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observed.
    “Why would I be mad?” she asked, her tone icy.
    “Something about Kitty, I’m guessing.”
    “Hmm.” But she ignored his comment and squatted down beside Isabella. “When was the last time you fed her?”
    “Mrs. Hill fed her just before she left.” He crossed to stand beside her, noticing the way Isabella sized her up. “Around seven.”
    “Ah, so you haven’t fed her yourself yet, have you?”
    “No. And you’re avoiding the question.”
    Raina stood and suddenly she was unexpectedly close. “It wasn’t a question. You guessed that I was angry. And you guessed that it was because of Kitty. Neither of those was a question.”
    He caught a whiff of her scent. Something he’d never noticed before, something warm and homey.
    Gazing up at him, her eyes seemed huge. How had he never before noticed what a warm shade of brown her eyes were? Like his finest Scotch.
    She, too, must have been surprised to find herself so close to him, because she sucked in a deep breath and stepped back nervously.
    He followed her step for step, not giving her room to retreat. “Well? Am I right? Are you upset about Kitty?”
    She licked her lips and in that same chilly tone, asked, “Why would I be upset about Kitty?”
    “I don’t know. You tell me.”
    “You certainly have the right to get engaged to any virtual stranger at a moment’s notice. Without any forethought or planning.”
    “Kitty Biedermann isn’t a stranger. I’ve known her for years.”
    “Well, then, there you have it. She’s an old family friend. Of course you’d marry her. For all I know, you’ve been silently carrying a torch for her for years. Decades maybe. It’s none of my business.”
    “It’s not like that.”
    “It doesn’t matter, does it? I’m just your assistant. You’ve never confided that kind of personal information in me anyway.” She frowned. “And I’m not even your assistant anymore. At least, I won’t be two weeks from now.”
    Four
    Raina knew she was giving herself away. Just like she knew Derek would pounce on any sign of weakness. Getting overly emotional about this would do no good. He’d only use it against her. She’d certainly seen him do that to many a business rival.
    With forced calm, she marched over to the ExerSaucer where Isabella sat and crouched down. But after a second, she ignored her own advice, stood again, and spun back toward him as the name of this new fiancée finally sunk in.
    “Wait a second…Kitty Biedermann? As in Biedermann Jewelry?”
    He didn’t even have the sense to look embarrassed. “Yes, Kitty is the daughter of Randal Biedermann.”
    Something akin to disgust washed over her. Somehow, it bubbled out of her as a slightly demented giggle. “There’s a Biedermann’s Jewelry in every mall in America.”
    “Actually, Biedermann’s are in fewer than eighty percent of malls.”
    “Still, you’re marrying into the biggest jewelry chain in the country.”
    How could she possibly compete with that?
    Not that she was trying to. Of course she wasn’t. She had no chance of winning his heart regardless of whether he was engaged to Kitty Biedermann or Scooby-Doo.
    She knew that. And yet the thought made her heart constrict in her chest. Not only for herself—though the thought of him marrying another woman was almost too much to bear—but also for him.
    Raina may never have met Kitty Biedermann, but she certainly knew the Biedermann family reputation of wealth, privilege and social standing. A woman with that kind of background could never understand Derek. She couldn’t begin to make him happy.
    But happiness hadn’t played into Derek’s bride selection. This was nothing more than a business decision and even still Raina knew she could never compete.
    “You think it’s a bad idea.”
    She cut her gaze to him, instantly suspicious. “I couldn’t care one way or another,” she lied.
    “Kitty is the perfect woman for me.”
    Suppressing a sigh of frustration, she