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“I missed you too.”

We stand for a moment in an embrace. I let her let go first.

“Come on, that’s enough now,” Sergio tells us. “You’re upsetting the baby.”

We aren’t, but Sergio hands Zander back to me, looking relieved not to be holding a baby. The monitor alerts us to movement in Mark’s room. On the cameras, I see him starting to stir.

“It looks like your big brother is waking up,” I say to Zander.

“May I?” Alga asks, already making her way towards the door.

“Of course.” I gesture for her to continue out of the room.

With Mark only having met Alga last night, I’m unsure of how he will react when he wakes in a strange room after only half the amount of sleep he usually does. But I shouldn’t have worried. I watch the camera as Alga enters, a beaming smile on her face as she sings an Italian good morning song. Mark stands in his bed and dances along with her. He happily takes her hand and jumps down from his bed. They’re soon downstairs, laughing together.

We have a lovely morning start around the kitchen island, eating breakfast, catching up on all that’s happened since we left, and listening to Mark happily talk about himself. It’s almost 11:00 a.m. when Leo enters the kitchen, fully dressed in his crisp white shirt and tailored suit.

“Papa! Look outside! There’s a swimming pool!”

“Wow, look at that,” Leo says as he kisses his cheek, and then he does the same to Zander, who is sleeping in my arms.

Alga has an emotional smile on her face as she watches his gestures.

“Will you play with me in the water?” Mark asks.

“Not today, son. But soon. Mummy will, though, won’t you Mummy?”

Hearing Leo call me Mummy while dressed in full Guerra boss attire has me giggling. “Yes, Mummy will play with you. And maybe we could take Zander for his first swim too?”

“Oh yes! Yes!” Mark gives Zander a pat on his head and starts talking to him about swimming.

“Alga, would you watch them for a few minutes?”

Leaving the boys in the kitchen, I beckon Leo into his office and close the door behind us.

“So? What’s happening? Do my parents know we are back?”

“Not yet. Let me get the surprise with Alex and the Martelé over with first, and then we will fly your parents over.”

“When are you seeing the Martelé?”

“This evening. Alex and Vanna will arrive this afternoon. We will finalise negotiations first, and then the meeting will take place.”

The worry has me taking a deep breath.

“Do not worry. Everything is in hand.” Leo puts his hands on my folded arms. “Marco is on his way with Mia and Larisa. So be nice.”

His remark makes me laugh. “I’m always nice.”

When I first met Mia, I wasn’t over keen. But once I realised it was Marco she wanted to get her claws into, I calmed down. From what I heard from Leo, Mia and Marco have had a really hard time. I now realise why Leo had to come back. He had no option.

“I better go and get dressed, then,” I say.

Marco, Mia and Larisa arrive just as the boys and I are ready. Marco is dressed in this three-piece suit looking his usual evil, grumpy self, but as soon as the petit dark-haired baby in his huge arms touches his face, his eyes light up and the dark expression cracks, revealing a loving father. It’s a very surreal sight but one that melts my heart.

Mia looks as stunning as always in a bright red dress and gold-heeled sandals. “Katie, it’s so good to see you.”

And she genuinely looks pleased to see me, which makes me relax. She takes my hand and gives it squeeze, but I pull her in for a hug. She smells amazing, and her makeup is perfect. I do notice some scars on one side of her face. They must be from the car accident. They don’t, however, effect how beautiful she is.