The Silver Bride

'Aria was behind that disgusting tabloid attack on you...' Stella stilled, and then suddenly jerked around, eyes very wide. Dior stared back at her with tormented dark eyes twinkling with strain, his hands clenched into powerful fists by his side.

His vibrant skin had a greyish cast 'I suppose she came off that pedestal you had her on with a real shocking crash...' Stella's heart felt as if it was cracking right down the middle, and she felt that if she didn't keep on talking she might be at serious risk of starring to sob.

The Everything she had never wanted to see was etched in Dior's face. His appalled reaction to Aria 's true nature. 'I didn't have her on a—' 'I'm sorry, Dior. But you know a woman would have spotted her for what she was a mile off! But then...'

Stella altered direction hurriedly, not wishing to come across as spiteful 'Isn't it comforting to know that she was that determined to get you back?'

'Only because...only because of who I am and what I have.' 'Yeah, well,' Stella managed with a sickly smile. 'Be honest. You valued those same things in her. All that background and breeding and money.' Dior just closed his eyes and bowed his proud head.

'I don't expect you to forgive me for refusing to believe you.' 'Good. I wasn't going to make the offer.' Stella turned back to the built-in units which blurred in front of her eyes, I understand that you thought that she was above all that kind of thing and that you're feeling pretty bad now you know the truth...how do you, by the way?' she prompted with sudden curiosity. 'A journalist sang like a canary bird. Aria had had you investigated.'

'I could have told you that.' 'She set up a meeting with a reporter and handed over the file. She gave it on the understanding that the article would vilify and humiliate you.' Dior's dark, deep drawl roughened tellingly. 'She was too arrogant to even try to cover her tracks.'

'Maybe she thought it would be more of a risk to somebody else with that file.' Tears were inching down Stella's cheeks, but she kept on hauling garments blindly off hangers as she struggled to get a grip on herself.

'Did you see the interview I gave about you?' Stella's wet eyes widened with bemus.e.m.e.nt. 'No...' 'I hoped it would bring you out of hiding. I knew you had promised to meet Chloe today, but she warned me that she'd had to fight to get you to agree,' Dior disclosed tautly.

'And when you would only set a date a whole week in advance... frankly, I thought there was little hope that you would turn up.'

'I wouldn't have done that to Chloe. She's a nice person.' 'When I faced Aria with what she had done, she kept on lying very convincingly for a long time. Then I mentioned the malice Chloe had heard her spitting at you on our wedding day—' 'Isn't it wonderful the way you believed everyone but me?

That journalist? Chloe ?' Stella condemned with tremulous but very fierce bitterness. 'I honestly could never have imagined Aria capable of such behavior,' Dior framed grittily. 'That is...until two weeks ago, when I confronted her and she finally lost her temper because she realized that she had lost' 'She didn't lose, Dior.

She won all the way,' Stella contradicted flatly, her tears drying on her cheeks now. 'We didn't have much to start with...and by the time she'd finished, we had nothing.

But don't you kid yourself that she was the one most at fault!' 'I know where the blame lies. I know I let you down and made you very unhappy. You hate me, don't you?' 'Some of the time...like right now, yes!' Stella suddenly snapped as she rounded on him, her hazel-green eyes emerald with anger. 'She scared me that day with her threats.

She'd have done anything to persuade me into getting rid of our baby! She sneered at my mother, she insulted me every way possible and you wouldn't even listen.' Dior moved forward. 'Stella...I—' 'Shut up!' Stella interrupted furiously. 'I was a total idiot to marry you in the first place! I was very upset that day—' 'You had every right to be.

All I know is that I have never been closer to violence than I was when confronting Aria two weeks ago,' Dior revealed with raw force. 'How she spoke of you almost drove me to assault!' 'Really?' Stella was quite happy to rein back temper long enough to relish that enervating detail. 'So does that mean that there's not going to be a reconciliation?' Dior stared back at her blankly.

'You're not planning to marry her after me, then?' Stella rephrased. 'Are you unhinged? Marry her?' Dior exclaimed incredulously. 'She's a cold, vicious bitch!' 'Well, it took you a lifetime, but in the end, you got there. Congratulations,' Stella said very drily. 'Could you get me a case?' 'A case?' Stella was possessed by the need to keep busy.

She moved forward and then almost fell over the mound of clothing heaped around her. She looked down in astonishment at what appeared to be a whole heap of Dior's suits.

Sides tapping them, she attempted to brush past Dior. He closed his hand over hers. 'You've got to hear me out!' he grated rawly.

'You didn't hear me out, did you? No, when I was trying to state my case either I was insane with jealousy or off my trolley with being pregnant! And shall I tell you something, Dior? Right now, I'm near my edge!' Stella vented with ringing honesty.

'Let...go...of...me!' Dior released her with a jerk. Dark color scored his stunning cheekbones but it was the savage pain in the depths of his dark eyes that shook her.

'I am sorrier that I have hurt you than you will ever believe,' he breathed raggedly. Pale and trembling from that charged exchange, Stella went off in search of a suitcase. It was mad, it was insane to keep on trying to pack amid such emotional turmoil, but she couldn't bear to see Dior in so much pain; she really couldn't!

All over the head of that evil witch, who had almost s.u.c.k.e.d him in like a boa constrictor! Stella shuddered as she banged through the closets she recalled touring two and a half weeks earlier.

Locating the designated luggage storage, she grabbed up a case. 'Let me take that...' Dior took it from her again. 'You know...you don't feel it now, but sooner or later, you'll realize what a lucky escape you've had,' she muttered half under her breath, and hurried back to the master bedroom suite that they would now never share.

'Stella...please sit down so that we can talk,' Dior urged, sounding almost pathetically humble. 'I need to tell you about Aria .' Stella was so appalled by that confession she sank on the side of the bed before her legs gave out beneath her. If he needed a shoulder, why did it have to be hers? Then she understood.

He wanted to make a complete confession. Nothing less would satisfy his over-active conscience. So he was about to drag out personal admissions that would very probably rip her heart out and depress her for the next thirty years. Dior regarded her warily and very slowly set down the case.

Five...five years old?' Stella yelped. 'What age was she?' 'Eight.' 'Five...dear heaven, that's like brainwashing!' Stella said in disgust. 'My grandparents died in a car accident when my father was still very young.

He was brought up by his father's family. You must understand that my father was made to feel very much ashamed of his mother's more humble ancestry.'