Page 226 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

‘Great,’ she said, but her voice was rather flat as she joined her flatmate in the lounge.

Juliet didn’t look so great either. She was sitting staring at the muted television and looked as if she’d been crying.

‘Don’t you have rehearsals?’ asked Susie.

‘No, I wasn’t selected to play for the ball.’

Susie knew how that felt. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘I’m worried about my scholarship,’ Juliet admitted. ‘I’m not keeping up. I’m working at the store and the bar to pay my rent, and there just aren’t enough hours to practise. I’m getting up at the crack of dawn...trying to cram things in...’

Susie moved over to Juliet’s couch and gave her a hug. She was pleased that in this instance she hadn’t said anything to Juliet about the noise.

‘Can your family help?’ she asked.

‘God, no.’ Juliet shook her head. ‘I’m not giving up my music, but I do have to face things.’ Then she paused and looked at the television screen. ‘There he is...’

Susie tried not to turn her head too quickly, and attempted to feign nonchalance as she saw Dante, looking utterly together, walking towards the court.

‘That’s from this morning,’ Juliet said. ‘Clearly he wasn’t in a fight—Louanna’s such a gossip.’

Dante wore a dark grey suit and a dark gunmetal tie, and his white shirt almost gleamed in the mid-morning light. He looked a whole lot better than Susie.

The footage ended and the scene flicked back to the court, where all the cameras were waiting for news outside.

Juliet spoke again. ‘It was a difficult wedding.’

Susie tore her eyes away from the screen. ‘I thought it was gorgeous.’

‘Of course—but it was so sad. All those pictures everywhere...and so many pieces we were told not to perform. And then Mimi...’

Susie closed her eyes and felt so selfish. She’d been thinking only of how hard it was for her. And that was what she regretted.

Dante had needed her, and instead of being there for him, or properly listening, she’d been angling for an invitation to the ball.

Then there was the sound of footsteps on the stairs and then the door opened and an excited Louanna rushed in. ‘Turn the sound on!’

‘What?’

‘There’s about to be a press conference.’ She was unmuting the television. ‘They’re back together,’ Louanna said. ‘Again!’

The happy couple were smiling and holding hands, with their lawyers standing beside them, a little grim-faced, as a short statement was read.

‘The past year has been difficult for both parties, who deeply regret getting third parties involved. They look forward to renewing their vows and moving forward.’

‘See?’ Louanna said. ‘Only the lawyers win.’

Dante gave a short response and said he was pleased for his client and wished the couple well. He offered a tight smile, then shook his client’s hand and walked back to his office, the rebuke from the judge still ringing in his ears.

‘This case should never have made it to court, SignorCasadio.’

Once again, he was the bastard...

For two days he dealt with the press, with his staff, with the paperwork that had piled up, and then he went to his safe and took out a small envelope.

‘I’m taking the rest of the week off,’ he informed his PA.

Dante returned to his stunning apartment, and thought Susie was right—he could rent it out tomorrow, as a luxurious furnished penthouse, and apart from clothes and toiletries there was little he would have to take out...