Chapter 121 – Rejection

• “I’m sorry, Fay,” Alessi says again, leaning across to me and reaching out his hand to take mine, true sorrow on his face. “You are a lovely girl, I like you very much. I know this cannot be easy to hear, but it is…business.”
• “I’m sorry,” Daniel says, putting his hand out to stop Alessi’s from reaching me. “What, precisely, are you trying to imply here by bringing Fay into it?”
• Alessi blinks at Damoe; and then sits back in his chair, glaring at his nephew for being difficult when we all know precisely what he means. Alessi just doesn’t want to say it aloud – that if my father is dead the marriage to me will, of course, no longer be worth anything at all, strategically.