CHAPTER 7

-AVERY-

"DID YOU SAY Mancini?" I asked, not wanting to believe what I just heard.

"The one and only, ma'am," The burly man said. "He hired my whole company and told us exactly what to do. We have been waiting here for the past half hour."

I looked past the man to the huge truck. "What is in there?" I asked.

"Come and see," the man said. "I am Jones, by the way." Jones unlocked the back of the truck and swung the door open. "It's like a whole office in here. He bought everything, from air conditioners to new comfortable sofas... even some art pieces to hang on the wall."

I was too stunned to speak. The audacity of the man. "Take it back. Everything."

"W-What?" Jones stuttered.

"I said, I do not accept this." I looked at the truck. "I am not accepting any of these into my office."

"But he has already paid," Jones pressed. "He paid in full."

"Well, he has the money to waste, doesn't he?" I snapped and turned around.

"What are we going to do?" Jones called to me as I got into my car.

"I don't care," I replied and drove off, leaving the men and their truck standing in the road, dumbfounded and watching me drive away.

My hands were trembling on my steering wheel. He had the audacity to try and refurbish my office without even asking me first. It was like he was saying my modest office was trash and not up to his standard.

He was trying to bribe and buy my services to work with his daughter. He thinks I am one of the gullible women he is used to.

My phone buzzed in my bag. I picked it up and saw that it was flooded with messages and voicemails since I switched it off last night. There were many voice calls from Emily. I knew she would be worried, so I made a mental note to call her later.

Then the messages from Nick. I could feel the excitement from the texts. I sighed dejectedly, knowing that I was not feeling the same way. Another of his messages popped up as I drove. He asked me to meet him for breakfast. I was not normally a breakfast person, but since I had nowhere else to be, I agreed. The place he picked was a small Cafe a few blocks away from where I was.

"Doctor Avery," he was smiling widely as he gave me a brief hug. "It is good to see you."

"How are you doing today, Nick?" I asked.

"Good, good," he nodded. "You don't know how pleased I was when I saw your text last night."

How was I going to tell him that it was an impulsive thing I had done without thinking?

"I know this is not our ideal first date should be," he said as he sipped on a small cup of coffee.

"This is not a date, Nick," I said in a small voice.

His face fell for a second, then he smiled and shrugged. "This is just the first step. We'll take it slow." He handed me the menu, "Don't you want to order something? Don't worry, the bills are on me."

What was it with wealthy men and thinking everything was about money?

My phone rang and I gratefully stepped up. "I have to answer this," I muttered before walking away. The caller ID was unknown. "This is Doctor Avery on the line. Who is this?"

"Jones said you left them stranded outside your office," came the deep voice that I automatically dreaded.

"Good morning to you too, Mr Mancini," I said.

"I am being nice here," He said. "Accept my gift offering."

"I told you before, I am not a child therapist. You can't bribe me into doing something that could make me lose my license," I looked at Nick, seated a few feet away from me and snorted at the irony. Going out with Nick was already doing something that could make me lose my license.

"Come and open your office so the men can begin work," Adriano said.

"I don't want it," I snapped.

"I am going to buy the whole building," he said coolly. It sounded more than a threat. He sounded like he was really going to do it. "If you don't come here in the next 15 minutes, I am going to buy the building and any building you try to rent in this state."

I did not have the liberty to move office before my rent was due. I gave away all of the money from the divorce, so I am not exactly a wealthy woman at the moment.

"I am waiting for you, Doctor Avery," he said in a low voice. "And nobody keeps me waiting."

I groaned inwardly as I went back to Nick's table. This was a horrible morning already. "I have to go," I explained. "Work."

"I understand," he said. "Perhaps we can meet for dinner this evening."

"Maybe," I told him and left the Cafe.

I got back to my office in 20 minutes, and I saw Adriano standing and leaning against the side of his black Ferrari. He was looking dashingly handsome in his suit. I derived a bit of satisfaction from the displeased look on his face as I parked beside him.

I noticed that the truck was gone. "Where are they?"

"I sent it back," he muttered. "It was inappropriate of me to pick the interior decor for your office. You should be the one to do that."

"Is that an apology?" I raised an eyebrow as I unlocked the door.

He grunted and followed me in. "I just need my daughter to be under your care, Avery." He said. "You don't even have to come in contact with me. My driver will drop and pick her up, my financial secretary will handle your payment..."

I did not want anything to do with another cold billionaire, not after what Dante did to me. But Iris was a charming child, and I could not let her suffer when I could help. "I will handle her temporarily while you look for a more permanent therapist," I gave him a hard stare. "That is my offer."

He did not seem to agree, but he nodded. "I will bring her after school for her first session." He said and walked out without waiting for my reply.

I chuffed and shook my head slightly. He needed the damn therapy more than his daughter. I reached for my phone to call Emily and apologize for last night.