The Innocent Behind the Scandal (The Marchetti Dynasty 2)

It was Maks. He was naked. He was smiling intimately at whoever was taking the picture. Drapes fluttered behind him. For a second Zoe felt as if someone had skewered her with a red-hot poker, but then she realised that these weren’t different pictures. These were her pictures. Just after she’d taken this picture his demeanour had changed utterly. And then he’d dumped her.

She hadn’t even looked back at those photos herself since that day. Not wanting to see the moment when his face had gone from dreamy and sexy to icy cold. Yet now they were plastered all over these grubby tabloids for all the world to see.

* * *

‘I don’t think it’s a good idea, Miss Collins.’

Zoe tried not to sound as desperate as she felt, after a long day of trying to track Maks down. He’d ignored all her attempts to call or text him. But she knew he was here, at his townhouse.

‘Hamish, please. I need to speak to him.’

Maks’s housekeeping manager looked as if he was about to close the door in her face, but then he stood back and said tersely, ‘I’ll ask him. Wait here.’

Zoe stood in the hall of the stunning townhouse. It was a very different reception from the last one she’d received here. Now it couldn’t be frostier.

After a long moment Hamish returned. ‘He’ll see you for a few minutes. Follow me.’

Relief flooded Zoe, followed quickly by trepidation. She’d been trying to get to Maks all day, but now that she was here she wasn’t even sure what she would say.

Hamish led her into a room she hadn’t been in before. A large study. Dark wood-panelled walls. Shelves. Modern technology. A TV on the wall with the news on mute.

And Maks. Standing behind his desk in a shirt and dark trousers. Sleeves rolled up. Hands on hips.

To see him again in close proximity almost made her stumble. She locked her legs.

The door closed behind her and Maks walked over to a drinks cabinet, pouring himself a drink. He didn’t offer her one. He turned around. He looked calm, but Zoe could feel the tension.

‘Why did you do it, Zoe?’

She felt sick—she’d been feeling sick all day. ‘I didn’t.’

He ignored her denial. ‘How much did you get? If you’d offered them to me first, I might have given you more.’

A sense of desperation flooded Zoe, eclipsing the nausea. ‘I didn’t sell the photos, Maks, I swear. I have no idea how the papers got them.’

Maks put his glass down and perched on one corner of his desk, for all the world as if this was a civil conversation and as if she hadn’t just spoken. ‘I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, you have form. The first time we met you were taking my picture and trespassing.’

Zoe’s cheeks grew hot. ‘This isn’t the same.’

&

nbsp; ‘No, it’s not. It’s worse.’

His voice was like the crack of a whip. Zoe’s insides were clenched so tight she almost had a cramp.

‘I know how much you hate your privacy being invaded. You know me...you know I would never do something like this.’

Maks just looked at her, no expression on his face. Those silver eyes cold as mercury.

‘I thought I did. I thought you were an open book. I thought you were different. But you weren’t at all. I knew you weren’t happy when I broke things off,’ he continued. ‘But I had no idea you’d stoop so low to get back at me. Or that you were so mercenary. You had me fooled with your apparent lack of interest in anything material. Your humble but cosy flat.’

Zoe flinched inwardly. How could he think that had all been an act? But her conscience pricked hard. In a way he was right. It wasn’t the whole truth of her existence. But Maks would never want to hear about that. Not now.

All she could say was, ‘I didn’t do this.’

Maks stood up straight, folded his arms. ‘Stop with the lies, Zoe. They make fools of both of us. We know the money went into an account in a bank right beside where you live.’

Zoe stared at Maks, absorbing his words. Shock, dismay and confusion made her head throb. Who could have done this to her? To him?