Free The Exiled Jeweler: a contemporary romance novel (The Rosa Legacy Book 2) by Susie Warren Page A

Armati was waiting for me with roses.”
    “Wow, that’s nice. He’s considered quite a catch.”
    “Liv, I have no interest in him.” Emilia tried to keep a neutral tone to escape any speculation from her good friend.
    “I don’t often see you rattled. He has gotten to you.”
    Looking at Liv, she made a decision to confide in her. Liv had been fiercely loyal throughout her banishment, always protecting her and encouraging her. “He is blackmailing me.”
    “What?” Liv choked on her water.
    A hovering waiter came to their table and offered a cloth napkin. As Liv politely contained her coughing, Emilia ordered two glasses of chardonnay to give the waiter something to do.
    “He was the man in the photographs.”
    “You were having an affair with Alexander Armati?”
    “No. I had just met him that night. I had seen him a few times but hadn’t actually spoken with him.” Her skin warmed as she admitted the truth. It was true, people would judge her if they knew she had barely met him before falling into his arms.
    “The photographs made it seem that you were an item.”
    Emilia shook her head. How could she explain that somehow one drink had brought down her inhibitions enough to allow him to practically make love to her in a secluded part of the garden?
    The waiter brought them both a glass of chilled wine and recited an exhaustive list of specials. They both ended up choosing the tilapia, and the waiter hurried away.
    “I don’t know what got into me that night. He is remarkably charming and approachable. We ended up talking a great deal and then one thing led to the next. The party had begun to wind down, but the music continued and he took me into his arms. There is definitely this chemistry between us.”
    “Why didn’t he come forward when the tabloids printed the damaging photographs?”
    “He went to New York the next day, and by the time he returned, I was already in Florida.”
    “But he had a responsibility to make things right.”
    “My parents at the time were devastated by the publicity that painted their only daughter as an out-of-control party girl. I didn’t want to further complicate the issue by telling them that it was Alex Armati. It would have only complicated things.”
    “He is famous and sought after. How could the tabloids have not realized it was his house or in fact him?”
    “I didn’t know this at the time, but his security guy had edited the photographs so I was the only recognizable person, made up a fabricated party, and then sold them for a ton of money.”
    “So a sleazy security guy got away with doing that?”
    “Not completely. The other night Alex told me that he pressed civil charges and the man used up the money he gained in legal fees.”
    “Why does he want you to reveal the secret after all of this time that has gone by? Won’t it just re-energize the story?”
    “He wants me to tell my family, not the media. My family would never discuss the specifics.” She thought to herself that they would do anything to keep the secret.
    The waiter delivered their food, then quietly retreated.
    “Maybe it should be revealed.”
    She looked at Liv in surprise. “It’s mortifying. The photographs were so revealing. I have no interest in stirring that up.”
    “The incident only has power to hurt you if you allow it to. Let’s face it, you have an absolutely gorgeous body and you know it’s true. Could this help Berceto’s image? Sometimes negative publicity is more powerful than positive publicity.”
    Shock flowed throughout her body as she struggled to take a breath in. “I would never attempt to use this.”
    Liv took a small bite of roasted carrot. “If you were able to, it would turn something bad into something positive. Especially if you were able to name Alex Armati and he is practically giving you permission to.”
    Emilia tasted the tilapia and then said, “He is expecting me to tell my family, not the world.”
    “That should be easy. You are a