A Twist of Fate (55 page)

And there, waiting for her when she’d been released, had been Lars. She remembered how they’d got back to the camper van, still in the car park – weeks after Romy had left it
there – and had hugged each other close. And then they’d kissed. Properly this time, neither one of them pulling back. It had just seemed like the right thing to do. Then Lars had done
two more amazing things.

He’d driven her straight to The Regent hotel in Berlin, where he’d booked a suite. Then he’d given her his laptop and let her write a long-overdue email to Roberto Scolari.

The reply that had come back had been curt. Alfie was booked to go skiing at Christmas with Cesca’s family. Their reunion could wait, certainly until Romy had dealt with all the press in
Germany, and until Roberto had had time to clear her name with the authorities in Italy and remove the charges against her.

Overjoyed to hear anything from Roberto, Romy had called Flavia, who’d filled her in on what had been happening in Italy since she’d left. Maria had been in hospital, the stress of
losing Scolari having caused a heart attack. They’d all been worried they’d lose her, but she was getting better now. And the good thing to come out of it had been that Roberto and his
estranged daughter Gloria had been reconciled.

And Alfie? Romy had pressed her. Flavia had assured Romy that he was safe. Roberto and Maria had sent him to a wonderful prep school in Paris, which he’d been loving, having been selected
for the football and skiing teams. The news had hurt. Romy knew that sending Alfie away had always been what Roberto had wanted for him. It had been Romy who’d fought to keep him with her in
Milan.

But best of all was that Alfie remained innocent of everything that had happened, Flavia assured her. Romy had slumped with relief then. Roberto had protected her son. Alfie might not hate her
after all.

And that had been when Lars had handed her a glass of champagne and kissed her again. Then they’d fallen into bed together and had stayed there for a whole week over Christmas, ordering
room service and only remembering the outside world when they’d called Gretchen at her mother’s to wish her a happy Christmas.

It had felt like a whole new beginning, Romy thought, And now, finally, here was the day she was going to see Alfie. She knew that Roberto planned to take Romy home with them, but she wondered
whether home really was in Italy now, especially with Alfie away at school in Paris. Especially since she didn’t have a job.

She pictured Lars in his apartment in Amsterdam. She’d Skyped him and Gretchen this morning, and they were just as excited as she was that she was going to see Alfie. Lars was still
working all hours to find a tangible connection between Solya and Brett Maddox, although it was difficult since Solya had covered his tracks so carefully.

But Romy had no time to think about it any long because there it was – a small black dot coming closer and closer – and Romy felt as if her heart might burst as the small plane
landed and rolled towards her along the tarmac.

She raced forward as the truck with the steps approached the plane. Then the doors were opening.

‘Mamma,’ Alfie called, racing down the steps, waving. He was taller than Romy remembered, as if he’d grown a foot since she’d last seen him, and he was tanned from
skiing. His hair was different too. It was scruffy – just like Alfonso’s had been when she’d first met him. The likeness between them both took her breath away.

And then he was in her arms, her cheek against the top of his head.

‘I missed you,’ she breathed, a sob in her chest. ‘Oh, how I missed you. My darling.’ She held his face, drinking in his features, kissing his cheeks and forehead.

‘How was the campaign?’ Alfie asked, his nose wrinkling at her over-the-top affection. ‘Flavia said you’d probably be so tired. Did you really have to go to Africa and
all those places?’

‘Uh-huh,’ Romy lied. Flavia had explained how the family had told Alfie that Romy had been called away to do an important top-secret charity campaign and wouldn’t be able to be
in touch with him for a while – a lie they’d all stuck to and one that Alfie hadn’t once questioned. Especially since he’d been sent away to school so fast, to a country
where he wouldn’t understand the press.

Romy didn’t want to spoil this reunion with the actual truth. Not now. But as soon as they were alone she’d tell him everything. Of that she was sure. But for now she was so grateful
to Flavia for the lies she’d told. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t call. It’s been impossible.’

‘I know,’ Alfie said. ‘It’s OK. I knew it wouldn’t be that long. Anyway, I’m proud of you. And
so
much has been happening. The Elysée is
amazing. Thank you so much for getting me in there.’ Again she realized the lies the family had told to protect him.

