Simon was more than she could handle. I was sure of that.

Now that things were beginning to happen between us, I wanted everything to be perfect or as close to perfect as possible. Kaya trusted me and she believed my family was above board. I had no doubt she would find out about Simon sooner or later but I wanted to prolong their meeting as long as possible.

I did not trust him at all.

I was right not to, as I soon found out.

A few evenings later, I heard voices outside.

I was in the former stables, a space we now used as storage space. Simon was talking to someone on the phone.

Something about his tone of voice caught my attention.

I could tell he was talking to a woman, and not his wife.

“You shouldn’t worry your pretty little head about this, my dear,” he said in cajoling tones. “I assure you; I have everything under control.”

I wondered what he was talking about.

I had a bad feeling.

My so-called brother was always plotting and scheming.

“Charlotte, darling, be patient. It won’t last. It can’t.”

Charlotte?

And what wouldn’t last?

What was he talking about?

I could not believe my ears. Why was he talking to Charlotte, my ex-girlfriend? I had not had contact with her in weeks, had not spoken to her since the phone call in the desert.

I tried to imagine if they had ever even met. I couldn’t recall a time when Charlotte and Simon would have been in the same room.

Simon ended the call and I went to look for Zoran, taking him outside for privacy. I asked him if he knew of any reason why Simon and Charlotte would be talking to each other like this.

“The other day, he took her to the airport, after you left.”

“When?”

It turned out that when she had come to visit me unannounced, right after I had met Kaya, Simon had offered to look after her because I had apparently abandoned her, her words. They had gone to the resort she had wanted to go to with me. They had spent the weekend together.