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“Reality happened, okay? I discovered how hard it is to actuallyit” She took another cal” It was obvious that she wanted to turn the conversation away froreen eyes as she said Rocco’s na to see Rocco dance to the tunes of the woerald must be really special”

The wistfulness in her gaze before she looked around herself and covered it up tugged at his curiosity “Olivia is definitely soht”

He noted the way her gaze kept going to the entrance to the terrace, the sa door that Jackson and the blonde had walked through “It was only a plane ride away, Clio If it’s money for the plane ticket, you could have just asked one of us”

“I’m not destitute, Stefan,” she said tiredly, as if she would do anything if he just left her alone “After Christian paid ed fine”

Shock reverberated through Stefan

Christian had helped Clio once with the rent? Had it been that bad for her?

But he had no doubt as to why Christian wouldn’t have breathed a word His friend had grown up in poverty on the streets of Athens, was the one who really understood what it

He understood why it would have been Christian that Clio had gone to But still, he didn’t like that things had been so bad for her and he hadn’t even had an inkling of it

He stared at her anew

There was no e urgency and fear prompted by what, he had no idea

It had to be so related to Jackson

A renewed purpose filled hiet out of whatever it was

“If you ever needed so, you only had to ask”

“I don’t want charity Yours or anyone else’s I paid Christian back when I was able to I’m fine now”

“Then why did you not co? Why did you blanch when you saw me?”