Deadly Embrace by Jackie Collins (ebook reader for manga TXT) 📕

‘You should see a doctor about your headaches.’

‘I will,’ she murmured.

‘So,’ he said, sitting on the edge of their king-size bed, ‘did you get to spend a lot of time with Madison while I was away?’

‘Of course,’ she lied.

Actually, she’d spent no time with Madison at all. That’s why she always made sure there was a capable housekeeper in the apartment and an excellent cook. Child-friendly staff were absolutely essential.

Stella was not child-friendly. And pretending to be Madison’s mother for all these years was getting her down. Materially she had everything she desired, but she knew that Michael put Madison first, and that drove her a little bit crazy.

‘You know, darling,’ she said, ‘Madison is growing up very fast.’

‘I realize that,’ he said, loosening his tie.

‘She’s so smart,’ Stella continued. ‘And, quite frankly, I don’t think the school she’s attending is good enough for her, so I’ve been investigating other possibilities.’

‘You have?’

‘Yes, and I’ve found a top-rate boarding-school I think we should send her to. A talented child like Madison needs academic excellence.’

‘A boarding-school?’ he said unsurely. ‘Have you spoken to her about this?’

‘She’s too young to know what’s good for her. However, I have discussed it with some of my friends, and they all agree that she should be getting the best education possible. The boarding-school I’m suggesting is the best.’

‘Where is it?’ he asked, not sure if it was such a great idea.

‘Connecticut.’

‘So she could come home every weekend?’

‘If she wants to.’

‘I don’t know…she won’t like being away from Jamie.’

‘Jamie’s a little giddy, don’t you think?’ Stella said. ‘Madison’s much more mature for her years.’

Michael nodded. He trusted Stella’s judgement. After all, he’d married her, hadn’t he?

He walked into his wood-panelled dressing room and removed his jacket. Michael Castelli, businessman, investments, real-estate mogul. Boy, had he moved up in the world.

After Dani had dumped him in such a heartless way, he’d turned to the nearest woman, who happened to be Stella, Warner’s good friend.

Stella was there for him. She’d given him all her attention, comfort, and plenty of sex. None of it meant that much, but he’d begun to see her as the woman who might make a great mother for his child. He refused to allow Madison to grow up without a mother the way he had. His child was going to have it all–and that included responsible parents.

After a couple of months of seeing each other, he’d broached the subject to Stella. She’d been quite amenable when he’d told her what he had in mind. ‘Here’s the deal,’ he’d said. ‘If I marry you, then Madison has to grow up believing that you are her natural mother.’

‘What about her real mother?’

‘Beth’s gone. And I don’t want Madison ever finding out what happened. As far as she’s concerned, you are her mother.’ In his mind he’d decided that Madison would always come first. He’d allow no half-brothers or-sisters to compete with her. ‘And, Stella, one more thing,’ he’d added.

‘Yes?’

‘You have to promise me that you’ll never have children.’

She’d agreed, and they’d got married on a spring afternoon in New York with Karl and Warner as witnesses.

He didn’t love her. He was not prepared to love again.

Stella had neither Beth’s fire nor Dani’s sweetness. What she did have was great beauty. In a physical way she sometimes reminded him of Dani.

Talk about being left at the altar. Dani hadn’t exactly left him at the altar, but he was left at the airport, waiting for her to fly in.

She’d never arrived, and when he’d called Vegas to find out where she was, her housekeeper had informed him that Dani and her son had gone away for a while and would not be back anytime soon.

The next day he’d received a letter via FedEx.

Dear Michael:

Circumstances have changed. I cannot see you any more. Please do not try to contact me.

Dani

He had no idea what had happened to make her feel that way, but he had his pride, and even though he’d considered getting on a plane and confronting her, he had not done so.

Four months later, he had married Stella.

The last seven years had been good to him. His fortune had grown, and financially he was able to do more or less anything he wanted.

Stella was addicted to their lifestyle: a luxurious Park Avenue apartment; vacations in the Bahamas; shopping trips to Paris and London. The only thing she did not love was having a daughter. Especially an extremely smart eleven year old whom her husband adored more than he did her. It was infuriating. However, she never let on to Michael how she felt, and whenever he was round, she acted out the perfect-mother role.

After a while, Tina and Max had refused to visit. ‘You want me to be frank with you, Michael?’ Tina had said. ‘Stella’s a cold bitch. She doesn’t like me, and I don’t like her. So we’re not hanging out any more. You want to see us, come over and bring Madison.’

So that’s what he did. Every other weekend he drove over to their house with Madison, and they spent the day together.

Soon Stella put the pressure on, and his visits to Tina and Max became less frequent. He felt guilty about not seeing as much of them as he would’ve liked. After all, Max was his best friend and they shared a long history together. However, Stella was his wife, and more than anything he wanted a happy marriage for Madison’s sake.

Gradually Stella began drawing him into a whole new social circle. She had many friends in the arts, and soon he’d found himself attending the opera, theatre, and ballet. They went to gallery openings, parties and all the hot new restaurants. At first he kind of enjoyed it, although he did not enjoy the ballet and the opera–he considered them one big yawn. However, since Stella loved doing it so much, he went along for the ride. And she always looked like a million bucks hanging