‘You like it?’ she asked.

‘I love it. Did you know I’ve been selected for the skiing team?’

She nodded, trying not to cry. She saw that, as always, he was racing forward, just like his father had been. If he’d been hurt by her absence and lack of communication, there were no
visible scars. The Scolaris had made that possible.

And she knew then that, no matter how much she’d hurt them, Roberto and Maria had loved her son enough to protect him. Just as Flavia had said.

As Alfie carried on, asking her permission to go on a skiing trip in the alps, she saw Roberto at the top of the steps to the plane.

He looked older – the trauma of what had happened to Maria and the loss of his company clearly having eaten away his vitality. Romy hugged Alfie close again as Roberto walked down the
steps towards her. Then, as he reached her, she saw that his eyes were full of tears, and she opened her arms and let him join in their hug too.

‘Can you ever forgive me, Romy?’ he asked.

‘Oh, Roberto, how can you even ask that?’ she cried, repeating what he’d told her on her wedding day. ‘You gave me back my son.’

Thea smoothed down her lipstick, then the skirt of her simple cream silk suit. She felt her heart pounding with excitement as she looked at Michael. He was wearing a blue
pinstriped jacket with a cream rose in his buttonhole, and Thea thought he’d never looked more handsome. He was being much calmer about today than she was, she thought, as she brushed his
hair to one side.

‘You ready?’ Michael asked her, taking her hand.

She recognized the beautiful strains of Bach’s Double Violin Concerto – the music they’d both agreed on – coming from the other side of the frosted-glass windows.

In fact, they’d agreed on nearly everything, Thea thought, wondering how many other brides ever felt the same. Michael had proposed on Christmas Day, making her pull a Christmas cracker
that he’d selected from the huge tree they’d put up in her house. Inside had been a simple diamond engagement ring.

Every decision since then had been easy. There’d been no announcement and no press. They’d wanted the ceremony to be a small private affair that they could enjoy together. Thea had
made it totally clear to Marie, their celebrant, that the press were not to get so much as the slightest hint that she and Michael were getting married.

Yes, Thea was pretty sure she’d done everything in her power to make sure that Brett would not be able to ruin her day. Although he had more pressing issues on his mind, Thea thought
– like running Maddox Inc. without her.

From the few inside sources she still had, as well as reports in the newspapers, Brett hadn’t fared well since he’d fired her – he hadn’t banked on the fact that such a
board reshuffle would rock the share prices. He wasn’t quite as universally popular as he’d assumed, it seemed. It hadn’t helped that Bethany had appeared in public last month
with a black eye, her quiet ‘No comment’ sparking huge press speculation about affairs at the top of Maddox Tower and whether her celebrity marriage was on the rocks.

For once in her life Thea was glad to be out of it. Since finding Romy she hadn’t had time to think about work. Or the life she used to lead. Everything was different now. She had the
future to think about, not the past.

She smiled at Michael now as he pushed open the door. Inside, the room was flooded with spring sunshine. A large vase of daffodils was on the table at the front next to the marriage register.
Marie was standing close by, with a huge smile on her face.

They had been going to have the ceremony all alone, but had both agreed on a few witnesses, and now Thea was glad they were here as they walked hand-in-hand up the soft green carpet to the
front. Sandy, Thea’s trusted housekeeper – who, Thea noted, had made a big effort to be smart for the occasion – smiled, and Thea waved to her.

Sarah, her old assistant from Maddox Inc., and her new husband Tony were also at the front. Sarah beamed at her.

‘You look beautiful,’ Sarah mouthed. Then she flicked her eyes to the man in the row behind her, clearly impressed that Ollie Mountefort – Thea’s old friend from college,
fresh from his latest filmset – had made it, just as he promised he would. He winked at Thea as she passed.

She wished that Romy and Alfie could have been here, but Romy had been unable to secure a visa to get into the States, despite Thea’s protests about her sister’s criminal record
having been cleared. But she hoped they’d be together again soon, and Romy had sent over a blue lace handkerchief that she’d had on her own wedding day, which Thea had tucked firmly up
her sleeve.

They’d both invited Johnny too, but at such short notice he hadn’t been able to leave South Africa, although he couldn’t have been more happy for them both. Thea and Michael
planned to go over there for a week of their honeymoon to see him, and Johnny had told Thea on the phone that Gaynor and Marcel Leveaux were thrilled that they were visiting, and were insisting on
them staying in their new luxury guesthouse at the Leveaux vineyard.

On Michael’s side there were five soldiers, who were all smiling at their old captain. Thea knew them all, having met them when they’d arrived to take Michael out on a stag night
that it had taken him a week to recover from. But today she hardly recognized them in their uniforms, they looked so smart, especially Bud, Michael’s closest colleague, who saluted him.

At the front, Michael’s mother’s wheelchair was being turned by Rudy, her helper. It had been touch-and-go whether Caroline Pryor would make it from the Brightside home, but Rudy had
driven her the whole way and would take her back later. Michael didn’t want his mom to miss today, even if she didn’t remember it.

Thea bent down to kiss her cheek as she arrived at the front of the room. ‘You made it,’ she said. ‘I’m so glad.’

Then to her surprise Mrs Pryor smiled. ‘Thea,’ she said, speaking like she always used to, her voice full of joy, ‘I knew you and Michael should be together. God bless you
both.’

Thea turned to Michael, her eyes wide with shock, hoping he’d heard his mom say something so lucid. She saw tears in his eyes as he hugged his mother and kissed her, knowing that this
moment would vanish and he’d lose her again. But it had happened nonetheless. His mom knew how happy they both were.

Then Michael stood and took both of Thea’s hands, and she felt as if they were kids, embarking on a daring new adventure, as Marie started the ceremony to make them man and wife.

It was exactly two months after Thea and Michael’s wedding that the Solya scandal hit the States. Thea would think afterwards how ironic it was that it should happen at
the very moment when she felt so peaceful.

It was a perfect spring day. Thea was out jogging in Central Park, going over the conversation she’d had with Michael before he’d left for work this morning about getting a puppy,
when Romy’s name flashed up on her iPhone. She and Romy had spoken for an hour on Friday, so she was surprised that she was calling again, especially since Romy was in Amsterdam for the
weekend with Lars.

Thea slowed down, switched off her running playlist and answered the call, still out of breath.

‘Lars has done it,’ Romy said, and Thea could hear the excitement in her voice.

Thea walked down towards the lake, trying to take in the magnitude of what Romy was telling her – her heart beating hard now, not from her run, but from what Romy was telling her. Because
after months of careful and meticulous searching (and not a little of his ‘dark arts’, hacking into certain seemingly impregnably fire-walled personal email accounts), Lars had finally
uncovered a trail of video files sent between Brett Maddox and Heinz-Gerd Solya.

‘What kind of files?’ Thea asked, but she already knew the answer.

She closed her eyes, feeling a mixture of relief and disgust as Romy told her about the underage girls and how it looked as if the files led to a huge Europe-wide network of pornography-sharing.
Lars couldn’t believe what he’d uncovered, and the more he looked, the more he found.

‘Late last night Lars called Tegen, and then he sent the files to the German and American anti-child-pornography police and the paedophilia task forces. All hell broke loose this morning.
And now Tegen’s just called. She’s just heard . . . ’

‘Heard what?’ Thea asked.

‘The police are on their way to Maddox Tower. They’re going to arrest him,’ Romy said. ‘They’re going to get Brett. We’ve done it, Thea. We’ve got
him.’

The TV cameras were already blocking the sidewalk as Thea arrived in a cab with Michael outside Maddox Tower half an hour later.

‘Miss Maddox, how do you feel about your brother’s arrest?’ a reporter asked her as she stepped onto the kerb.

She saw the cameras turning towards her. She glanced at Michael as he got out of the other side of the car. He nodded, telling her to go for it.

It had been Michael who’d come straight back from work and forced Thea to have a shower and change into her smartest suit, then get down here to Maddox Tower. He for one, he said, was not
going to miss a moment of Brett’s public humiliation. And neither was his wife.

‘Glad,’ Thea replied.

She pushed her way through the reporters in time to see Brett being escorted out of the front doors of Maddox Tower, both arms held by two officers. He looked furious as the camera flashes
strobed. There was no sign of Bethany.